Search

Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is an effective tool for prioritization of the failures by identifying and eliminating potential risks, free double hierarchy hesitant fuzzy linguistic term set (FDHHFLTS) can describe the hesitation more accurately and reasonably by adding the free second hierarchy hesitant fuzzy linguistic terms, and multiattribute decision-making (MADM) methods have advantages in ranking and selecting different alternatives. By considering the advantages of MADM methods and FMEA model, in this paper, we propose a novel model to evaluate the risk failure modes (FMs) under FDHHFLTS context. First, an extended Complex Proportional Assessment (COPRAS) method is proposed to address the risk assessment problems. The proposed risk assessment model is utilized to assess and rank the FMs to address the limitations of the traditional FMEA. Second, a weight determination model is constructed based on the Kemeny Median (KEM) method and Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) method, which can make the weight more practical and effective under the situation of completely unknown weights. Finally, the proposed model is used to the case of logistics enterprises' risk assessment. The application of the case shows the feasibility of the proposed model, and the comparisons with some existing methods illustrate the advantages of the proposed risk assessment model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the development and extension of hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets (HFLTSs), free double hierarchy hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets (FDHHFLTSs) can describe the evaluation information in more detail. In addition, in practical multiple attribute decision-making (MADM) problems, priority relations and interaction relations usually exist among attributes, and the prioritized interactive Choquet (PIC) operator based on generalized prioritized measure-guided aggregation (GPMGA) operator and Choquet integral (CI) operator is an effective tool for dealing with decision-making problems with priority relations and interaction relations. Under the above contexts, we improve the PIC operator and propose the FDHHFLPIC operator which can aggregate the evaluation information under free double hesitant fuzzy linguistic environment and take both priority and interaction relations into account. Furthermore, we propose an approach based on the FDHHFLPIC operators to address the real MADM problem, and the proposed method considering the different relations between attributes in decision-making process. Finally, two numerical examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed method which can consider priority relations and interaction relations under the FDHHFLTSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The incidence of hyperuricemia (HUA) at younger ages is increasing along the coastal regions of China. This study aimed to compare the frequency of dual energy CT (DECT) urate crystal deposition between symptomatic hyperuricemic children and asymptomatic hyperuricemic children.Material and Methods: Fifty-six hyperuricemic children were divided into a Joint Group (n = 33) and an Asymptomatic Group (n = 23) according to whether they had a history of arthritis symptoms, which includes rapid onset monoarthritis with intense pain and swelling. We analyzed DECT scans of their feet from the Joint Group and the Asymptomatic Group and compared their clinical features.Results: DECT urate deposits were observed in 28/33 (84.8%) children with symptomatic HUA and 14/23 (60.9%) with asymptomatic HUA. We found 60 areas of urate deposition in the Joint Group; DECT urate crystal deposition was most frequently observed in the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint (30.0%), ankle joint (15.0%), and calcaneus (13.3%). 39 urate deposits were found in the Asymptomatic Group; DECT urate crystal deposition was most frequently observed in the calcaneus (25.6%), the first MTP joint (17.9%), and the first phalanx (15.4%).Conclusions: Urate deposition can occur in children with HUA, and these deposits occur more frequently in hyperuricemic children with a history of arthritis symptoms. Also, the urate deposition in the first MTP joint and calcaneus was more prevalent than in other joints. It is important to give more attention to hyperuricemic children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the extension of intuitionistic fuzzy numbers (IFNs), linguistic intuitionistic fuzzy numbers (LIFNs) are proposed. LIFNs are expressed by linguistic variables and take the membership degree (MD) and non-membership degree (NMD) into consideration. The MD and NMD of LIFNs can easier describe complex and fuzzy information in multiple attribute decision-making (MADM) problems. The TODIM method based on prospect theory can reflect the psychological factors of the decision makers (DMs). However, existing TODIM methods neither handle the decision-making problems under linguistic intuitionistic environment nor consider