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In China, healthcare has lagged relative to its economic boom during the past 40 years. While the top tier hospitals offer pediatric perioperative care like high‐income countries, lower‐tier hospitals deliver lesser services of variable quality and safety related to equipment, supplies, clinician education, and availability. The national residency training program and the pediatric anesthesia fellowship program was established in 2013 and 2018 respectively. Increasing clinician workload from patient demand and a lack of consistency in quality and capability between rural and urban areas remain challenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals 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.)

Background: This study was intended to investigate the correlation between depression and suicidal ideation among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential mediating roles of chronotype and sleep quality in this relationship. Methods: A sample of 4,768 college students was selected from four institutions in Anhui Province, China, and the study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic (November to December 2020) using a stratified, cluster, multi-stage sampling method. This study used the two-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) to assess depressive symptoms, the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire 19 (MEQ-19) to determine individual sleep chronotypes (i.e., morning or evening preference), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to evaluate sleep quality. Participants were asked about suicidal ideation. MPLUS 8.3 software was used to analyze the mediating effect of chronotype and sleep quality on the relationship between depression and suicidal ideation. Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of suicidal ideation among Chinese college students was 5.4%. Depression was inversely correlated with chronotype (beta = − 0.346, P < 0.01) and positively correlated with sleep quality (beta = 0.846, P < 0.001), indicating that students experiencing depressive symptoms were more likely to have a later chronotype and poor sleep quality. A later chronotype (beta = − 0.019, P < 0.05) and poor sleep quality (beta = 0.066, P < 0.01) predicted suicidal ideation. Depression emerged as a direct and significant risk factor for suicidal ideation (effect value = 0.535, 95% confidence interval: 0.449 ~ 0.622). Chronotype and sleep quality were found to have potential mediating effects on the relationship between depression and suicidal ideation; however, the chain-mediating effect of chronotype and sleep quality was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that during the COVID-19 pandemic, depression can precipitate suicidal ideation through its influence on sleep chronotype and quality. These compelling findings highlight the urgency of early intervention strategies intended to mitigate suicidal thoughts, particularly among students exhibiting depressive symptoms, who experience disrupted sleep patterns and poor sleep quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the Fenton preoxidation and composite coagulant method was used to carry out the rapid dewatering experiment of Chaohu Lake (China) dredging slurry. The changes in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), particle size distribution, zeta potential, specific resistance to filtration (SRF), and capillary suction time (CST) of the dredging slurry were characterized. The results showed that the molar ratio of H2O2 and Fe2+ had the greatest effect on the dewatering of dredging slurry by Fenton preoxidation. The coagulant selected through the coagulation test was polyaluminum ferric chloride. The model simulated by the response surface method exhibited significant adaptability and high accuracy (p < 0.01, R2 = 0.9461, accuracy is 12.115). Fenton preoxidation resulted in the transformation of tightly bound EPS to soluble EPS. After preoxidation-coagulation treatment, the dewatering performance of the slurry improved significantly. The EPS quantity rose by 20.3%, while the SRF (3.65 × 109 s2/g), CST (71.25 s), and zeta potential (− 28.0 mV) shifted to 0.33 × 109 s2/g, 27.60 s, and − 14.9 mV, respectively. The disintegration of EPS by Fenton peroxidation and the subsequent adsorption bridging and charge neutralization through coagulation were the key mechanism for improving the dewatering performance of the dredging slurry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Performing a Transjugular intrahepatic portal system shunt (TIPS) in patients with portal vein cavernous transformation (CTPV) poses significant challenges. As an alternative, transjugular extrahepatic portal vein shunt (TEPS) may offer a potential solution for these patients. Nonetheless, the effectiveness and safety of TEPS remain uncertain. This case series study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TEPS in treating patients with CTPV portal hypertension complications. Methods: The study encompassed a cohort of 22 patients diagnosed with CTPV who underwent TEPS procedures. Of these, 13 patients manifested recurrent hemorrhagic episodes subsequent to conventional therapies, 8 patients grappled with recurrent or refractory ascites, and 1 patient experienced acute bleeding but refused endoscopic treatment. Comprehensive postoperative monitoring was conducted for all patients to rigorously evaluate both the technical and clinical efficacy of the intervention, as well as long-term outcomes. Results: The overall procedural success rate among the 22 patients was 95.5% (21/22).During the TEPS procedure, nine patients were guided by percutaneous splenic access, three patients were guided by percutaneous hepatic access, five patients were guided by transmesenteric vein access from the abdomen, and two patients were guided by catheter marking from the hepatic artery. Additionally, guidance for three patients was facilitated by pre-existing TIPS stents. The postoperative portal pressure gradient following TEPS demonstrated a statistically significant decrease compared to preoperative values (24.95 ± 3.19 mmHg vs. 11.48 ± 1.74 mmHg, p < 0.01).Although three patients encountered perioperative complications, their conditions ameliorated following symptomatic treatment, and no procedure-related fatalities occurred. During a median follow-up period of 14 months, spanning a range of 5 to 39 months, we observed four fatalities. Specifically, one death was attributed to hepatocellular carcinoma, while the remaining three were ascribed to chronic liver failure. During the follow-up period, no instances of shunt dysfunction were observed. Conclusions: Precision-guided TEPS appears to be a safe and efficacious intervention for the management of CTPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the problem of control performance degradation caused by flexible attachment vibrations and external disturbances during attitude maneuvering of flexible spacecraft, this paper proposes a parametric method for improving flexible spacecraft attitude maneuver control (AMC) based