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OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate the "Internet + rehabilitation guidance" under the theory of Information- Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (IKAP) in patients with esophageal cancer during the perioperative period and to analyze the influence on the short-term prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From April 2022 to February 2023, 118 patients who underwent radical esophagectomy in the First Hospital of Huai'an Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were enrolled using the convenience sampling method. They were divided into the IKAP group (59 cases) and the Control Group (Group C) (59 cases), according to the random number table method. The conventional intervention was performed during the perioperative period, and the IKAP group was also given "Internet + rehabilitation guidance" based on IKAP theory. The first postoperative defecation time, exhaust time, feeding time, discharge time, and postoperative complication rate of the two groups were compared. Meanwhile, blood samples were collected before surgery and 1, 3, 7, and 30 days after surgery (at outpatient review) for the detection of inflammatory factor indexes and nutritional indexes. RESULTS: Patients within the IKAP group showed a shorter first postoperative exhaust and defecation time, eating time, and hospital compared to the control group (p<0.05). Before surgery, there was no significant difference in serum inflammatory factors and nutritional indexes between the two groups (p>0.05). Comparing the levels of serum inflammatory factors in the two groups after surgery, the levels of CRP and IL-6 in the IKAP group were lower than those in the control group on days 1, 3, and 7 after surgery. After 30 days, the serum CRP level was found to be lower than the control group, but no statistical difference with the control level of serum IL-6 (p<0.05) was found. Compared with the serum nutritional index levels in the two groups: 1 d after surgery, the serum HGB, PA, and TRF levels were not different (p>0.05). The serum ALB level in the IKAP group was higher than that in the control group (p<0.05). Postoperative 3 d, 7 d, the serum levels of HGB, ALB, PA, and TRF in the IKAP group were higher than those in the control group (p<0.05). After 30 d, there was no statistical difference in serum HGB levels between the two groups (p<0.05); Serum ALB, PA, and TRF levels in the IKAP group were higher than those in the control group (p<0.05). From preoperative to 30 days after surgery, serum CRP and IL-6 levels in 2 groups were first increased and then decreased, while serum HGB, ALB, PA, and TRF levels were first decreased and then increased. After surgery, the IKAP group showed a greater incidence of complications in patients than in controls (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with esophageal cancer, perioperative "Internet + rehabilitation guidance" based on IKAP theory can effectively shorten the postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery time and rapidly reduce the inflammatory response, improving the nutritional status of the body, thereby reducing the risk of short-term postoperative complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: In order to solve the problem of image real-time processing and correction for high-speed endoscopic sweptsource optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT), we highly optimize a computer-unified device architecture-based platform and use a field-programmable gate array to summarize the application experience. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We use the Half-Sync/Half-Asyn mode to optimize memory in order to build a high-throughput data thread pool for CPU. We use asynchronous streaming architecture to multiplex multiple threads at high speed to accelerate data processing. At the same time, we design a rotary scanning position information encoding feedback module to suppress image drift, which can realize 25ns logic-timing sequence synchronization control through FPGA 40MHz clock. RESULTS: The maximum complete attainable axial-scan-processing rate (including memory transfer and display of B-scan frames) is 3.52 MHz for a 16-bit pixel depth and A-scans/s of 1024 pixels. To our knowledge, this is the fastest processing rate reported to date with a single-chip graphical processing unit for SS-OCT. Finally, the established high-speed SS-OCT is used to image mouse esophagus and human fingers, and the output images are stable. When the image size is 1024 × 1024 pixels, the real-time imaging rate is 200 frames per second. CONCLUSIONS: This paper develops a real-time image processing and reconstruction technology suitable for high-throughput SS-OCT systems, which can have high-density operation and efficient parallelism, while suppressing highspeed image drift. It lays the foundation for the non-destructive, in vivo, non-staining, fast and convenient early tumor diagnosis of high-speed endoscopic SS-OCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Our aim is to characterize patients with pruritus in type 2 diabetes, determine