Search

Background: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an extraintestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Numerous observational studies have reported an increased risk of AP in patients diagnosed with IBD. However, the causal association and directionality between IBD or its subtypes and the development of AP remains unclear due to the limitations of observational research. This study aims to explore the relationship between IBD or its subtypes and AP risk using Mendelian Randomization (MR) method. Methods: A two-sample bidirectional MR study was conducted, selecting genetic variants associated with IBD and AP as instrumental variables from the International Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium (IIBDGC) and FinnGen databases, respectively. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method used as the primary approach for causal inference. The Cochran Q test was employed for heterogeneity assessment. Sensitivity analyses were performed using the MR Egger intercept test, MR-Presso, and Leave-one-out method. Results: The results revealed that IBD (OR = 1.049, 95% CI = 1.010-1.090, p = 0.013) and ulcerative colitis (UC) (OR = 1.057, 95% CI = 1.013-1.102, p = 0.011) were significantly associated with an increased risk of AP. However, Crohn's disease (CD) (OR = 1.023, 95% CI = 0.993-1.055, p = 0.134) did not show a causal association with the risk of AP. Interestingly, AP was suggestively associated with a decreased risk of CD (OR = 0.797, 95% CI = 0.637-0.997, p = 0.047). Furthermore, there was no causal association between AP and the risk of IBD (OR = 0.886, 95% CI = 0.753-1.042, p = 0.144) or UC (OR = 0.947, 95% CI = 0.773-1.159, p = 0.595). Conclusion: In conclusion, this study provides genetic evidence supporting the causal influence of IBD (specifically UC) on AP, while CD does not appear to have a causal impact on AP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: NK cells are dysfunctional in myasthenia gravis (MG), but the mechanism is unclear. This study aims to measure associations and underlying mechanisms between the NK cells and the development of MG. Methods: Twenty healthy controls (HCs) and 53 MG patients who did not receive glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants were collected. According to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) classification, MG patients were categorized into MGFA I group (n = 18) and MGFA II-IV group (n = 35). Flow cytometry, cell sorting, ELISA, mRNA-sequencing, RT-qPCR, western blot, and cell culture experiments were performed to evaluate the regulatory mechanism of exhausted NK cells. Results: Peripheral NK cells in MGFA II-IV patients exhibit exhausted phenotypes than HCs, marked by the dramatic loss of total NK cells, CD56dimCD16-NK cells, elevated PD1 expression, reduced NKG2D expression, impaired cytotoxic activity (perforin, granzyme B, CD107a) and cytokine secretion (IFN-g). Plasma IL-6 and IL-21 are elevated in MG patients and mainly derived from the aberrant expansion of monocytes and Tfh cells, respectively. IL-6/IL-21 cooperatively induced NKcell exhausted signature via upregulating SOCS2 and inhibiting the phosphorylation of STAT5. SOCS2 siRNA and IL-2 supplement attenuated the IL-6/IL-21-mediated alteration of NK-cell phenotypes and function. Discussion: Inhibition of IL-6/IL-21/SOCS2/STAT5 pathway and recovery of NKcell ability to inhibit autoimmunity may be a new direction in the treatment of MG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the clinical effects of applying a 3D-printed ACT titanium trabecular intervertebral fusion cage and a Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cage in posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF). Methods: This was a clinical comparative study. Forty patients with degenerative lumbar diseases admitted at The Second People’s Hospital of Dalian from January 2020 to December 2021 were selected and divided into an observation group (3D cage) and a control group (PEEK cage) using the random number table method, with each group of 20 cases. The visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores, Cobb angles at fusion segments, intervertebral height and intervertebral fusion situations of the patients between the groups were compared. Results: No significant differences were found in their operation time, intraoperative blood losses and operation related complications(p>0.05). In terms of postoperative VAS and JOA scores in both groups, they are all significantly improved compared with those before the operation, and their differences are also statistically significant(p<0.05). However, no statistical significance exists in inter-group differences(p>0.05). Postoperative Cobb angles and intervertebral height of patients in both groups are considerably bettered compared with those before the operation. Their differences show statistical significance(p<0.05), while inter-group differences are proved to be not statistically significant(p>0.05). Conclusions: Applying a 3D-printed ACT titanium trabecular intervertebral fusion cage or PEEK cage in PLIF has the potential to improve clinical symptoms of patients with degenerative lumbar diseases, and restore the Cobb angle and intervertebral height. 3D-printed ACT titanium trabecular intervertebral fusion cage can accelerate intervertebral fusion without increasing operation related complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an extraintestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Numerous observational studies have reported an increased risk of AP in patients diagnosed with IBD. However, the causal association and directionality between IBD or its subtypes and the development of AP remains unclear due to the limitations of observational research. This study aims to explore the relationship between IBD or its subtypes and AP risk using Mendelian Randomization (MR) method. Methods: A two-sample bidirectional MR study was conducted, selecting genetic variants associated with IBD and AP as instrumental variables from the International Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium (IIBDGC) and FinnGen databases, respectively. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method used as the primary approach for causal inference. The Cochran Q test was employed for heterogeneity assessment. Sensitivity analyses were performed using the MR Egger intercept test, MR-Presso, and Leave-one-out method. Results: The results revealed that IBD (OR = 1.049, 95% CI = 1.010-1.090, p = 0.013) and ulcerative colitis (UC) (OR = 1.057, 95% CI = 1.013-1.102, p = 0.011) were significantly associated with an increased risk of AP. However, Crohn's disease (CD) (OR = 1.023, 95% CI = 0.993-1.055, p = 0.134) did not show a causal association with the risk of AP. Interestingly, AP was suggestively associated with a decreased risk of CD (OR = 0.797, 95% CI = 0.637-0.997, p = 0.047). Furthermore, there was no causal association between AP and the risk of IBD (OR = 0.886, 95% CI = 0.753-1.042, p = 0.144) or UC (OR = 0.947, 95% CI = 0.773-1.159, p = 0.595). Conclusion: In conclusion, this study provides genetic evidence supporting the causal influence of IBD (specifically UC) on AP, while CD does not appear to have a causal impact on AP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have constructed a bimetallic (CoNiP) nanozyme, leveraging the synergistic effect of cobalt and nickel, which efficiently catalyzes the oxidation of TMB from colorless to ox-TMB (blue). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further highlight the pivotal role of this synergistic effect in improving the adsorption energy of oxygen intermediates, accelerating the catalytic process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dipeptidyl peptidase-like protein 6 (DPPX) antibody encephalitis is a rare autoimmune encephalitis. Diagnosis and treatment of DPPX remain challenging, particularly in patients with refractory disease. Herein, we report the first case of anti-DPPX encephalitis treated with ofatumumab. The patient had a chronic insidious onset and predominantly presented with severe neuropsychiatric symptoms and the typical triad of symptoms (weight loss, central nervous system hyperexcitability, and cognitive dysfunction). Positive anti-DPPX antibodies in the serum (1:1,000) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (1:100) were detected at the disease peak. The patient was unresponsive to four types of standard immunotherapies (intravenous globulin, plasma exchange, steroids, and tacrolimus), resulting in a treatment switch to ofatumumab. After five doses of injection and 12 months of follow-up, the patient improved well, with only a mild cognitive deficit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to select a better design trajectory, it needs to spend a lot of energy on parameter adjustment and calculation. Therefore, this paper establishes the intelligent optimization design model of horizontal well trajectory in with the target length and drilling string drag under rotary drilling conditions as the targets, and takes the target entry accuracy as the complex constraints. Meanwhile, multi-objective optimization algorithm and distributed calculation are used to realize the automatic optimization of the well trajectory. Under the given arithmetic conditions, compared with the original design trajectory, a horizontal well was designed with this method, the trajectory length is shortened by 92.1 m, and the maximum build-up rate is changed from 5.50° per 30 m to 4.97° per 30 m, reducing by 9.6%. Under the same BHA and boundary conditions, the drag becomes 232.42 kN, which is 6.8% lower than that before optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pest infestation and soil salinization levels are increasing due to climate change. Comprehending plant regrowth after insect damage and salinity stress is crucial to understanding climate change's multifactorial impacts on forest ecosystems. This study examined Populus euphratica and P. pruinosa regrowth after different defoliation levels combined with salinity stress. Specifically, the biomass and regrowth ability, nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) and nitrogen (N) pools in different organs and the whole plant, and the leaf Cl- concentration of both poplars were analyzed. Our results showed that after 50% defoliation and no salt addition, the regrowth of both species recovered similarly to the control level, while their regrowth was about 70% after 90% defoliation. However, under salinity stress, the regrowth (% leaf biomass) of P. euphratica was significantly higher than P. pruinose at either the 50% or 90% defoliation levels. Additionally, P. euphratica had more soluble sugar, starch, NSC and N pools in leaf, stem, root and whole plant than P. pruinose under salinity stress. The regrowth based on leaf biomass increased linearly with soluble sugar, starch, NSC and N pools, and decreased linearly with leaf Cl- concentration across different salinity and defoliation levels. These results indicated that defoliation significantly decreased NSC and N pools, limiting the growth of both poplars, and salinity stress exacerbated the negative effect. Furthermore, when suffering from salinity stress, P. euphratica with higher NSC and N pools exhibited stronger regrowth ability than P. pruinose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and aims: Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is the most commonly used radiotherapy technology in oncology, which enables precise conformation of the radiation dose to the target volume and reduces the risk of radiation damage to the adjacent normal structures. Nevertheless, it is still inevitable for IMRT of head and neck cancer to cause radiation-related toxic and side effects, such as dry mouth, mucositis, oral dysarthria, taste disorder, osteonecrosis, and trismus. Trismus is one of the most common late side effects caused by radiotherapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), which seriously affects the quality of life for patients with NPC. However, the current clinical assessment and management of trismus after radiotherapy for NPC are still imperfect. This best practice implementation project aimed to implement an evidence-based practice in assessing and managing trismus for NPC patients who underwent radiotherapy, thereby improving the compliance of clinical practice with the best evidence and the quality of life of patients with NPC. Methods: This evidence-based audit and feedback project