on a functional observer. The objective was to enhance the control accuracy and disturbance rejection. First, state expansion was carried out for flexible spacecraft systems affected by disturbances. A functional observer was designed for the system, and sufficient conditions for the existence of the observer were obtained. Furthermore, a controller was designed by using the state information of the observer, which included state feedback and feed-forward compensation. Based on the parametric solution of a class of generalized Sylvester equations (GSEs), the parametric expressions of the controller and observer were established. Finally, a numerical example of a flexible spacecraft proved the effectiveness of the design method. The method can effectively suppress flexible vibrations and external disturbances while also meeting the high-precision control requirements of the flexible spacecraft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the configuration of coreless stators and two synchronously rotated rotors, hollow-cup machines (HCMs) enjoy the merits of negligible cogging torque and core loss. Consequently, HCMs have been successfully employed as high-speed electric machines in the aerospace field, which requires high precision and low thermal dissipation. However, the permanent magnet (PM) thickness and air-gap length of conventional HCM are uniform, resulting in various harmonics in the air-gap flux density as well as back-EMF. These harmonics inevitably produce an electromagnetic torque ripple, which has not met the increasing demand for ultraprecision in recent years. Since the inner rotor of HCMs only consists of an iron core, this paper proposes a novel sinusoidal-shaped inner rotor, which can change the harmonics of air-gap permeance, to adjust the harmonics of air-gap flux density and back-EMF. HCMs with the proposed inner rotors have a significant 87% reduction in torque ripple compared to conventional HCMs. Meanwhile, compared to conventional methods, HCMs with the proposed inner rotor exhibit comparable torque ripple and higher average torque. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the homogenization heat‐treatment process and microstructural evolution of 4047 aluminum alloy are investigated. In the results, it is revealed that the homogenization process induces partial dissolution of metastable phases and modification of the fine needle‐shaped eutectic Si. Within the 4047 aluminum alloy, the fine needle‐shaped eutectic Si undergoes granulation, involving two stages: crystal dissolution and granulation of broken crystals. After optimal homogenization heat treatment, the eutectic Si phase transformed from a fine needle‐shaped structure to small, regular spherical structures, reducing stress concentration and improving the interfacial bonding capability and internal structure of the alloy matrix. This significantly reduces the likelihood of microcrack formation within the alloy and effectively hinders crack propagation, enhancing the alloy's mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals 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.)

We aimed to compare the cardiovascular events and mortality in patients who underwent either physician-oriented or patient-oriented kidney replacement therapy (KRT) conversion due to discontinuation of peritoneal dialysis (PD). Patients with end-stage kidney disease who were receiving PD and required a switch to an alternative KRT were included. They were divided into physician-oriented group or patient-oriented group based on the decision-making process. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors related to KRT conversion in PD patients. The association of physician-oriented or patient-oriented KRT conversion with outcomes after the conversion was assessed by using Cox proportional hazards models. A total of 257 PD patients were included in the study. The median age at catheterization was 35 years. 69.6% of the participants were male. The median duration of PD was 20 months. 162 participants had patient-oriented KRT conversion, while 95 had physician-oriented KRT conversion. Younger patients, those with higher education levels, higher income, and no diabetes were more likely to have patient-oriented KRT conversion. Over a median follow-up of 39 months, 40 patients experienced cardiovascular events and 16 patients died. Physician-oriented KRT conversion increased nearly 3.8-fold and 4.0-fold risk of cardiovascular events and death, respectively. After adjusting for confounders, physician-oriented KRT conversion remained about a 3-fold risk of cardiovascular events. Compared to patient-oriented KRT conversion, PD patients who underwent physician-oriented conversion had higher risks of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. Factors included age at catheterization, education level, annual household income, and history of diabetes mellitus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psyllids feed exclusively on plant sap, which is an unbalanced diet for herbivores due to its low nitrogen content. Therefore, the plant-psyllid-natural enemy interactions can be strongly shaped by the bottom-up forces of N fertilization. Pear psylla Cacopsylla chinensis is a notorious pest in East Asian countries, inflicting devastating damage to pear trees and fruits. However, the bottom-up effects of nitrogen fertilizer on C. chinensis and the mechanisms remain unexplored. Here, we evaluated the performance of C. chinensis larvae over the N application range of 0–1500 mg/kg. The feeding activity and body weight of C. chinensis increased and the developmental duration of C. chinensis decreased significantly when N application increased. Our results indicated that nitrogen application enhanced psyllid fitness on host plant. By analyzing pear leaf metabolites, we found that only ferulic acid increased with the increase of nitrogen fertilizer concentration among phenolics assessed. Exogenously application of ferulic acid accelerated the development of psyllid nymphs. We also found that the concentration of both essential and non-essential amino acids increased significantly when N supply increased, which provided C. chinensis with increased nutrients for their development. The expression levels of several C. chinensis genes in the amino acids synthesis pathway decreased significantly after nitrogen application, indicating that C. chinensis can adjust its amino acid synthesis levels based on its diet. We demonstrated that the enhanced fitness of psyllids under nitrogen supply stems from altered host chemical traits and nutritional quality. The manipulation of nitrogen fertilization has a high potential for use in psyllid IPM programs by reducing psyllid performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After ischemic stroke, microRNAs (miRNAs) participate in various processes, including immune responses, inflammation, and angiogenesis. Diabetes is a key factor increasing the risk of ischemic stroke; however, the regulatory pattern of miRNAs at different stages of diabetic stroke remains unclear. This study comprehensively analyzed the miRNA expression