independent risk factors and explore the impact of the psychological condition of these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study. From October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021, 944 individuals with T2DM who had medical treatment were identified from the database. Electronic medical record information including patient characteristics, complications, laboratory data, and medication usage was obtained from the database. Propensity score matching, univariate analysis and a multivariable logistic regression model were used in this study. Based on observation, we discussed the psychological impact of pruritus on these patients. RESULTS: There were 97 patients with T2DM who suffered from pruritus. After propensity score matching based on age, gender, and family history of diabetes etc., 97 pairs of subjects were matched. 97 patients were categorized as the Pruritus group and 97 patients as the Non-pruritus group. In univariate analysis, there were 5 variables significantly related to pruritus, including BMI, absolute eosinophils, percentage of eosinophils, diabetic kidney disease, diabetic retinopathy. After multivariable logistic regression, BMI (OR 1.094, 95%CI 1.010-1.185) and diabetic retinopathy (OR 2.440, 95%CI 1.229-4.847) were considered significant. Patients with pruritus in T2DM suffer greatly in psychological condition in many ways. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with pruritus complicated by T2DM, BMI and diabetic retinopathy may be independent risk factors. Mental health problems such as anxiety and depression might exacerbate by pruritus. The intimate partner relationship was also challenged due to the restless sleep caused by their partner. Frequent monitoring of BMI and diabetic retinopathy and psychological assessment may be warranted in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most frequent malignant with high incidence worldwide. The poor prognosis of EC is mainly due to the lack of efficient treatment and diagnosis. The biological role of microRNA- 1271 (miR-1271) in EC is still unknown. In the current research, we mainly aimed to figure out the role of miR-1271 in EC progression. PATIENTS AND METHODS: MiR-1271 expression in EC was evaluated by quantitative Real- time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and colony formation assay were employed to examine cell proliferation ability. Transwell assay and Matrigel assay were conducted to detect cell migration and invasion. Bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay were employed to predict and verify the target genes of miR-1271. The protein level of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) was assessed by Western blotting with normalization to glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). RESULTS: MiR-1271 was downregulated in EC through qRT-PCR determination. CCK-8 assay and colony formation assay indicated that over-expression of miR-1271 suppressed cell proliferation in EC. Through the transwell assay and Matrigel assay, the data indicated that miR- 1271 suppressed cell migration and invasion. By bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay, LDHA was verified to be a direct down stream target of miR-1271. In the rescue assay, it was proved that miR-1271 inhibited cell proliferation and metastasis by regulating LDHA in EC. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that miR-1271 functioned as a tumor suppressor in EC by targeting LDHA, which may bring a novel insight for developing novel biomarkers and treatment strategies in EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Asthma is the most common chronic airway inflammatory disease. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) exerts a crucial effect on regulating chronic inflammatory responses. Therefore, this study aims to explore the effect of SIRT1 on the pathogenesis of asthma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum level of SIRT1 in asthma patients and healthy controls was detected by Western blot. Correlation between SIRT1 level and pulmonary function in asthma patients was analyzed. Subsequently, asthma model in mouse was established. Primary airway epithelial cells were extracted from asthma mice and control mice to detect SIRT1 level. Furthermore, relative levels of Akt and interleukin 6 (IL-6) were detected in 16HBE cells. Regulatory effects of Akt on SIRT1 in 16HBE cells were determined as well. RESULTS: SIRT1 was highly expressed in serum of asthma patients, which was negatively correlated with FEV1/FVC (r=-0.27, **p<0.01). Both mRNA and protein levels of SIRT1 were downregulated in primary airway epithelial cells extracted from asthma mice compared with those from controls. SIRT1 knockdown in 16HBE cells upregulated IL-6 expression, which was reversed by Akt inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: SIRT1 regulates IL-6 level via Akt pathway, thereafter affecting pulmonary function in asthma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: LncRNA HULC has been proved to have important functions in the pathogenesis of several types of cancers. While its involvement in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which is one of the most common malignancies, still hasn't been reported to date. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the role of HULC in NSCLC and to explore the possible mechanisms. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Tumor tissues and adjacent healthy tissues were collected from NSCLC patients, and blood samples were collected from both NSCLC patients and healthy controls. Expression of HULU in those tissues was detected by qRT-PCR. All patients were followed up for 5 years. Diagnostic and prognostic values of serum HULU for NSCLC were investigated by ROC curve analysis and survival curve analysis, respectively. HULC overexpression NSCLC cell lines were established and its effects on cell proliferation as well as apoptosis were investigated by CCK-8 assay and MTT assay, respectively. Effects of HULC overexpression on sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1) and its downstream PI3K/Akt pathway were investigated by Western blot. Results: HULC expression level was increased in tumor tissues compared with adjacent healthy tissues in most patients. Serum level of HULC was higher in cancer patients than that in healthy control. Serum level of HULC was increased with the increased stage of primary tumor (T stage). Serum HULC can be used to accurately predict NSCLC and its prognosis. HULC overexpression promoted tumor cell proliferation, but inhibited cell apoptosis. HULC overexpression also increased expression level of SPHK1 and phosphorylation level of Akt in NSCLC cell, but showed on significant effects on Akt expression. Treatment with SPHK1 inhibitor and Akt reduced the effects of HULC overexpression on proliferation and apoptosis of NSCLC cells. But the treatment showed no significant effects on HULC expression. SPHK1 inhibitor treatment inhibited phosphorylation of Akt, while Akt inhibitor treatment showed no significant effects on SPHK1 expression. CONCLUSIONS: LncRNA HULC overexpression can promote NSCLC cell proliferation and inhibit cell apoptosis by up-regulating sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1) and further induce the activation of its downstream PI3K/Akt pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between blood lipid profiles and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive search of the literature related to lipid profiles and postmenopausal osteoporosis was conducted in Wanfang Database, CNKI, PubMed (1950-2015) and EMBASE (1974-2015). Appropriate studies were selected according to pre-defined exclusion criteria, and the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) were compared between osteoporosis and normal density groups. Statistical analysis was performed using RevMan5.3. RESULTS: Ten published articles were selected for meta-analysis. The results showed that the levels of HDL, LDL, TC were higher in the osteoporosis group than the normal density group, whereas the levels of TG were lower in the osteoporosis group (HDL: MD = 2.63, 95% CI: 0.43 to 4.84, p = 0.02; LDL: MD = 9.67, 95% CI: -0.10 to 19.44, p = 0.0532; TG: MD = -0.42, 95% CI: -17.52 to 16.67, p = 0.96; TC: MD = 14.82, 95% CI: 2.84 to 26.80, p = 0.02). There was no statistical difference in LDL and TG. CONCLUSIONS: The serum levels of HDL and TC are higher in postmenopausal osteoporosis patients, and may thus be potentially useful indicators to reflect the process of osteoporosis in these women. More research is needed to determine the relationship between LDL, TG and postmenopausal osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cold stress is one of the most detrimental environmental factors affecting plant growth and development. Melatonin (MEL), a natural indoleamine compound, responds to various environmental cues. To explore the role of MEL in the response of melon (Cucumis meloL.) seedlings to cold stress, the effects of exogenous MEL on the ascorbate–glutathione (AsA–GSH) cycle and proline metabolism were investigated. Melon seedlings were sprayed with various concentrations of MEL (0, 50, 100, 200, or 400 μM), then exposed to cold stress, 12/6°C (day/night) for 7 d, followed by recovery at 28/18°C for another 7 d. The results showed that MEL, especially the 200 μM treatment, dramatically alleviated growth inhibition caused by cold stress, manifested by increased plant growth and decreased O2•¯production rate and malondialdehyde content. Importantly, exogenous application of MEL enhanced the ratios of reduced and oxidized forms of AsA (AsA/DHA) and GSH (GSH/GSSG), and the activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR), and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) involved in the ascorbate–glutathione (AsA–GSH) cycle in melon seedings grown under cold stress. Besides, MEL pretreatment further increased the contents of proline and soluble protein under cold stress. The results reveal that protective effects of MEL against cold stress in melon seedlings are most likely associated with the regulation of the AsA–GSH cycle and proline metabolism as an effective antioxidant system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was