was implemented using a three-phase approach at a third-class hospital in China, following JBI's Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System (PACES) and GRiP evidence application. The first phase included a baseline audit with six evidence-based audit criteria derived from the best available evidence. The second phase included analyzing the results of the baseline audit, identifying barriers to compliance with best practice principles, and developing and implementing strategies to address the barriers identified in the baseline audit. The third phase involved a follow-up audit to assess the results of the interventions implemented to improve practice. Results: After evidence application, the compliance rate for audit criterion 1 increased from 0% at baseline audit to 70% at follow-up audit. The compliance rate for audit criterion 2 increased from 0% to 100%. The compliance rate for audit criterion 3 increased from 22 to 62%. The compliance rate for audit criterion 4 increased from 88 to 100%. The compliance rate for audit criterion 5 was 100% at baseline audit and follow-up audit. The compliance rate for audit criterion 6 increased from 0 to 55%. Conclusion: Implementation of the best evidence for the assessment and management of trismus of patients with NPC after radiotherapy is conducive to improving the compliance of clinical practice with the best evidence, standardizing clinical nursing practice, improving the quality of clinical nursing, and better preventing severe trismus in patients with NPC after radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coordinated development of urban and rural areas is an important measure for releasing the potential of domestic demand and promoting industrial upgrading. The development of rural industries in metropolitan areas, especially those with rural characteristics, is an important pathway for achieving comprehensive rural revitalization and promoting urban and rural integration in the metropolitan area. Based on the development goal of promoting rural industries in metropolitan areas, this study constructed a performance evaluation index system, including industrial development, industrial integration, rural construction, and farmers' life, and applied the TOPSIS method to evaluate the development of rural characteristic industries in the metropolitan area of Xi'an. The results indicated that the overall development performance of rural characteristic industries in the metropolitan area was at a medium level. The developmental performance at the level of "primary industry-secondary industry-tertiary industry" integration was relatively good, with a certain extension of the industrial chain and expansion of industrial functions, and certain economic benefits were created in this process. However, the development of rural characteristic industries has not effectively driven the development of rural society. In terms of space, the development of rural characteristic industries in the metropolitan area presents a circular distribution feature that decreases from the core circle to the outer circle. In terms of types, there are significant differences in the development levels between the different types, and the weaknesses of different industries vary. Based on these considerations, the key pathway for the collaborative and typified development of regional characteristic industries is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inonotus hispidus mainly growing in broad-leaved trees, including Morus alba, Fraxinus mandshurica, and Ulmus macrocarpa etc. The fruiting body of I. hispidus growing in M. alba (hereafter as MA) is used as a traditional Chinese medicine "Sanghuang". However, differences between the genetic material basis of I. hispidus growing in other tree species have not been reported. Therefore, in this paper, the genomic comparison between MA and I. hispidus growing in F. mandshurica (hereafter as FM) were studied. The whole genome of MA monokaryon was sequenced by Illumina combined with Pac Bio platform. Next, genome assembly, genome component prediction and genome functional annotation were performed. Comparative genomics analysis was performed between FM monokaryon and MA monokaryon, using MA as the reference. The results showed that, MA had 24 contigs with a N50 length of 2.6 Mb. Specifically, 5,342, 6,564, 1,595, 383 and 123 genes were annotated from GO, KEGG, KOG, CAZymes and CYP450, respectively. Moreover, comparative genomics showed that, the coding genes and total number of genes annotated in different databases of FM were higher than that of MA. This study provides a foundation for the medicinal application of FM as MA from the perspective of genetic composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new dynamic mixer has been designed for the mixing of two polymer melts. Three main design parameters (number of circles of holes N, number of holes M per circle, and diameter of the holes d3) for the mixing zone of the dynamic mixer were selected to study their influences on the pressure drop Δp and the segregation scale S using Taguchi orthogonal arrays method. The influences of flow rate and rotational speed were also investigated. In addition, the melt mixing quality was compared with that of screw-based and slotted-screw mixers. The results showed that the most significant factor influencing S and S·Δp is N. Both Δp and S increased with increasing flow rate, and decreased with increasing rotational speed. Compared to the screw-based and slotted-screw mixers, the dynamic mixer had a uniform melt mixing quality and shorter length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 induces acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and leads to severe immunological changes that threatens the lives of COVID-19 victims. Studies have shown that both the regulatory T cells and macrophages were deranged in COVID-19-induced ALI. Herbal drugs have long been utilized to adjust the immune microenvironment in ALI. However, the underlying mechanisms of herbal drug mediated ALI protection are largely unknown. This study aims to understand the cellular mechanism of a traditional Chinese medicine, Qi-Dong-Huo-Xue-Yin (QD), in protecting against LPS induced acute lung injury in mouse models. Our data showed that QD