profiles in diabetic mice at 1, 3, and 7 days post-reperfusion following the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). We identified differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs in diabetic stroke and found significant dysregulation of some novel miRNAs (novel_mir310, novel_mir89, and novel_mir396) post-stroke. These DEmiRNAs were involved in apoptosis and the formation of tight junctions. Finally, we identified three groups of time-dependent DE miRNAs (miR-6240, miR-135b-3p, and miR-672-5p). These have the potential to serve as biomarkers of diabetic stroke. These findings provide a new perspective for future research, emphasizing the dynamic changes in miRNA expression after diabetic stroke and offering potential candidates as biomarkers for future clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the interaction of organic matter with arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) in natural water, standard dissolved organic matter (standard DOM) was taken as the research object, and the analysis was carried out by spectroscopy, high-resolution mass spectrometry, parallel factor analysis and other methods. The results showed that compared with fulvic acids and humus, protein-like tyrosines showed higher binding capacity to As and Pb. The results of high-resolution mass spectrometry showed that heavy metals could change the original characteristics of the standard DOM, resulting in the transformation of organic matter, such as the decrease of amino carbohydrate components, the increase of tannin-like components, the decrease of the relative abundance of CHO, and the increase of the relative abundance of other heteroatoms. DOM-As showed that there was a strong positive correlation between the ultraviolet characteristic parameter a254 and the fluorescence characteristic parameter HIX, the amino sugar component and CHO obtained by ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry were positively correlated with the ultraviolet characteristic parameters a254, a260, a280 and the fluorescence characteristic parameter HIX, and the fluorescence component C1 was positively correlated with the unsaturated hydrocarbon component obtained by mass spectrometry. The results of the study may provide theoretical support for the quantitative assessment of the mechanism of organic matter-heavy metal interactions in water bodies, thereby reducing the environmental behavior of various pollutants such as heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To assess rates of no systemic treatment (NST), attrition across lines of therapy, and factors influencing treatment selection in patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer (la/mUC). Methods: Systematic literature review to identify real-world studies reporting NST or attrition rates in la/mUC from 2017–2022 (including data reported since 2015). Results: Of 2439 publications screened, 29 reported NST rates, ranging from 40–74% in eight European-based studies, 14–60% in 12 US-based studies, and 9–63% in nine studies in other locations (meta-analysis estimate, 39%). Factors associated with NST or no second-line therapy included older age, female sex, poor performance status, poor renal function and distant metastases. Conclusion: A substantial proportion of patients with la/mUC do not receive guideline-recommended treatment. Plain language summary A review of how patients with bladder cancer are treated or not treated with anti-cancer drugs People with advanced bladder cancer have a short survival. Bladder cancer is called advanced when it has spread outside of the urinary tract. Several drug treatments are available for people with advanced bladder cancer. However, sometimes people do not receive any drug treatment. We looked at published studies to see how many people with advanced bladder cancer did not receive any drug treatment and the reasons why. We also looked at how long people lived with or without drug treatment. We found that many people with advanced bladder cancer did not receive drug treatment. The number of people who received no drug treatment varied in studies from different countries. People who were older, were female, had poor health or kidney problems, or had cancer that had spread to other parts of the body were less likely to receive drug treatment. People who did not receive drug treatment lived for an average of 2 to 7 months, compared with 9 to 35 months for people who received drug treatment. More studies are needed to investigate the reasons why drug treatment is sometimes not used in people with advanced bladder cancer who could receive treatment, so that more people can benefit from available treatments. Summary points This systematic literature review assessed real-world evidence for undertreatment rates, attrition rates and factors influencing treatment selection in patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (la/mUC). Of 2439 studies reporting real-world evidence in la/mUC or bladder cancer that were screened, 29 reported the proportion of patients receiving no systemic treatment (NST), 47 reported the proportion of patients receiving no subsequent treatment after first-line (1L) treatment (ie, attrition rate) and six reported treatment rates after the approval of immunotherapy; in total, 66 studies reported either NST rates or attrition rates. Several regions and countries were represented, including the USA, the European Union, Asia, the Middle East, the UK and Russia. NST rates ranges from 40–74% in eight European-based studies, 14–60% in 12 US-based studies, and 9–63% in nine studies from other locations. Rates of receipt of second-line treatment were lower in cisplatin-ineligible versus -eligible patients, and in those who received 1L immunotherapy versus chemotherapy. Factors associated with NST or no subsequent treatment after 1L treatment included older age, female sex, poor performance status, poor renal function and distant metastases. Median overall survival for patients with NST ranged from 2.0 to 6.9 months, compared with 9.2 to 34.5 months for patients who received systemic treatment. Overall, our findings indicate that a substantial proportion of patients with la/mUC do not receive treatment according to guidelines, or at all. Additional studies are needed to explore the factors influencing treatment selection to support optimal treatment sequencing in the era of 1L maintenance and targeted therapies in later lines, and allow most patients to benefit from available treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disposal of dredged sediment from rivers and lakes is an important environmental management issue. Reuse of amended dredged sediment as planting medium for urban greening (PMUG) is a potentially valuable resource management approach. However, risks associated with heavy metals in dredged sediment, as well as its poor permeability and water retention capacity, limit its potential for reuse. In this study, we used dredged sediment to prepare PMUG by alternating aerobic and anaerobic processes, using dredged sediment from Chaohu Lake (China) as raw material. Straw, peat, and