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Introduction: A large-sample study focusing on VIN lesions of a more precise thickness is needed to help guide clinical treatment. This study aimed to investigate the depth of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) and involved skin appendages to provide evidence for laser surgery. Methods: The study retrospectively enrolled and analyzed the clinical characteristics of VIN patients in the obstetrics and gynecology department of a university hospital between January 1, 2019 and December 30, 2021. The study further explored the thickness of epithelium and skin appendages of 285 women with low-grade VIN (VIN1) and 285 women with high-grade VIN (VIN2/3). Results: The study included 1,139 (80%) VIN1 and 335 (20%) VIN2/3 cases. The VIN1 and VIN2/3 groups showed a significant difference in human papillomavirus infection (P<0.01) but not in cytology (P = 0.499). Most (89.90%, 1,325) cases occurred in one area of the vulva, whereas 10.11% were multifocal. VIN commonly occurred on the posterior fourchette (76.85%), labia majora (11.61%), and labia minora (9.92%). The VIN2/3 group reported a significantly higher positive rate for concurrent cervical and vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (160 of 285) than the VIN1 group (321 of 953) (P=0.000). The involved epithelial thicknesses in VIN2/3 and VIN1 were 0.69 ± 0.44 and 0.49 ± 0.23 mm, respectively, both of which were greater than the corresponding noninvolved epithelial thickness (0.31 ± 0.19 and 0.32 ± 0.10 mm, P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively). In cases of appendage involvement, the VIN thickness was 1.98 ± 0.64 mm. Conclusions: VIN thickness was generally ≤1mm for the superficial lesions in non-hairy areas. However, for lesions extending onto hairy areas, the thickness was approximately 3 mm, leading to the destruction of involved skin appendages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, few studies explore the internal phases of styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) modified bitumen at the nanoscale, though the surface phases of SBS modified bitumen have been deeply understood through a lot of research. The present study uses the atomic force microscopy (AFM) peak force quantitative nanomechanical mode (PF-QNM) to investigate the nanomechanical properties of the interior of linear SBS modified bitumen and corresponding mastics at the nanoscale. Firstly, the suitable experimental methods for the interior of bitumen and mastics are explored. Then, the phase relationship between surfaces and interiors of linear SBS modified bitumen is determined by analyzing nanomechanical properties. On this basis, in comparison with the internal phases of base bitumen, the effect of modifiers on phases is deeply investigated. Finally, the internal phases of linear SBS modified bituminous mastics are further investigated. The results reveal that the interior of linear SBS modified bitumen only has two phases, which form in a manner like periphase and paraphase on the surface. In contrast to base bitumen, linear SBS modified bitumen does not create new phases and change the properties of original phases in the interior, but affects the proportion of A-phase and B-phase and presents the homogenization. Furthermore, due to the influence of preparation methods, only the bitumen area away from the fillers can be imaged by AFM PF-QNM. It can be found that the addition of mineral fillers also slightly changes the internal phase distribution of linear SBS modified bitumen, while the effect is less than that of fillers on base bitumen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigated the aging effects on the rheological properties of high viscosity modified asphalt (HVMA). First, the high- and low-temperature rheological properties were measured by a dynamic shear rheometer and a bending beam rheometer, respectively. The aging mechanism was then tested using an Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and a scanning electron microscope. Besides, a study was performed to compare the aging effects on the rheological properties of HVMA, crumb rubber modified asphalt (CRMA), and neat asphalt (SK-90). The experimental results showed that the effects of the long-term aging on HVMA exceeded those of short-term aging. The complex shear modulus of the HVMA was improved by the aging in the whole frequency range. The complex shear modulus of the HVMA after the long-term aging was larger than after the short-term aging. Thus, the aging improved the high-temperature viscoelastic performance of HVMA. With a decrease in temperature from -12 °C to -24 °C, the low-temperature viscoelastic performance of HVMA decreased since its stiffness modulus and low continuous grading temperature increase. Both of the short- and long-term aging of HVMA were caused by an oxidation reaction, while modifier swelling also happened after long-term aging. Compared to CRMA and SK-90, aging had a limited influence on the high- and low-temperature rheological properties of HVMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: By identifying the clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic influences of patients with triple-positive breast cancer (TPBC) at Xijing Hospital in China compared with those in the United States, this study aims to construct a nomogram model to forecast the overall survival rate (OS) of TPBC patients. Method: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was used to screen 5769 patients as the training cohort, and 191 patients from Xijing Hospital were used as the validation cohort. Cox risk-proportional model was applied to select variables and the nomogram model was constructed based on the training cohort. The performance of the model was evaluated by calculating the C-index and generating calibration plots in the training and validation