performed to investigate the incidence of and risk factors for postoperative cleft relapse and oronasal fistula after Furlow palatoplasty in infants. Sixty-two infants with cleft palate, aged 6–12 months (mean 8.25 months), who underwent cleft repair by Furlow double opposing Z-plasty between March 2012 and August 2014, were enrolled in the study. Risk factors for postoperative cleft relapse and oronasal fistula after Furlow palatoplasty were identified by logistic regression analysis. The incidence rates of cleft relapse at 1 week and oronasal fistula at 3 months after surgery were 24.2% (15/62) and 9.7% (6/62), respectively. Among all of the variables screened, only the width of the cleft was significantly associated with the incidence of postoperative cleft relapse ( P = 0.001) and oronasal fistula ( P = 0.011); the incidence rates were positively correlated with the width of the cleft when it exceeded 6.8 mm and 7.5 mm, respectively. Based on these findings, in order to reduce the incidence of postoperative cleft relapse and oronasal fistula, Furlow repair is not recommended for patients with wide clefts. An appropriate angle between the Z-flap incision and the central axis, use of a bilateral relaxation incision, and postoperative nursing care can help reduce the incidence of postoperative cleft relapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet an increasing market demand of conductive ink which is applicable to wide range of substrates, ultraviolet (UV) curing technique combined with nano-silver materials was used to fabricate UV electric conductive ink. Firstly, both silver nano-particles (AgNPs) and silver nano-wires (AgNWs)/poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) composites were synthesized. An ethanol solution-phase approach using hydrazine hydrate as a reducing agent was presented for an easy synthesis of large-scaleAgNPswith an average diameter of 35 nm.AgNWswith diameter of 40 nm and length up to over 10 μm were synthesized by polyol method. InAgNWssynthesis process, the main influencing factors such as the molar ratio of PVP to silver nitrate, the reaction time and PVP of different degree of polymerization were investigated. Finally, nano Ag/PVP composites, polyurethane acrylate, photoinitiator 1173 and solvents were used to fabricate UV electric conductive ink, which had an electrical conductivity on paper as high as 2.1 × 105 S/m. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Standing-posture 8-electrode bioelectrical impedance analysis is a fast and practical method for evaluating body composition in clinical settings, which can be used to estimate percentage body fat (BF%) and skeletal muscle mass in a subject's total body and body segments. In this study, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used as a reference method for validating the standing 8-electrode bioelectrical impedance analysis device BC-418 (BIA8, Tanita Corp., Tokyo, Japan). Forty-eight Taiwanese male wrestlers aged from 17.9 to 22.3 years volunteered to participate in this study. The lean soft tissue (LST) and BF% in the total body and body segments were measured in each subject by the BIA8 and DXA. The correlation coefficients between total body, arm, leg segments impedance index (BI, ht²/Z) and lean soft tissue mass measured from DXA were r = 0.902, 0.453, 0.885, respectively (p < 0.01). In addition, the total body and segmental LST estimated by the BIA8 were highly correlated with the DXA data (r = 0.936, 0.466, 0.886, p < 0.01). The estimation of total body and segmental BF% measured by BIA8 and DXA also showed a significant correlation (r > 0.820, p < 0.01). The estimated LST and BF% from BIA8 in the total body and body segments were highly correlated with the DXA results, which indicated that the standing-posture 8-electrode bioelectrical impedance analysis may be used to derive reference measures of LST and BF% in Taiwanese male wrestlers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this survey, N, La co-doped TiO2 nanocrystals are synthesized through simple sol-gel method. Results reveal that both elements of N and La are introduced successfully into the structure of TiO2 and exist as the form of La (Ti-O-La) bonds, N (N-Ti-O) bonds and N (Ti-O-N) bonds by several characterization analysis, thereby resulting in the formation of new impurity energy level between the forbidden bands, and great enhancement of light absorption ability in visible light region. These resulting samples are fabricated for low-temperature-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), and the highest temperature of the whole process is 120°C. EIS, Bode plot and I-V analysis are employed to measure photovoltaic performance of DSSCs. The photoelectric conversion efficiency (η) of DSSCs with co-doped TiO2 materials as the photoanode is 5.33%, and when compared to pure TiO2-based cell (4.02%), the η is increased by 32.6%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a high morbidity disease in China. The aim of this study was to explore the latest distribution of HCV genotypes in China, mainly focusing on epidemiological characteristics and risk factors of HCV genotype 