intrinsically promotes Foxp3 transcription via promoting acetylation of the Foxp3 promoter in CD4+ T cells and consequently facilitates CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs development. Extrinsically, QD stabilized ß-catenin in macrophages to expedite CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs development and modulated peripheral blood cytokines. Taken together, our results illustrate that QD promotes CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs development via intrinsic and extrinsic pathways and balanced cytokines within the lungs to protect against LPS induced ALI. This study suggests a potential application of QD in ALI related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the age of globalization, enterprises have faced new challenges and opportunities for innovative behavior. Increasing cultural exchanges provide enterprises with a wealth of information and knowledge, but also exacerbate the risk of information loss. Therefore, information security has become an increasingly critical issue. Blockchain technology is an effective guarantee for the success of enterprise innovation in such circumstances. Enterprises can access information across national boundaries and avoid the risk of a cultural clash or a leak of information due to the security and traceability of blockchain technology. In the era of globalization, blockchain technology has become an umbrella for enterprises to exploit cultural diversity. This study presents a DDD model that illustrates how blockchain firms can benefit from cultural diversity to produce innovative products. Specifically, firms that utilize blockchain increase their innovation output by 36.17% compared to those that do not. Additionally, it explores how firms can benefit from the spillover of external knowledge and how traditional models of R&D through equipment purchases give way to new models of bringing in talent for knowledge exchange using blockchain. The model presented in this study provides a novel theoretical perspective on how emerging technologies affect corporate innovation, emphasizing the importance of blockchain technology to corporate innovation in an era of globalization with increasing cultural exchanges. It also provides a new perspective on the application of emerging technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the mechanical properties of sea ice in the current summer Arctic, two ice blocks were lifted using ship crane during an Arctic expedition in the summer of 2021. Examination of ice crystal structure showed a granular ice layer at the top underlain by a columnar ice layer. Sea ice samples were then machined from the ice blocks for mechanical experiments performed in the laboratory. Three-point bending tests were conducted at ice temperatures of −12 to −3ºC, and uniaxial compressive strength tests were conducted at ice temperatures of −8 to −3ºC with a strain rate range of 10−6–10−2 s −1 . The ice density and salinity of each sample were measured to determine brine and gas volume fraction as well as porosity. Results showed that sea ice flexural strength decreased with increasing porosity, but did not change with varying brine or gas volume fractions. A parameterization was proposed to relate sea ice flexural strength to porosity. The sea ice strain modulus was also independent on porosity and volume fractions of gas and brine. The uniaxial compressive strength decreased with increasing porosity at both ductile and brittle strain rate regimes. Furthermore, three-dimensional surfaces were obtained to depict the sea ice uniaxial compressive strength varying with porosity and strain rate, based on which the transition strain rate from ductile to brittle behaviors was determined. It was found that the transition strain rate decreased with increasing porosity. Comparisons with previous studies on sea ice strength showed that the previously reported equations for sea ice flexural strength and strain modulus did not agree with the measured data. Compared with the strength calculated using early reported sea ice porosity, the flexural strength and uniaxial compressive strength of summer Arctic sea ice decreased in recent decades, which probably brings positive feedback to the Arctic navigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lake ice melting and breakup form a fast, nonlinear process with important mechanical, chemical, and biological consequences. The process is difficult to study in the field due to safety issues, and therefore relatively little is known about its details. In the present work, ice monitoring was based on foot, hydrocopter, and boat to get a full time-series of the evolution of ice structure and geochemical properties through the melting period. The field observations were made in Lake Pääjärvi during the ice decay periods in 2018 and 2022. In 2022, the maximum thickness of ice was 55 cm with 60 % snow-ice, and based on the data and heat budget analysis, the ice melted by 33 cm from the surface and 22 cm from the bottom while porosity increased to 40-50 % at breakup. In 2018, the snow-ice layer was small and bottom and internal melting dominated during the decay. Due to global warming, the ice breakup date became earlier. The mean melting rates were 1.31 cm d-1 in 2022 and 1.55 cm d-1 in 2018. In 2022 the electrical conductivity (EC) in ice was 11.4±5.79 S cm-1, one order of magnitude lower than in the lake water, and ice pH was 6.44±0.28, lower by 0.4 than in water. pH and EC of ice and lake water decreased along the ice decay except slight increases in ice due to flushing by lake water. Chlorophyll a was less than 0.5 g L-1 in porous ice, approximately one-third of that in the lake water. These results are important for further development of numerical models and understanding the process of ice decay with consequences to lake ecology and to safety of ice cover for human activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental study on consolidation test of remolded saturated loess is carried out by GDS static triaxial apparatus. The deformation characteristics of specimens, under different loading rates, are discussed and the test results are compared and analyzed. The results show that the changing trend of the curve modeling the relation between the axial