cohorts. Results: Cox multifactorial analysis showed that age, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, M-stage, T-stage, N-stage, and the mode of surgery were all independent risk factors for the prognosis of TPBC patients (all P<0.05). With this premise, the nomogram model was constructed and evaluated. The C-index value of the nomogram model was 0.830 in the training group and 0.914 in the validation group. Moreover, both the calibration and ROC curves for the proposed model exhibited reliable performance, and the clinical decision curve analysis showed that the proposed model can bring clinical benefits. Conclusions: The constructed nomogram can accurately predict individual survival probabilities and may serve as a clinical decision support tool for clinicians to optimize treatment in individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debates on urban redevelopment policy have emerged and been evolving in China, raising theoretical and practical concerns. Prior researchers have realized that the proactive behavior of government officials can influence satisfaction in urban redevelopment policymaking. However, the internal mechanism is still unclear. Employing the policy implementation process theory, this paper develops a theoretical model to explore how the proactive behavior of government officials affects citizen satisfaction. An analysis of a survey of Chinese citizens participating in public affairs shows that the government officials' proactive behavior matters for citizen satisfaction by promoting proactive participation and dampening passive participation. The results also highlight the moderating role of public trust and government officials' responsiveness in the relationship between citizen behavior and satisfaction. Based on our findings, practical interventions aiming at improving participation and citizen satisfaction should be taking active and affirmative measures from regulation to interaction, improve the public trust and establish timely and effective response mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Cuprotosis is a newly discovered form of non-apoptotic regulated cell death and is characterized by copper-dependent and associated with mitochondrial respiration. However, the prognostic significance and function of cuprotosis-related genes (CRGs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are unknown. This study aims to develop cuprotosis-mediated patterns-related gene (CMPRG) prediction models for the prognosis of patients with HCC, exploring the functional underlying the CRGs on the influence of tumor microenvironment (TME) features. Experimental design: This study obtained transcriptome profiling and the corresponding clinical information from the TCGA and GEO databases. Besides, the Cox regression model with LASSO was implemented to build a multi-gene signature, which was then validated in an internal validation set and two external validation sets through Kaplan-Meier, DCA, and ROC analyses. Results: According to the LASSO analysis, we screened out a cuprotosismediated pattern 5-gene combination (including PBK; MMP1; GNAZ; GPC1 and AKR1D1). A nomogram was constructed for the presentation of the final model. The ROC curve assessed the model’s predictive ability, which resulted in an area under the curve (AUC) values ranging from 0.604 to 0.787 underwent internal and two external validation sets. Meanwhile, the risk score divided the patients into two groups of high and low risk, and the survival rate of high-risk patients was significantly lower than that of low-risk patients (P<0.01). The risk score could be an independent prognostic factor in the multifactorial Cox regression analysis (P<0.01). Functional analysis revealed that immune status, mutational loads, and drug sensitivity differed between the two risk groups. Conclusions: In summary, we identified three cuprotosis-mediated patterns in HCC. And CMPRGs are a promising candidate biomarker for HCC early detection, owing to their strong performance in predicting HCC prognosis and therapy. Quantifying cuprotosis-mediated patterns in individual samples may help improve the understanding of multiomic characteristics and guide the development of targeted therapy for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Syndactyly is one of the most common hereditary limb malformations, and is characterized by the fusion of specific fingers and/or toes. Syndactyly type I-c is associated with bilateral cutaneous or bony webbing of the third and fourth fingers and occasionally of the third to fifth fingers, with normal feet. The aim of the present study was to identify the genetic basis of syndactyly type I-c in four generations of a Chinese Han family by exome sequencing. Exome sequencing was conducted in the proband of the family, followed by direct sequencing of other family members of the same ancestry, as well as 100 ethnically-matched, unrelated normal controls. A missense mutation, c.917G>A (p.R306Q), was identified in the homeobox D13 gene (HOXD13). Sanger sequencing verified the presence of this mutation in all of the affected family members. By contrast, this mutation was absent in the unaffected family members and the 100 ethnically-matched normal controls. The results suggest that the c.917G>A (p.R306Q) mutation in the HOXD13 gene, may be responsible for syndactyly type I-c in this family. Exome sequencing may therefore be a powerful tool for identifying mutations associated with syndactyly, which is a disorder with high genetic and clinical heterogeneity. The results provide novel insights into the etiology and diagnosis of syndactyly, and may influence genetic counseling and the clinical management of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toll-like receptor 4 is overexpressed in various tumors, including cervical carcinoma. However, the role of Toll-like receptor 4 in cervical cancer remains controversial, and the underlying mechanisms are largely elusive. Therefore, Toll-like receptor 4 in cervical cancer and related mechanisms were investigated in this study. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses were used to detect messenger RNA and protein levels in HeLa, Caski, and C33A cells with different treatments. Proliferation was quantified using Cell Counting Kit-8. Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were assessed by flow cytometry. Higher levels of Toll-like receptor 4 expression were found in human papillomavirus-positive cells compared to human papillomavirus-negative cells. Proliferation of HeLa and Caski cells was promoted in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated groups but suppressed in short hairpin RNA-transfected groups. Apoptosis rates were lower in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated groups relative to short hairpin RNA-transfected groups. In addition, G2-phase distribution was enhanced when Toll-like receptor 4 was downregulated. Moreover, the pNF-kBp65 level was positively correlated with the Toll-like receptor 4 level in HeLa and Caski cells, though when an nuclear factor-kB inhibitor was applied to lipopolysaccharide-stimulated groups, the patterns of proliferation and apoptosis were opposite to those of the lipopolysaccharide-stimulated groups without inhibitor treatment. In conclusion, these data suggest that Toll-like receptor 4 promotes proliferation and apoptosis resistance in human papillomavirus-related cervical cancer cells at least in part through the Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-kB pathway, which may be correlated with the occurrence and development of cervical carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracking is a fundamental problem for event recognition. Particle filter (PF) is acknowledged for its efficiency in dealing with multi-modal visual tracking problem of general nonlinear and non-Gaussian system. It therefore emerged as an appealing tool for tracking objects in video sequences. Although many proposals have been put forward to deal with various scenarios and enhance PF convergence properties, it is acknowledged that comprehensive evaluations of the proposals are still lacking. This paper aims to contribute to this ongoing research. Especially, simulated videos were created to analyze the influence of the target appearance according to various noise intensities that entails partial or full occlusion scenarios. In the simulated videos, the experiment provided more accurate conclusions given the range of involved factors, w.r.t target model, similarity measurement, and environmental distraction. To validate the conclusion from the simulated videos, the experiment was also conducted in the benchmark videos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracking is a fundamental problem for event recognition. Particle filter (PF) is acknowledged for its efficiency in dealing with multi-modal visual tracking problem of general nonlinear and non-Gaussian system. It therefore emerged as an appealing tool for tracking objects in video sequences. Although many proposals have been put forward to deal with various scenarios and enhance PF convergence properties, it is acknowledged that comprehensive evaluations of the proposals are still lacking. This paper aims to contribute to this ongoing research. Especially, simulated videos were created to analyze the influence of the target appearance according to various noise intensities that entails partial or full occlusion scenarios. In the simulated videos, the experiment provided more accurate conclusions given the range of involved factors, w.r.t target model, similarity measurement, and environmental distraction. To validate the conclusion from the simulated videos, the experiment was also conducted in the benchmark videos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we have investigated the trade-off between the color rendering index (CRI, Ra) and the scotopic/photopic ratio (S/P) for color-tunable phosphor-coated white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) at two CRI limitations (Ra ≥ 70 and Ra ≥ 96). First, luminescent spectra measurements have been conducted to determine experimental results of Ra and S/P under various correlated color temperatures (CCTs). Then, a nonlinear programming method has been adopted for the optimization of Ra and S/P by varying spectral shapes through adjusting spectral parameters, such as peak wavelengths, full-width at half-maxima, and relative intensities. Therefore, polynomial curves of optimal S/P versus CCT at two Ra limitations have been discovered, enabling users to obtain optimal S/P under arbitrary CCTs within [2700 K, 6500 K]. In addition, a comparison study between the present work and our previous work has also been conducted at Ra = 70, and a fair agreement of optimal S/P has been observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of porous asphalt concrete (PAC) is dependent on its microscopic void features, which may refer to content and distribution of its constituents. In other words, PAC mixtures with identical air voids may have significantly different performances under given loading and environmental conditions. Air voids and their distributions are determined by aggregate gradation, nominal maximum aggregate size (NMAS), and binder content. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the correlation among material composition, microscopic void features, and material performance. In this study, X-ray computed tomography (CT) images were obtained and analyzed to study microscopic void features of different PAC mixtures. Experimental tests were performed to study permeability, acoustic absorption coefficients, clogging, shear strengths, wheel tracking, and Cantabro loss of those PAC mixtures. The following findings were observed: (1) microscopic void features were significantly affected by gradation and NMAS; (2) for PAC mixtures with the same air content and NMAS, the coarser graded mixtures had the larger equivalent diameter of air voids; and (3) linear relationships were found between equivalent diameter and material performance, including Cantabro loss, dynamic stability, shear strength, anticlogging property, and noise reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study is to propose a method to construct corneal biomechanical model which is the foundation for simulation of corneal microsurgery. Methods: Corneal material has two significant characteristics: hyperelastic and viscoelastic. Firstly, Mooney-Rivlin hyperelastic model of cornea obtained based on stored-energy function can be simplified as a linear equation with two unknown parameters. Then, modified Maxwell viscoelastic model of the cornea, whose analytical form is consistent with the generalized Prony-series model, is proposed from the perspective of material mechanics. Results: Parameters of the model are determined by the uniaxial tensile tests and the stress-relaxation tests. Corneal material properties are simulated to verify the hyper-viscoelastic model and measure the effectiveness of the model in the finite element simulation. On this basis, an in vivo model of the corneal is built. And the simulation of extrusion in vivo cornea shows that the force is roughly nonlinearly increasing with displacement, and it is consistent with the results obtained by extrusion experiment of in vivo cornea. Conlusions: This paper derives a corneal hyper-viscoelastic model to describe the material properties more accurately, and explains the mathematical method for determination of the model parameters. The model is an effective biomechanical model, which can be directly used for simulation of trephine and suture in keratoplasty. Although the corneal hyper-viscoelastic model is taken as the object of study, the method has certain adaptability in biomechanical research of ophthalmology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alport syndrome (AS) is a monogenic disease of the basement membrane (BM), resulting in progressive renal failure due to glomerulonephropathy, variable sensorineural hearing loss, and ocular anomalies. It is caused by mutations in the collagen type IV alpha-3 gene (COL4A3), the collagen type IV alpha-4 gene (COL4A4), and the collagen type IV alpha-5 gene (COL4A5), which encodes type IV collagen α3, α4, and α5 chains, respectively. To explore the disease-related gene in a four-generation Chinese Han pedigree of AS, exome sequencing was conducted on the proband, and a novel deletion mutation c.499delC (p.Pro167Glnfs *36) in the COL4A5 gene was identified. This mutation, absent in 1,000 genomes project, HapMap, dbSNP132, YH1 databases, and 100 normal controls, cosegregated with patients in the family. Neither sensorineural hearing loss nor typical COL4A5-related ocular abnormalities (dot-and-fleck retinopathy, anterior lenticonus, and the rare posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy)were present in patients of this family. The phenotypes of patients in this AS family were characterized by early onset-age and rapidly developing into end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Our discovery broadens the mutation spectrum in the COL4A5 gene associated with AS, which may also shed new light on genetic counseling for AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the high energy consumption of image acquisition, computation, and transmission in wireless multimedia sensor networks (WMSNs), two-tier network structure is usually used to lighten the energy consumption burden on camera sensors. Thus, a camera sensor can only be actuated when an event is detected by scalar sensors within its field of view (FoV). In this paper, we study the event-driven camera actuation problem and propose a distributed collaborative camera actuation scheme based on sensing-region management (DCCA-SM). The basic idea of this scheme is to divide the whole sensing field into many sensing regions which are covered by different sets of camera sensors. During the running of the network, by forming a cluster of the scalar sensors in each sensing region, the events occurring in each sensing region can be managed by the scalar cluster head. Therefore, by hearing from the scalar cluster heads, each camera sensor can know the exact coverage overlaps without changing information with the neighboring camera sensors. Meanwhile, sensing-region management avoids repeatedly event reporting from scalar sensors. In order to show the performance of the DCCA-SM, a simulation has been conducted. The comparative performance evaluations demonstrate effectiveness and energy efficiency of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, based on the theoretical research of structural modal analysis, different types of phonon crystal modal structures are designed for the first time, and the characteristics and the generation mechanism of the bandgap were studied through theoretical calculations and experiments. According to the phenomenon in the experimental results, we can find that the vibration transmission characteristics of phonon crystal structure α3 are the best, and it is also superior to that of phonon crystal structure α10 (full period structure). Therefore, the comparison of theoretical analysis with experimental phenomena shows that the bandgap generation mechanism should be modal resonance instead of local resonance in the finite periodic structure. The profound reason lies in there is no separate Z direction local vibration mode of periodic structure in the vibration mode of finite structure, and the bandgap of finite structure is the mode superposition torsional resonance mechanism between scatterer and substrate mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]