biochar were added as auxiliary materials and zeolite and superabsorbent resin as water-retaining agents. Changes in physical and chemical indices of the amended sediment were determined during planting medium preparation. Compared with the original dredged sediments, the addition of straw significantly increased the organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus content (p < 0.05). The resulting pH, conductivity, cation exchange capacity, available phosphorus, and available nitrogen of the amended sediments met Standard CJ/T 340-2016, China. The added materials also effectively stabilized the heavy metals in the sediments; the immobilization rates of Cr, Ni, Zn, As, Cd, Pb, Hg, and Cu in the amended sediments were 73–84%, 38–55%, 61–62%, 66–76%, 73–77%, 75–86%, 73–90%, and 43–51%. The addition of peat also significantly increased seed germination. The seed germination index of the amended sediments was >119%, ranging up to 173%. This study provides guidance for preparation of amended dredged sediments for use in urban greening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aircraft targets, as high-value subjects, are a focal point in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image interpretation. To tackle challenges like limited SAR aircraft datasets and shortcomings in existing detection algorithms (complexity, poor performance, weak generalization), we present the Feature Enhancement and Multi-Scales Fusion Network (FEMSFNet) for SAR aircraft detection. FEMSFNet employs diverse image augmentation and integrates optimized Squeeze-and-Excitation Networks (SE) with residual network (ResNet) in a SdE-Resblock structure for a lightweight yet accurate model. It introduces ssppf-CSP module, an improved pyramid pooling model, to prevent receptive field deviation in deep network training. Tailored for SAR aircraft detection, FEMSFNet optimizes loss functions, emphasizing both speed and accuracy. Evaluation on the SAR Aircraft Detection Dataset (SADD) demonstrates significant improvements compared to the contrasted algorithms: precision rate (92%), recall rate (96%), and F1 score (94%), with a maximum increase of 12.2% in precision, 12.9% in recall, and 13.3% in F1 score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In digital holography, reconstructed image quality can be primarily limited due to the inability of a single small aperture sensor to cover the entire field of a hologram. The use of multi-sensor arrays in synthetic aperture digital holographic imaging technology contributes to overcoming the limitations of sensor coverage by expanding the area for detection. However, imaging accuracy is affected by the gap size between sensors and the resolution of sensors, especially when dealing with a limited number of sensors. An image reconstruction method is proposed that combines physical constraint characteristics of the imaging object with a score-based diffusion model, aiming to enhance the imaging accuracy of digital holography technology with extremely sparse sensor arrays. Prior information of the sample is learned by the neural network in the diffusion model to obtain a score function, which alternately constrains the iterative reconstruction process with the underlying physical model. The results demonstrate that the structural similarity and peak signal-to-noise ratio of the reconstructed images using this method are higher than the traditional method, along with a strong generalization ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The star sensor is the most accurate measurement instrument in the spacecraft attitude measurement system, and the accurate centroid of the star point is the basis for ensuring the performance of the star sensor. Currently, the centroid of the gray method is the most widely used centroid extraction method in practice. Systematic errors caused by the centroid of the gray method and random noise in the detector imaging process are the main factors contributing to the deviation of the star centroiding coordinates. Considering the relationship between the point spread function and the pixel gray value, this paper proposes a centroiding method to reduce the star point centroiding error by fusing a priori information and energy distribution. The star charts are first preprocessed using a curvature filter and Gaussian blur to reduce the random noise. Then the complexity of the point spread function is considered, and the pixel gray values are corrected based on a priori information and gray value fuzzy processing. Finally, the symmetry of the one-dimensional energy distribution is used to quickly determine the sub-pixel deviation to get the star centroid coordinates. Through simulation and physical simulation experiments, the method was verified to be effective, and the extraction accuracy met the requirements of high-precision star sensors. The night sky observation test results demonstrate that the method in this paper can improve the measurement accuracy of the star sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) provides an indirect measure of the physiological state and growth of the maize ear by reconstructing the distribution of electrical impedance. However, the two-dimensional (2D) EIT within the electrode plane finds it challenging to comprehensively represent the spatial distribution of conductivity of the intact maize ear, including the husk, kernels, and cob. Therefore, an effective method for 3D conductivity reconstruction is necessary. In practical applications, fluctuations in the contact impedance of the maize ear occur, particularly with the increase in the number of grids and computational workload during the reconstruction of 3D spatial conductivity. These fluctuations may accentuate the ill-conditioning and nonlinearity of the EIT. To address these challenges, we introduce RFNetEIT, a novel computational framework specifically tailored for the absolute imaging of the three-dimensional electrical impedance of maize ear. This strategy transforms the reconstruction of 3D electrical conductivity into a regression process. Initially, a feature map is extracted from measured boundary voltage via a data reconstruction module, thereby enhancing the correlation among different dimensions. Subsequently, a nonlinear mapping model of the 3D spatial distribution of the boundary voltage and conductivity is established, utilizing the residual network. The performance of the proposed framework is assessed through numerical simulation experiments, acrylic model experiments, and maize ear experiments. Our experimental results indicate that our method yields superior reconstruction performance in terms of root-mean-square error (RMSE), correlation coefficient (CC), structural similarity index (SSIM), and inverse problem-solving time (IPST). Furthermore, the reconstruction experiments on maize ears demonstrate that the method can effectively reconstruct the 3D conductivity distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patellofemoral osteoarthritis (PFJOA) is a subtype of knee OA, which is one of the main causes of anterior knee pain. The current study found an