1 in Chinese Han population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 793 HCV-positive patients were enrolled from 21 hospitals across China. The association of epidemiological data with HCV genotype 1 and the potential risk factors was analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The HCV genotype 1b was detected in 66.9% of 793 patients. The way of infection, disease course, HCV RNA level, history of blood transfusion and smoking were found to be significantly different between patients infected with HCV genotype 1 and non-genotype 1. The result of univariate logistic regression analysis showed that HCV genotype 1 infection has a close relationship with age, gender, smoking history, the way of infection, allergy, disease course, and HCV RNA level. Moreover, the HCV RNA level, disease course, and blood transfusion history were the related risk factors for infection of HCV genotype 1 as demonstrated by multivariate logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The HCV genotype 1 was still the main genotype of HCV infection in China. We should intensify HCV screening for those people who aged over 50 years and had a history of blood transfusion in China. The treatment of genotype 1 should be paid more attention in antiviral of HCV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: As an invasive cancer, breast cancer is the most common tumour in women and is with high mortality. To study the mechanisms of HER2-positive breast cancer, we analyzed microarray of GSE52194. MATERIALS AND METHODS: GSE52194 was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus including 5 HER2-positive breast cancer samples and 3 normal breast samples. Using cuffdiff software, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (DE-lncRNAs) were screened. Functions of the DEGs were analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analyses. Then, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the DEGs were constructed using Cytoscape and modules of the PPI network were screened by CFinder. Moreover, lncRNA-DEG pairs were screened. RESULTS: Total 209 lncRNA transcriptions were predicted, and 996 differentially expressed transcriptions were screened. Besides, FOS had interaction relationships with EGR1 and SOD2 separately in module E and F of the PPI network for the DEGs. Moreover, there were many lncRNA-DEG pairs (e.g. TCONS_00003876-EGR1, TCONS_00003876-FOS, lnc-HOXC4-3:1-FOS, lnc-HOXC4-3:1-BCL6B, lnc- TEAD4-1:1-FOS and lnc-TEAD4-1:1-BCL6B), meanwhile, co-expressed DEGs of TCONS_00003876, lnc- HOXC4-3:1 and lnc-TEAD4-1:1 were enriched in p53 signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway and cancer related pathways, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: ANXA1, EGR1, BCL6, SOD2, FOS, TCONS_00003876, lnc-HOXC4-3:1 and lnc- TEAD4-1:1 might play a role in HER2-positive breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel surface heat flux calibration method applicable to nonlinear inverse heat conduction problems and a new strategy for obtaining an optimal regularization parameter independent of the regularization technique are presented herein. For the proposed nonlinear calibration integral equation, quasi-linearization of the nonlinear heat equation is achieved through both time domain and heat flux magnitude rescaling based on the local temperature measurement. The inverse heat conduction problem is then resolved in terms of rescaled variables through a calibration framework. The proposed calibration equation has a form of the Volterra equation of the first kind that relates the rescaled net unknown heat flux to the rescaled net calibration heat flux and their corresponding rescaled in-depth temperature measurements during both calibration and reconstruction tests. Because the functional form of a Volterra integral equation of the first kind is ill-posed, three different regularization methods are considered and compared. The three methods consist of 1) local future time method, 2) singular-value-decomposition-based regularization, and 3) Tikhonov regularization. A new strategy is proposed to determine the corresponding optimal regularization parameters. This strategy uses a Gaussian filter for estimating the variance in a group of predictions. The best regularization parameters are obtained by balancing the weighted bias and variance. Encouraging numerical results are observed independent of applied regularization approaches in presence of a significant noise, verifying the nonlinear calibration method and the merit of the new regularization parameter strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims The purpose of this meta-analysis is to assess the value of peri-operative chemotherapy for patients who have resectable colorectal cancer with liver metastases (CRCLM). The clinical effectiveness of peri-operative chemotherapy for CRCLM patients remains controversial. Methods A literature review was performed to compare CRCLM patients receiving peri-operative chemotherapy plus surgery with patients receiving surgery alone. The Hazard ratio (HR), odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were set as effect measures. Results