stress and the axial strain of the sample is consistent even with the change in loading rates. Thus, under this same context, the larger the loading rate is, the greater the axial strain will be, when the axial stress reaches the same value. Moreover, under different loading rates, the trend of the relationship curve between the lateral pressure coefficient and the axial strain of the soil sample is basically consistent. The stability value of the lateral pressure coefficient of the sample varies with the loading rate, but only within a fixed range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the causes of the differences in heat tolerance ('Lu He Hong' and 'Zhi Hong'), we studied the physiological changes, photosynthetic properties and regulatory mechanism of the two peony cultivars at high temperature. The results showed that the physiological changed of different peony cultivars varied significantly under high temperature stress. With the extension of high temperature stress time, MDA content of 'Lu He Hong' increased,while 'Zhi Hong' rised first and then decreased, SOD activity of 'Lu He Hong' rised first and then decreased, that of 'Zhi Hong' kept rising, POD activity of 'Lu He Hong' kept decreasing, while 'Zhi Hong' rised. The photosynthetic instrument records the change of peony photosynthesis parameters at high temperature; the chlorophyll A (Chla) fluorescence transient is recorded using the plant efficiency analyzer (PEA), analyzed according to the JIP test (O-J-I-P fluorescence transient analysis), and several parameters were derived to explain the photosynthetic efficiency difference between different peony cultivars. The tested cultivars responded differently to the survey conditions, and the PCA analysis showed that the 'Zhi Hong' was more well tolerated and showed better thermal stability of the PSII. The reduced efficiency of the 'Lu He Hong' PSII antenna leads to higher heat dissipation values to increase the light energy absorbed by unit reaction center (ABS/RC), the energy captured by unit reaction center (TR0/RC), and the energy dissipated by unit reaction center (DI0/RC), which significantly leads to its lower total photosynthetic performance (PItotal). The light capture complex of the variety 'Zhi Hong' has high connectivity with its reaction center, less damage to OEC activity, and better stability of the PSII system. The results show that 'Zhi Hong' improves heat resistance by stabilizing the cell membrane, a strong antioxidant system, as well as a more stable photosynthetic system. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the screening of heat-resistant peonies suitable for cultivation in Jiangnan area and for the selection and breeding of heat-resistant cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface morphology of lake ice undergoes remarkable changes under the combined influence of thermal and mechanical forces, which has been rarely observed by remote sensing. A large-scale linear structure has repeatedly appeared on satellite images of Chagan Lake in recent years. We prosed a method to extract linear structure on the lake ice surface. We applied it to high spatial-temporal images merged by the Landsat and GOCI images using an enhanced spatial and temporal adaptive reflectance fusion model (ESTARFM). We monitored the changes in surface morphology in Chagan Lake from November 2018 to March 2019, which were further verified as ice ridges during the field investigation. The average length of the ice ridges during the completely frozen period was 21141.57 ± 68.36 m. The average azimuth angle was 335.48° ± 0.23°, perpendicular to the wind domain. Besides, we discovered spherical ice balls along the southwestern coast. The deformation of surface morphology is closed related to wind direction, snowfall, and air temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple types of brain-control systems have been applied in the field of rehabilitation. As an alternative scheme for balancing user fatigue and the classification accuracy of brain--computer interface (BCI) systems, facial- expression-based brain control technologies have been proposed in the form of novel BCI systems. Unfortunately, existing machine learning algorithms fail to identify the most relevant features of electroencephalogram signals, which further limits the performance of the classifiers. To address this problem, an improved classification method is proposed for facial-expression-based BCI (FE-BCI) systems, using a convolutional neural network (CNN) combined with a genetic algorithm (GA). The CNN was applied to extract features and classify them. The GA was used for hyperparameter selection to extract the most relevant parameters for classification. To validate the superiority of the proposed algorithm used in this study, various experimental performance results were systematically evaluated, and a trained CNN-GA model was constructed to control an intelligent car in real time. The average accuracy across all subjects was 89.21 ± 3.79%, and the highest accuracy was 97.71 ± 2.07%. The superior performance of the proposed algorithmwas demonstrated through and online experiments. The experimental results demonstrate that our improved FE-BCI system outperforms the traditional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with highly heterogeneous clinical symptoms and severity. There is complex pathogenesis of SLE, one of which is IFNs overproduction and downstream IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) upregulation. Identifying the key ISGs differentially expressed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with SLE and healthy people could help to further understand the role of the IFN pathway in SLE and discover potential diagnostic biomarkers. The differentially expressed ISGs (DEISG) in PBMCs of SLE patients and healthy persons were screened from two datasets of the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. A total of 67 DEISGs, including 6 long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and 61 messenger RNAs (mRNAs) were identified by the "DESeq2" R package. According to Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, those DEISGs were mainly concentrated in the response to virus and immune system processes. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network showed that most of these DEISGs could interact strongly with each other. Then, IFIT1, RSAD2, IFIT3, USP18, ISG15, OASL, MX1, OAS2, OAS3, and IFI44 were considered to be hub ISGs in SLE by "MCODE" and "Cytohubba" plugins of Cytoscape, Moreover, the results of expression correlation suggested that 3 lncRNAs (NRIR, FAM225A, and LY6E-DT) were closely related to the IFN pathway. The lncRNA NRIR and mRNAs (RSAD2, USP18, IFI44, and ISG15) were selected as candidate ISGs for verification. RT-qPCR results showed that PBMCs from SLE patients had substantially higher expression levels of 5 ISGs compared to healthy controls (HCs). Additionally, statistical analyses revealed that the expression levels of these ISGs were strongly associated to various clinical symptoms, including thrombocytopenia and facial erythema, as well as laboratory indications, including the white blood cell (WBC) count and levels of autoantibodies. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve demonstrated that the IFI44, USP18, RSAD2, and IFN score had good diagnostic capabilities of SLE. According to our study, SLE was associated with ISGs including NRIR, RSAD2, USP18, IFI44, and ISG15, which may contribute to the future diagnosis and new personalized targeted therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objectives] To explore the inhibitory effect of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on the growth of Salmonella. [Methods] The inhibitory effect of lactic acid bacteria on Salmonella was investigated by Oxford cup agar diffusion test from the aspects of lactic acid bacteria body, metabolites, pH, thermal stability and acid resistance. [Results] The growth of Salmonella was disturbed by the inhibition of lactic acid bacteria. The mechanism of inhibitory effect may be; simple low pH and lactic acid bacteria have no inhibitory effect on Salmonella; however, there are active substances in the metabolites of lactic acid bacteria, which have high thermal stability and a wide range of acid resistance, and are effective substances for inhibiting the growth of Salmonella. [Conclusions] This study is helpful for screening more natural preservative substances, reducing the contamination rate of Salmonella to food, and is expected to provide a theoretical basis for the preservation and preservation of food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the correlation between peripheral blood CD3+, CD3+/CD4+, CD3+ /CD8+ , CD4＋/ CD8＋, CD3-/CD16+ CD56+ , and CD3-CD19+and disease activity of different subtypes of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The percentages of CD3+ , CD3+ /CD4+ , CD3+ / CD8+ , CD4+ /CD8+ , CD3- /CD16+ CD56+ , and CD3-CD19+ in the peripheral blood of patients (n = 80) classified into lupus nephritis, blood involvement, and joint involvement and SLE in different active stages were detected by flow cytometry. Their correlations with baseline clinical experimental indicators of SLE patients’ SLE disease activity index score (SLEDAI) and complement C3 were analyzed. The results showed that CD3+ , CD3+ /CD4+ , and CD3+ /CD8+ at baseline level were negatively correlated with SLEDAI scores. These were positively correlated with C3. In conclusion, T-lymphocyte subpopulations are closely related to SLE activity and can be used as reference indicators to evaluate the SLE activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been the second leading cause of cancer-related death in China. Radiofrequency ablation is a relatively novel treatment that may improve the treatment of HCC. Aim: To evaluate and compare the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) versus laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) in the treatment of HCC. Material and methods: We searched for relevant published studies in English (PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE) and in Chinese (CBM, CNKI and Wanfang) from their inception until September 23, 2019. The quality of included studies was evaluated by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Results: A total of 19 retrospective studies including 2038 patients were eligible for the meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis demonstrated that LLR was superior to RFA in terms of 3-year overall survival rate (OR = 0.62), 1 to 3-year disease-free survival rates (OR = 0.57; OR = 0.41, respectively) and local recurrence rates (OR = 2.71). Conclusions: The meta-analysis demonstrates that laparoscopic liver resection should be preferred in tumors of size 3–5 cm, while for < 3 cm the long term results are equal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ischemic postconditioning (IPostC) is a concept of ischemic stroke treatment, in which several cycles of brief reocclusion after reperfusion are repeated. It is essential to have an accurate understanding of the immune response in IPostC. By using high parametric single-cell mass cytometry, immune cell subsets and characterize their unique functions from ischemic brain and peripheral blood were identified after IPostC. This study enabled us to better understand the immune cell phenotypical and functional characteristics in ischemic brain and peripheral blood at the single-cell and protein levels. Since some cell surface markers can serve as functional markers, reflecting the degree of inflammation, the cell surface marker intensity among different groups was analyzed. The results showed that downregulation of 4E-BP1 and p38 of Microglia and MoDM in the ischemic brain was involved in IPostC-induced protection. In the peripheral blood, downregulation of P38 of CD4 T cell and Treg has also participated in IPostC-induced protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lymph node ratio (LNR) has been suggested to be an effective prognostic tool for stratifying non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases. In this study, we sought to determine cancer-specific survival (CCS) of NSCLC cases from the SEER registry and used the X-tile method to optimize CCS-based LNR cut-off points for prognostic stratification of node-positive NSCLC.Methods: CSS and other clinicopathologic variables were retrieved from the SEER registry. Kaplan-Meier methods were used to calculate CSS. The optimal cut-off points for LNR classification were determined by the X-tile approach. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to identify independent risks of CSS.Results: Totally 11,341 lung cancer patients were included. Their median CSS was 22 months (range 0,143). The median LNR was 0.22 (Q1,Q3: 0.11, 0.50). X-tile analysis showed that the optimal LNR cut-off points were 0.28 and 0.81, dividing the cohort into low (LNR1 ≤ 0.28; n = 6580, 58%), middle (0.28 < LNR2 < 0.81; n = 3025, 26.7%), and high (LNR3 > 0.81; n = 1736, 15.3%) subsets. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with a low LNR had a significantly higher CCS versus patients with middle or high LNR (P < 0.001). Multivariate competing risks regression analysis revealed that LNR was an independent and significant adverse predictor of CSS (LNR2 vs. LNR1: SHR: 1.56, 95%CI: 1.47,1.67, P < 0.001; LNR3 vs. LNR1: SHR: 2.54, 95%CI: 2.30,2.80, P < 0.001).Conclusions: LNR is an independent prognostic factor of node-positive NSCLC and its optimal cut-off values established using the robust x-tile method effectively define subpopulations of node-positive NSCLC cases, which is important in guiding selection of treatment strategies clinically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Oral implants transmit biting forces to peri-implant bone. In turn, those forces subject peri-implant bone to mechanical stresses and strains. Here, our objective was to understand how peri-implant bone responded to conditions of normal versus hyper-loading in a mouse model. Material and Methods: Sixty-six mice were randomly assigned to 2 groups; both groups underwent bilateral maxillary first molar extraction followed by complete healing. Titanium alloy implants were placed in healed sites and positioned below the occlusal plane. After osseointegration, a composite crown was affixed to the implant so masticatory loading would ensue. In controls, the remaining dentition was left intact but in the hyper-loaded (test) group, the remaining molars were extracted. 3D finite element analysis (FEA) calculated peri-implant strains resulting from normal and hyper-loading. Peri-implant tissues were analyzed at multiple time points using micro-computed tomography (µCT) imaging, histology, enzymatic assays of bone remodeling, and vital dye labeling to evaluate bone accrual. Results: Compared to controls, hyper-loaded implants experienced a 3.6-fold increase in occlusal force, producing higher peri-implant strains. Bone formation and resorption were both significantly elevated around hyper-loaded implants, eventually culminating in a significant increase in peri-implant bone volume/total volume (BV/ TV). In our mouse model, masticatory hyper-loading of an osseointegrated implant was associated with increased peri-implant strain, increased peri-implant bone remodeling, and a net gain in bone deposition. Conclusion: Hyper-loading results in bone strain with catabolic and anabolic bone responses, leading to a net gain in bone deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lhasa terrane is widely regarded as an integral unit that separated from Gondwana in the Carboniferous or late Triassic, but this terrane may more reasonably consist of two subterranes that separated from Gondwana at different times. Here, we describe newly identified early Carboniferous (355--344 Ma) basic and intermediate intrusive rocks in the Xiongcun area, southern Tibet. The basic rocks that yield negative whole-rock εNd(t) values (-5.04 to -2.94) and zircon εHf(t) values (-9.2 to -1.7), combined with the chemical compositions, indicate that the magmas were derived by the partial melting of an enriched lithospheric mantle in a back-arc extensional setting. The intermediate rocks yield εNd(t) and εHf(t) values of -5.78 to -5.36 and -9.2 to -4.5, respectively, which suggests that they were likely produced via crust-mantle mixing. By combining our results with those of previous studies on the Lhasa terrane, we consider that a broad back-arc rift system, including northern and southern branches, developed along the northern margin of Gondwana under the southward subduction of the Paleo-Tethys oceanic lithosphere during the early Carboniferous. The northern branch evolved into the Sumdo Paleo-Tethys Ocean, which led to the separation of the North Lhasa terrane from northern Gondwana during the late Carboniferous. The subsequent northward subduction of the Sumdo Paleo-Tethys oceanic lithosphere beneath the North Lhasa terrane during the early to middle Permian may have triggered the southern branch to further evolve into the Neo-Tethys Ocean and eventually may have resulted in the South Lhasa terrane separating from Gondwana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to analyze the clinical and pathological characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of de novo metastatic breast cancer (DnMBC). Information regarding 1,890 patients treated for advanced breast cancer at the Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital between January 2008 to December 2017 was collected. Clinicopathological characteristics, treatments and outcomes of these patients were compared using the chi-square test, log-rank test, and Cox regression analysis. A total of 171 patients were diagnosed with DnMBC. The median age at diagnosis was 53 years (range, 23-77). The percentage of T4 staging was higher (37.4%), 69.6% of patients were estrogen receptor (ER) positive, 59.1% were progesterone receptor positive, 29.8% had positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status, 68.4% had Ki-67 ≥20%, 55% had oligometastasis at the initial diagnosis, ~87.7% were treated with chemotherapy initially and 24% received palliative surgery for the primary tumor. After a median follow-up time of 26 months, the median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) among patients with DnMBC were 11 (8.7-13.3) months and 34 (27.9-40.1) months, respectively. In the multivariable model, ER status and sites of first metastasis (oligometastasis or polymetastasis) were identified to be independent predictors of PFS (P<0.05); ER status, primary tumor stage, and surgical treatment of primary tumors were identified to be independent predictors of OS (P<0.05). In conclusion, the clinicopathological characteristics of DnMBC are