increased prevalence of OA in postmenopausal women, called postmenopausal OA. Therefore, we designed the ovariectomized rat model of patella baja-induced PFJOA. Alendronate (ALN) inhibits osteoclast-mediated bone loss, and has been reported the favorable result of a potential intervention option of OA treatment. However, the potential effects of ALN treatment on PFJOA in the ovariectomized rat model are unknown and need further investigation prior to exploration in the clinical research setting. In this study, the effects of ALN on articular cartilage degradation and subchondral bone microstructure were assessed in the ovariectomized PFJOA rat model for 10 weeks. Methods: Patella baja and estrogen withdrawal were induced by patellar ligament shortening (PLS) and bilateral ovariectmomy surgeries in 3-month-old female Sprague–Dawley rats, respectively. Rats were randomly divided into five groups (n = 8): Sham + V; OVX + V, Sham + PLS + V, OVX + PLS + V, OVX + PLS + ALN (ALN: 70 μg/kg/week). Radiography was performed to evaluate patellar height ratios, and the progression of PFJOA was assessed by macroscopic and microscopic analyses, immunohistochemistry and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Results: Our results found that the patella baja model prepared by PLS can successfully cause degeneration of articular cartilage and subchondral bone, resulting in changes of PFJOA. OVX caused a decrease in estrogen levels in rats, which aggravated the joint degeneration caused by PFJOA. Early application of ALN can delay the degenerative changes of articular cartilage and subchondral bone microstructure in castrated PFJOA rat to a certain extent, improve and maintain the micrometabolism and structural changes of cartilage and subchondral bone. Conclusion: The early application of ALN can delay the destruction of articular cartilage and subchondral bone microstructure in castrated PFJOA rat to a certain extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simulations of Antarctic chlorine and ozone chemistry show that in the core of the Antarctic vortex (16–18 km, 85–55 hPa, 390–430 K) HCl null cycles (initiated by reactions CH4 + Cl and CH2O + Cl) are effective. These HCl null cycles allow HCl mixing ratios to remain very low throughout Antarctic winter and ozone destroying chlorine (ClOx) to remain enhanced, so that rapid ozone depletion proceeds. Sensitivity studies show that the reaction CH3O2 + ClO is important for the efficacy of the HCl null cycle initiated by the reaction CH4 + Cl and that using the current kinetic recommendations instead of earlier ones has little impact on the simulations. Dehydration in Antarctica strongly reduces ice formation and the uptake of HNO3 from the gas phase; however the efficacy of HCl null cycles is not affected. Further, the effect of the observed very low HCl mixing ratios in Antarctic winter are considered; HCl null cycles are efficient in maintaining low HCl (and high ClOx) throughout Antarctic winter. All simulations presented here for the core of the Antarctic vortex show extremely low minimum ozone values (below 50 ppb) in late September/early October in agreement with observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MAX phase Ti3SiC2 has been synthesized via fast hot pressing (FHP) based on the raw materials of Ti, Si, TiC and Al powders with a molar ratio of 1:1.2:2.3:0.3. The theoretical thermodynamic calculation and DSC test were adopted to verify the feasibility of the synthetic route and sintering temperature. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) result indicated that there were few impurity phases except Ti3SiC2 formed in the sintered sample. The sectional morphology was observed by scanning electron microscope with almost all the platelike-shaped phases, which conformed to the morphology feature of Ti3SiC2. Transmission electron microscopy has been brought to demonstrate the accurate phase composition as Ti3SiC2 combined with the PDF card of XRD analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heterostructure integration of nanostructures, which can involve higher freedom of degree by applying two or more materials into one integrated photonic or electromagnetic devices, attracted extensively increasing attention among the communities of electrons, photonics, materials science, and engineering. However, it is still a challenging topic to realize heterostructure integration with accurate micro–nano-scale geometry in a large area. Here, we propose the secondary-deposited elevated self-assembling nanosphere lithography for large-area heterostructure integration of plasmonic metasurface. As the proof of concept, an infrared metasurface composed of Au–Ag crescent pairs is realized in the practice. By adjusting the evaporation angle, crescent pairs with different morphologies can be freely machined without changing masks. Optical characterization and numerical results show that the heterostructure crescent-pair metasurface owns uniform and stable geometrical properties and flexible capability on infrared optical field modulation. Our work enriches the degree of freedom of nano-structure-based optical devices and paves the heterostructure integrated metasurface to potential industrial applications with large dimension, low cost, and fast production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to systematically review zuranolone's efficacy and safety in treating major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods:We conducted electronic searches in databases like PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science to identify randomized controlled trials using zuranolone for severe depression from study inception to September 15, 2023. Two independent reviewers screened studies, extracted data, and assessed study quality. Our meta-analysis included four studies with 1,454 patients. The findings showed significant improvements with zuranolone across various measures: Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) scores indicated notable alleviation in depressive symptoms (WMD: -2.03; 95% CI: -2.42 to -1.65); the treatment group's HAM-D score response rate was significantly higher than the control group's at day 15 (OR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.11 to 1.92, P = 0.01). The meta-analysis also revealed higher remission rates for the treatment group compared to the control group at day 15 (OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.18 to 2.39, P = 0.03). Additionally, HAM-A scores on day 15 and MADRS scores on day 15 showed improvement, and HAM-D scores for 30 mg zuranolone on different treatment days exhibited improvement (WMD, -2.55; 95% CI, -3.24 to -1.58; P = 0.05). However, analyzing HAM-D scores on day 15 for various zuranolone doses revealed no significant differences. Importantly, zuranolone use was associated with an increased incidence of adverse reactions. Results: Our meta-analysis included four studies with 1454 patients, showing significant improvements with zuranolone across various measures, including HAM-D scores, HAM-A scores, MADRS scores, and specific HAMD scores for 30 mg zuranolone on different treatment days. However, no significant differences were found in HAM-D scores on day 15 for various doses of zuranolone. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that zuranolone is a promising, simple, and convenient treatment for patients with major depressive disorder, offering potential guidance for clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study was designed to systematically review the efficacy and safety of repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) combined with escitalopram in treating major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods: Databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP Journal, and China Biomedical Literature databases were electronically searched for randomized controlled trials of rTMS combined with escitalopram intervention for MDD treatment from the inception of these databases to 27 May 2023. Two reviewers independently screened the studies, extracted the data, and assessed the quality of the included studies. R 4.2.2 was then used for a meta-analysis. Results: In total, 19 articles involving 1,032 patients were included. The results of the meta-analysis showed that Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) scores were significantly lower in the group receiving rTMS combined with escitalopram (experimental group) than that in the control group [weighted mean difference (WMD) = -5.30, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): -6.44 to -4.17, p < 0.01]. The response rate of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group [odds ratio (OR): 5.48; 95% CI: 3.72 to 8.07; p < 0.01]. No significant difference in the adverse reaction rate was observed between the two groups (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.71 to 1.52, p = 0.82). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that rTMS combined with escitalopram can benefit patients with MDD in a safe manner, which may help in guiding clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When utilizing electrical discharge machining (EDM) for processing, the processing efficiency and quality will be significantly impacted, if the electrocorrosion residues in the gap flow field cannot be discharged in time. Numerical simulation is considered an effective means to simulate the flow field of EDM gaps. Based on simulation, this study investigates the processing time, depth, current, and dielectric (kerosene, water, and sunflower seed oil), on the movement of electrocorrosion residues within the dielectric. The simulation results demonstrate that an increase in processing time, current, or depth leads to a decrease in the escape rate of corrosion residues from the discharge gap. Compared with kerosene and sunflower seed oil, water has a higher residue escape rate, but the actual processing effect is not ideal. The escape rate of sunflower seed oil at any time was higher than that of kerosene,the highest was higher than 25%, and the average was higher than 22.21%. Sunflower seed oil can be used as a renewable dielectric to replace kerosene. Subsequently, verification experiments are conducted based on simulation results that demonstrate that the discrete phase model (DPM) fluid simulation exhibits excellent coupling with actual processing conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension are common high-incidence diseases, closely related, and have common pathogenic basis such as oxidative stress. Casein kinase 2 interacting protein-1 (CKIP-1) and low-density lipoprotein receptor (LOX-1) are considered to be important factors affect the level of oxidative stress in the body. The main purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between CKIP-1 (rs6693817 A > T, rs2306235 C > G) and LOX-1 (rs1050283 G > A, rs11053646 C > G) polymorphisms and the risk of hypertension and diabetes, and try to find new candidate genes for diabetes and diabetes with hypertension etiology in Chinese population. Methods: 574 T2DM patients and 597 controls frequently matched by age and sex were selected for genotyping of CKIP-1 (rs6693817 A > T, rs2306235 C > G) and LOX-1 gene (rs1050283 G > A, rs11053646 C > G). Logistic regression was used to analyze the correlation between different genotypes and the risk of T2DM and T2DM with hypertension, and the results were expressed as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results: We found that the risk of T2DM in the AA + AT genotype of rs6693817 was higher than that in the TT genotype in Chinese population (OR = 1.318, 95%CI: 1.011–1.717, P = 0.041), and the difference was still significant after adjustment (OR = 1.370, 95%CI: 1.043–1.799, Padjusted = 0.024), the difference of heterozygotes (AT vs TT: OR = 1.374, 95%CI: 1.026–1.840, Padjusted = 0.033) was statistically significant. But after Bonferroni correction, the significance of the above sites disappeared. And rs6693817 was associated with the risk of T2DM combined with hypertension before and after adjustment in dominant model (OR = 1.424, 95% CI: 1.038–1.954, P = 0.028; OR = 1.460, 95% CI: 1.057–2.015, Padjusted = 0.021, respectively) and in heterozygote model (OR = 1.499, 95% CI: 1.069–2.102, P = 0.019; OR = 1.562, 95% CI: 1.106–2.207, Padjusted = 0.011, respectively). However, only the statistical significance of the heterozygous model remained after Bonferroni correction. rs2306235, rs1050283 and rs11053646 were not significantly correlated with T2DM and T2DM combined with hypertension risk (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The results suggest that CKIP-1 rs6693817 is related to the susceptibility of Chinese people to T2DM with hypertension, providing a new genetic target for the treatment of diabetes with hypertension with in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The study aimed to examine predicted differences of 2 different behavior change patterns on physical fitness (PF). Methods: Participants were 241 students (51% girls) aged 11–14 years from China. Light physical activity, moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and sedentary behavior (SB) were objectively measured. Sleep was obtained by subtracting from awake time. According to Chinese National student PF standards, 5 components of PF, including body mass index, cardiorespiratory fitness, speed, muscular explosive power and strength endurance, and flexibility, were assessed. The effects of different time reallocations between 24-hour movement behaviors on PF were estimated based on adjusted compositional multiple linear regression models with isometric log ratios. Results: Compared with MVPA substituting for the remaining behaviors, MVPA replacing SB or light physical activity produced more favorable changes on the comprehensive PF score, cardiorespiratory fitness, explosive power, and speed. MVPA replacing 30 minutes of SB was associated with favorable changes in PF (+1.9 [0.53, 3.18] points), 50-m run (−0.17 [−0.31, −0.04] s), long-distance running (−5.54 s [for girls]/7.25 s [for boys]), and long jump (+0.05 [0.01, 0.09] m). When sleep replaced SB, PF improved. Conclusions: MVPA substituting SB or light physical activity