There were 10 studies included in this meta-analysis, with a total of 1896 patients. There was no advantage in overall survival (OS) for patients receiving peri-operative chemotherapy compared with those who underwent surgery alone (HR, 0.88; 95% CI, [0.77, 1.01]; P = 0.07). However, there was significant benefit in disease-free survival (DFS) in patients who received chemotherapy compared with surgery alone (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, [0.72, 0.91]; P = 0.0007). In a subset analysis, the systemic chemotherapy group showed a DFS benefit (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, [0.69, 0.96]; P = 0.01) compared with different regional chemotherapy. The incidence of post-operative complications was significantly higher in patients who also received chemotherapy compared with the surgery alone group (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, [1.05, 1.92]; P = 0. 02). Conclusions There was no significant improvement in OS in CRCLM patients who received peri-operative chemotherapy compared with surgery alone, and chemotherapy significantly increased the post-operative complications. However, this requires further clinical study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely accepted that the mechanical behaviour of lead-rubber bearing for bridge will change distinctly with temperature variation. This paper outlines an experimental study for 300 × 300 square type lead-rubber bridge bearing. The experimental results of temperature dependency for horizontal shear performance of lead-rubber bearing are presented. It can be seen that the horizontal shear stiffness of the bearing will be reduced as the temperature rises. The horizontal damping ratio of the bearing will be reduced as the temperature increases, but such a trend will not be obvious when the temperature is higher than 23°C. By using the classical regression analysis, estimation of the formula for temperature dependency for horizontal shear stiffness and horizontal damping ratio of 300 × 300 mm square lead-rubber bearings are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elastic metamaterials have been extensively investigated due to their significant effects on controlling propagation of elastic waves. One of the most interesting properties is the generation of band gaps, in which subwavelength elastic waves cannot propagate through. In the study, a new class of active elastic metamaterials with negative capaci-tance piezoelectric shunting is presented. We first investigated dispersion curves and band gap control of an active mass-in-mass lattice system. The unit cell of the mass-in-mass lattice system consists of the inner masses connected by active linear springs to represent negative capacitance piezoelectric shunting. It was demonstrated that the band gaps can be actively controlled and tuned by varying effective stiffness constant of the linear spring through appropriately selecting the value of negative capacitance. The promising application was then demonstrated in the active elastic metamaterial plate integrated with the negative capacitance shunted piezoelectric patches for band gap con-trol of both the longitudinal and bending waves. It can be found that the location and the extent of the induced band gap of the elastic metamaterial can be effectively tuned by using shunted piezoelectric patch with different values of negative capacitance, espe-cially for extremely low-frequency cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Candidaemia is associated with high mortality and high healthcare costs. The incidence of candidaemia in Taiwan rose markedly during the period 1980–2000. We conducted this hospital-based surveillance study in order to explore the secular trend in incidence of candidaemia during the period 2000 to 2008. In our study, Candida spp. were the fourth most common cause of bloodstream infections, with a 30-day crude mortality rate of 36.7%. Candida albicans was the most common species identified, although mortality rate did not differ significantly among species. The incidence of candidaemia began to decrease in 2004. Risk factors related to higher mortality included longer hospital stay before onset of candidaemia, liver cirrhosis, malignancy, end-stage renal disease requiring renal dialysis, dependence on mechanical ventilation and urinary catheterisation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Thermally stimulated currents (TSCs) have been measured to investigate electron traps in HfO2 prepared by reactive sputtering on silicon. Broken planes of the silicon crystal, which may contribute to the occurrence of interface states, were identified between the silicon and SiOx interlayer by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A second domain was found between SiOx and HfO2 constituting a gradual transition region between the two oxides. This interface region was found to be a source of unstable charge traps where captured electrons interact with the silicon energy states through a combined tunneling and thermal process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the bipolar switching properties of Ni\NiO\Ni