greater invasiveness and a higher risk of progression. Palliative surgical treatment may improve the prognosis of HR+/HER2-patients with oligometastasis. Therefore, individualized treatment as required is particularly important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objectives] To amplify and identify the specific gene fragments of cattle and sheep by real-time fluorescence-based PCR, and quickly and accurately identify the adulteration problem of goat milk powder according to the differences of mitochondrial genes among different species. [Methods] The specificity, limit of detection and repeatability test were carried out by isolating somatic cells, extracting template DNA and determining the reaction conditions of real-time fluorescence-based PCR. [ Results] The real-time fluorescence-based PCR method could be used to identify the bovine and ovine-derived materials of milk powder with high specificity, high sensitivity and good repeatability, and the limit of detection of milk components in goat milk powder could reach 0.01%. [ Conclusions] The real-time fluorescence-based PCR method can be used to quickly and accurately detect the milk components in goat milk powder, and provide some technical support for the adulteration detection of dairy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lake-rich Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) has significant impacts on regional and global water cycles and monsoon systems through heat and water vapor exchange. The lake-atmosphere interactions have been quantified over open-water periods, yet little is known about the lake ice thermodynamics and heat and mass balance during ice-covered season due to a lack of field data. Modeling experiments on ice evolution and energy balance were performed in a shallow lake with a high-resolution snow and ice thermodynamic model. The bottom ice growth and decay dominated the seasonal evolution of the thickness of lake ice. Strong surface sublimation was a crucial pattern of ice loss, which was up to 40% of the maximum ice thickness. Simulation results matched well with the observations with respect to ice mass balance components, net ice thickness, and ice temperature. Strong solar radiation, consistent freezing air temperature, and low air moisture were the major driving forces controlling the seasonal ice mass balance. Energy balance was estimated at the ice surface and bottom, and within the ice interior and under-ice water. Particularly, almost all heat fluxes showed significant diurnal variations including short- and long-wave radiation, turbulent heat fluxes, water heat fluxes at ice bottom, and absorbed and penetrated solar radiation. The calculated ice surface temperature indicated that the atmospheric boundary layer was consistently stable and neutral over the ice-covered period. The turbulent heat fluxes between the lake ice and air and the net heat gain by the lake were much lower than those during open-water period. Ice surface sublimation (vapor flux) was demonstrated to be a vital seasonal water balance component, accounting for 41% of lake water loss during the ice seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Recently, increasing evidence has shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in tumor progression and development. However, the expression pattern and biological function of lncRNA HULC (highly upregulated in liver cancer) in prostate cancer (PCa) remain largely unclear.Material and Methods: The expression of lncRNA HULC in 53 paired PCa tissues and cell lines was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The χ2 test was used to explore the association of lncRNA HULC expression with clinicopathologic features. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to detect the association between HULC expression and overall survival of PCa patients. Furthermore, the function of HULC in cell growth and metastasis was detected in PCa cells.Results: Our data showed that HULC expression was upregulated in PCa tissues and cell lines compared to adjacent non-tumor tissues and the normal prostate cell line RWPE-1 (p < 0.05). High HULC expression was positively associated with advanced clinicopathologic features and poor overall survival (OS) for PCa patients (p < 0.05). HULC inhibition suppressed PCa cell growth and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo (p < 0.05). Furthermore, HULC knockdown reduced N-cadherin and vimentin expression and increased E-cadherin expression in PCa cells (p < 0.05).Conclusions: Our data suggested that lncRNA HULC might play oncogenic roles in PCa progression, which provided a novel therapeutic strategy for PCa patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Recently, increasing evidence has shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in tumor progression and development. However, the expression pattern and biological function of lncRNA HULC (highly upregulated in liver cancer) in prostate cancer (PCa) remain largely unclear. Material and methods: The expression of lncRNA HULC in 53 paired PCa tissues and cell lines was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The ϰ² test was used to explore the association of lncRNA HULC expression with clinicopathologic features. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to detect the association between HULC expression and overall survival of PCa patients. Furthermore, the function of HULC in cell growth and metastasis was detected in PCa cells. Results: Our data showed that HULC expression was upregulated in PCa tissues and cell lines compared to adjacent non-tumor tissues and the normal prostate cell line RWPE-1 (p < 0.05). High HULC expression was positively associated with advanced clinicopathologic features and poor overall survival (OS) for PCa patients (p < 0.05). HULC inhibition suppressed PCa cell growth and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo (p < 0.05). Furthermore, HULC knockdown reduced N-cadherin and vimentin expression and increased E-cadherin expression in PCa cells (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Our data suggested that lncRNA HULC might play oncogenic roles in PCa progression, which provided a novel therapeutic strategy for PCa patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]