is a strategy with a greater improvement in PF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucosinolates (GSLs) are sulfur (S)-rich specialized metabolites present in Brassicales order plants. Our previous study found that GSL can function as a S source in Arabidopsis seedlings via its catabolism catalyzed by two β-glucosidases (BGLUs), BGLU28 and BGLU30. However, as GSL profiles in plants vary among growth stages and organs, the potential contribution of BGLU28/30-dependent GSL catabolism at the reproductive growth stage needs verification. Thus, in this study, we assessed growth, metabolic and transcriptional phenotypes of mature bglu28/30 double mutants grown under different S conditions. Our results showed that compared to wild-type plants grown under −S, mature bglu28/30 mutants displayed impaired growth and accumulated increased levels of GSL in their reproductive organs and rosette leaves of before-bolting plants. In contrast, the levels of primary S-containing metabolites, glutathione and cysteine decreased in their mature seeds. Furthermore, the transport of GSL from rosette leaves to the reproductive organs was stimulated in the bglu28/30 mutants under −S. Transcriptome analysis revealed that genes related to other biological processes, such as ethylene response, defense response and plant response to heat, responded differentially to −S in the bglu28/30 mutants. Altogether, these findings broadened our understanding of the roles of BGLU28/30-dependent GSL catabolism in plant adaptation to nutrient stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melophagus ovinus is a hematophagous insect that is distributed worldwide and plays a crucial role in transmitting disease‐causing pathogens. From June 2021 to March 2022, a total of 370 M. ovinus were collected from 11 sampling points in southern Xinjiang, China. The specimens were identified using morphological and molecular analyses. Rickettsia spp. and Anaplasma ovis were detected from all the samples using seven Rickettsia‐specific genetic markers and the msp‐4 gene of A. ovis. Approximately 11% of the M. ovinus specimens were positive for Rickettsia spp., and Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae was the most predominant species (35/41; 85.4%), while R. massiliae was least prevalent (6/41; 14.6%). Approximately 10.5% (39/370) of the M. ovinus specimens were positive for A. ovis of genotype III, which was co‐detected with Candidatus R. barbariae in M. ovinus (3/370; 0.8%). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the detection of R. massiliae and Candidatus R. barbariae in M. ovinus globally. The detection and control of insect‐borne diseases originating from M. ovinus should be strengthened in southern Xinjiang, an area important to animal husbandry and production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endometriosis is a common and complex syndrome characterized by the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus. Chinese medicine has been recently found to show good efficacy in treating endometriosis. Our previous results revealed that Maqian fruit essential oil (MQEO) could inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis of ectopic endometrial stromal cells (EESCs), but the mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we aim to explore the molecular mechanism of MQEO's specific effects in EESCs. Methods: We conducted a quantitative proteomics analysis by iTRAQ on EESCs treated with MQEO or DMSO. Then deep analysis was performed based on differentially expressed proteins, including Gene Ontology enrichment analysis, pathway enrichment analysis and protein interaction analysis. Candidate protein targets were subsequently verified by western blotting. Results: Among 6575 identified proteins, 435 proteins exhibited altered expression levels in MQEO-treated EESCs. Of these proteins, most were distributed in signal transduction as well as immune system and the most significantly altered pathway was complement and coagulation cascades. Moreover, two differentially expressed proteins (Heme oxygenase 1 and Acyl-CoA 6-desaturase) were verified and they can be potential biomarkers for endometriosis treatment. Conclusions: Our proteomic analysis revealed distinct protein expression patterns induced by MQEO treatment in EESCs, highlighting the potential of MQEO for endometriosis treatment and biomarker discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to probe the effect of chaperone-assisted selective autophagy (CASA) on the maintenance of proteostasis during exhaustive exercise and uncover the alteration of CASA in muscle fibers with pre-high-intensity interval training (HIIT) intervention-induced muscle adaptation in response to exhaustive exercise. Rats were randomly divided into a control group; an exhaustive exercise group; and an HIIT + exhaustive exercise group. Results show myofibril damage and BiP levels were increased after exhaustive exercise, and the levels of the HSP70, BAG3, ubiquitin, autophagy-related proteins, and their interactions were increased. HIIT intervention before exhaustive exercise could decrease myofibril injury and BiP levels, accompanied by down-regulation of HSP70/BAG3 complex and selective autophagy. In conclusion, exhaustive exercise promotes CASA to clear protein aggregation for keeping proteostasis in muscle fibers; pre-HIIT intervention improves myofibril injury and unfold protein response caused by exhaustive exercise, which might contribute to inhibit the augmentation of CASA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cereals provide humans with essential nutrients, and its quality assessment has attracted widespread attention. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy (IRS) and hyperspectral imaging (HSI), as powerful nondestructive testing technologies, are widely used in the quality monitoring of food and agricultural products. Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a crucial role in data mining, especially in recent years, a new generation of AI represented by deep learning (DL) has made breakthroughs in analyzing spectral data of food and agricultural products. The combination of IRS/HSI and AI further promotes the development of quality evaluation of cereals. This paper comprehensively reviews the advances of IRS and HSI combined with AI in the detection of cereals quality. The aim is to present a complete review topic as it touches the background knowledge, instrumentation, spectral data processing (including preprocessing, feature extraction and modeling), spectral interpretation, etc. To suit this goal, principles of IRS and HSI, as well as basic concepts related to AI are first introduced, followed by a critical evaluation of representative reports integrating IRS and HSI with AI. Finally, the advantages, challenges and future trends of IRS and HSI combined with AI are further discussed, so as to provide constructive suggestions and guidance for researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Treatment of distal tibial fractures is a challenge due to their specific anatomical location. However, there is no appropriate mouse model to simulate a clinical distal tibial fracture for basic research. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the feasibility of simulating a clinical fracture of the distal tibia of mice and to investigate the effect of ovariectomy (OVX)-induced osteoporosis on fracture healing in this model. Methods: Sixty female 8-week-old C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into two groups, either sham or OVX. A semi-fixation distal tibia fracture was established in the right tibia after 8 weeks of OVX. The right tibias were collected at 7, 14, 21, and 28 days post fracture. Results: In the semi-fixation distal tibia fracture model, the posterior callus in the sham group showed excessive bone resorption and lower bone mass phenotype compared with the anterior site; a similar trend was not found in the OVX group. At 28 days post fracture, the posterior callus was more mineralized than the anterior callus in the OVX group. Although the fracture healing of the sham group showed a special phenotype in this mode, the progress and quality of fracture healing were still better than those of the OVX group. Conclusion: A semi-fixed distal tibial closed fracture mouse model was successfully established. In this model, excess bone resorption of the posterior callus impaired normal fracture healing, but not in OVX-induced osteoporotic bone. Although the stress shielding effect was not observed in the OVX group, impaired bone healing caused by OVX was still present. Our results suggest that this fracture model may have potential for studies on distal tibial fractures and stress shielding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dried flower buds of Magnolia biondii Pamp (herbal name, Xin-Yi) are a traditional Chinese medicine with a long history of clinical use in the treatment of allergic rhinitis and sinusitis. However, the constituents responsible for its antiallergic effects remain clearly unidentified. In the present study, totally 33 lignans were obtained from M. biondii. Among them, two novel furofuran lignans (1 and 2), two novel tetrahydrofuran lignans (3 and 4), and other 16 known lignans were isolated first time from M. biondii. The antiallergic effects of compounds 1-33 on mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) degrunaliton were evaluated and results showed that compounds 7, 8, 13, 15 and 18 could significantly inhibited β-hex release on BMMCs. The results proved that furofuran and tetrahydrofuran lignans were the main constituents in M. biondii and their antiallergic effects were related with suppressing mast cell activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Non‐halogenated polymers have great potential in the commercialization of organic solar cells (OSCs) due to their advantages in the manufacturing process. However, high‐performance donor polymers are limited to a small amount of building blocks. Herein, we utilize as building block 4H‐dithieno[3,2‐e:2',3'‐g]isoindole‐4,6(5H)‐dione (DTID) to design and synthesize a relevant non‐halogenated polymer PBTID for active layers in OSCs. PBTID exhibits a strong absorption in the wavelength range of 400—600 nm with a distinctly wide optical bandgap of 2.06 eV, a low‐lying highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level of −5.53 eV. In addition, this polymer has a very strong aggregation effect in solution and could form nanoscale fibrils in the neat film. Consequently, when blended with the non‐fullerene acceptor Y6, the devices achieve a prominent PCE of 15.8% with a high Voc of 0.87 V. The Voc and PCE values are one of the highest values in the non‐halogenated polymer donor‐based OSCs reported to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Inflammation plays an integral role in the development of cardiovascular disease, and few studies have identified different biomarkers to predict the prognosis of cardiac surgery. But there is a lack of reliable and valid evidence to determine the optimal systemic inflammatory biomarkers to predict prognosis. Methods: From December 2015 and March 2021, we collected 10 systemic inflammation biomarkers among 820 patients who underwent cardiac surgery. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) curve at different time points and C-index was compared at different time points. Kaplan--Meier method was performed to analyze overall survival (OS). Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were used to assess independent risk factors for OS. A random internal validation was conducted to confirm the effectiveness of the biomarkers. Results: The area under the ROC of lymphocyte-to-C-reactive protein ratio (LCR) was 0.655, 0.620 and 0.613 at 1-, 2- and 3-year respectively, and C-index of LCR for OS after cardiac surgery was 0.611, suggesting that LCR may serve as a favorable indicator for predicting the prognosis of cardiac surgery. Patients with low LCR had a higher risk of postoperative complications. Besides, Cox proportional hazard regression analyses indicated that LCR was considered as an independent risk factor of OS after cardiac surgery. Conclusion: LCR shows promise as a noteworthy representative among the systemic inflammation biomarkers in predicting the prognosis of cardiac surgery. Screening for low LCR levels may help surgeons identify high-risk patients and guide perioperative management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tropical cyclone (TC) is a meteorological disaster that occurs over tropical or subtropical oceans. Automatic TC identification from a satellite image is essential to the subsequent automatic intelligent determination of TC positioning and intensity. Few recent studies have examined the automatic detection of TCs from satellite images. In this paper, wavelet (W) transformation, efficient (E) channel attention mechanism and YOLOX (Y) are combined to construct a deep learning model for TC detection, referred to as WEY-TCNet. WEY-TCNet automatically detects TCs from infrared satellite images. To improve the detection accuracy, a discrete wavelet transform is first used to decompose the infrared satellite image, after which the horizontal high-frequency components, including the TC rainband structure and inner core area, are extracted and fused with the original image. This step enhances the TC structure and brightness temperature gradient characterization. The fused image is then used as the input to WEY-TCNet. The ECANet channel attention mechanism was added to the original YOLOX-S network structure to focus on the key features of TC, such as structure and brightness temperature while suppressing invalid features and noise. This study constructed a satellite image dataset based on the infrared images of the Chinese Fengyun2D geostationary satellite. The dataset contains infrared satellite images of TCs in various life cycle stages, from generation to extinction. Our experiments showed that the WEY-TCNet model proposed in this paper achieves 91.49% detection mAP on the TC dataset, compared with the 86.69% detection mAP of the original YOLOX-S model, significantly improving it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]