cells for which the NiO layer is made by thermal oxidation of Ni layers. Physical characterization of the NiO layer revealed a strong deficiency in oxygen and a defective crystal structure. This microstructure allowed reproducible bipolar switching, which we attributed to the drift of oxygen anionic species and redox reactions at the anode. Conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) experiments on Ni\NiO surfaces showed the scaling potential of the bipolar switching. C-AFM and macroscopic electrical measurements showed similarities and consistent results related to oxygen movement effects at the nanometer scale through relaxation processes and switching events. A discussion is conducted on the origin of the change in resistance, observed either at a microscopic or at a macroscopic scale. A distinction is made between electrochemical redox reactions taking place along conductive channels near the Ni\NiO\Ni top electrode and local changes of oxygen-vacancy densities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Basement membranes lie at the epithelial–mesenchymal interface of most tissues. These thin layers of highly specialized extracellular matrix vary in composition in different tissues and also over the course of tissue morphogenesis. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans, which were originally identified in basement membranes, interact with extracellular matrix proteins, growth factors and cell receptors, and influence cellular signaling. Members of this family in the human placenta and decidua that act principally in linking to collagen IV and laminin networks include perlecan, agrin, and collagen XVIII, each of which have characteristic locations. Perlecan is widely expressed in trophoblasts, the villous and endothelial basement membranes, villous stroma, and decidua, whereas collagen XVIII is not expressed in trophoblasts. Agrin expression is quite limited, occurring only in the decidua and villous stroma. Pathological conditions may alter the expression and structure of the covalently attached glycosaminoglycan chains of these molecules in the placenta. Such changes may result in remodeling of the basement membrane during placental development with consequent adverse effects, as seen for example in gestational diabetes and other diseases or experimental models. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

High entropy alloys are a newly developed family of multicomponent alloys that Consist of various major alloying elements, including copper, nickel, aluminum, cobalt, chromium, iron, and others. Each element in the alloy system is present at between 5 and 35 atom %. A high entropy alloy has numerous beneficial mechanical, magnetic, and electrochemical characteristics. This investigation discusses the corrosion resistance of the Al0.5CoCrCuFeNiBx alloys with various amounts of added boron. Surface morphological and chemical analyses verified that the addition of boron produced Cr, Fe, and Co borides. Therefore, the fraction of Cr outside borides precipitates was scant. The anodic polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectra of the Al0.5CoCrCuFeNiBx alloys, obtained in 1 N H2SO4 aqueous solution, clearly reveal that the general corrosion resistance decreases as the concentration of boron increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apple fruits of different cultivars were heat-treated at 38°C for 4 d immediately after harvest, then stored at 0°C for 6 weeks ('Gala') or 4 months ('Golden Delicious' and 'Red Fuji'). Upon removal from storage, fruits were kept for 7 d at 20°C as a shelf-life test. During storage and shelf-life, various ripeness parameters were measured. 'Golden Delicious' and 'Red Fuji' apples were artificially inoculated with Penicillium expansum or Botrytis cinerea before heat treatment, then stored at 20°C for 3 weeks, or 0°C for 6 weeks, and the development of fruit decay was recorded. The respiration rate decreased and the ratio of soluble solids contents (SSC): titratable acidity (TA) increased for all heat- treated fruits. For 'Gala' and 'Golden Delicious' apples, heat treatment significantly reduced ethylene evolution, reduced softening during cold storage, and reduced membrane electrolyte leakage after cold storage and shelf-life. Better quality was maintained at the end of the shelf-life for these two cultivars. However, the effects of heat treatment on ethylene production, membrane electrolyte leakage and texture parameters of 'Red Fuji' apples were not significant. The rotting caused by P expansum or B. cinerea was very severe, especially for apples stored at 20°C. However, decay was completely inhibited in 'Golden Delicious' and 'Red Fuji' apples that had been heat-treated after inoculation. It was concluded that the response to heat treatment varied according to cultivar. Pre-storage heat treatment could delay the ripening of 'Gala' and 'Golden Delicious' apples and maintain storage quality. Although heat treatment gave no beneficial effects on the quality of 'Red Fuji' apples, it could be applied to control disease in this apple cultivar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]