interrelations among multiple attributes. Based on these problems, in this paper, combining the fuzzy measure with the TODIM method, an extended Choquet-TODIM method is proposed to process the MADM problems. The extended Choquet-TODIM method considers the interrelationship of multiple attributes and the bounded rationality of DMs. Firstly, the relative theories of LIFNs, the classical TODIM method and λ-fuzzy measures are briefly reviewed. Secondly, the TODIM method is extended to linguistic intuitionistic fuzzy environment and C-TODIM method of LIFNs is proposed. Then λ-fuzzy measure is extended to the classical TODIM method and a model of determining fuzzy measures is proposed. The proposed method gives the new solution to calculate the fuzzy measures and address the MADM problems with interrelationship among different attributes. Lastly, two numerical examples are used to compare with two existing methods and explain the effectiveness and superiority of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Tumour‐targeted gene therapy is a promising approach for effective control of gastric cancer cell proliferation. Our study aims to develop a cancer therapy which combines tumour‐targeting promoters with cytotoxins. Methods: The expression of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3), which is a Shiga‐like toxin I (Stx1) receptor, was verified in gastric cancer compared with normal stomach tissues as assessed by flow cytometry and immunohistochemical analysis. We therefore constructed the recombinant pFZD7‐Stx1 plasmid vectors with tumour‐preferential Frizzled‐7 promoter and Stx1. pFZD7‐Stx1 was used to treat gastric cancer in vitro and in vivo. The gastric cancer cell proliferation and tumour growth were identified after the transfection with the pFZD7‐Stx1. Results: Globotriaosylceramide was obviously increased in gastric cancer compared with normal stomach. The gastric cancer cell proliferation and tumour growth decreased significantly after the transfection with the pFZD7‐Stx1. Conclusion: Frizzled‐7 promoter is preferentially active, and Gb3 is abundant in gastric cancer cells. Frizzled‐7 promoter and Stx1 may be used to determine a novel and relatively specific and potent gastric cancer therapeutic strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the problem of event-triggered piecewise controller design is concerned for discrete-time networked nonlinear systems represented by T-S fuzzy models. Based on the event triggering communication strategy, only the state information of the plant that violates a predefined triggering condition is transmitted in the shared communication channels. Considering that the premise variables of the plant in the form of T-S fuzzy representation are not synchronously available at the controller side, a novel approach to the piecewise state feedback controller design is proposed via some matrix inequality convexification techniques such that the closed-loop T-S fuzzy system is asymptotically stable with a guaranteed performance level. By introducing the Jensen inequality method, some cross products of two vectors are eliminated, which greatly facilitates the controller design procedure. Finally, some illustrative examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Golgi protein 73 (GP73, also referred to as Golph 2) with 400 amino acids is a 73 kDa transmembrane glycoprotein typically found in the cis‐Golg complex. It is primarily expressed in epithelial cells, which has been found upregulated in hepatocytes in patients suffering from both viral and non‐viral liver diseases. GP73 has drawn increasing attention for its potential application in the diagnosis of liver diseases such as hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Herein, we reviewed the discovery history of GP73 and summarized studies by many groups around the world, aiming at understanding its structure, expression, function, detection methods and the relationship between GP73 and liver diseases in various settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The incidence of hyperuricemia (HUA) at younger ages is increasing along the coastal regions of China. This study aimed to compare the frequency of dual energy CT (DECT) urate crystal deposition between symptomatic hyperuricemic children and asymptomatic hyperuricemic children., Material and Methods: Fifty-six hyperuricemic children were divided into a Joint Group ( n = 33) and an Asymptomatic Group ( n = 23) according to whether they had a history of arthritis symptoms, which includes rapid onset monoarthritis with intense pain and swelling. We analyzed DECT scans of their feet from the Joint Group and the Asymptomatic Group and compared their clinical features., Results: DECT urate deposits were observed in 28/33 (84.8%) children with symptomatic HUA and 14/23 (60.9%) with asymptomatic HUA. We found 60 areas of urate deposition in the Joint Group; DECT urate crystal deposition was most frequently observed in the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint (30.0%), ankle joint (15.0%), and calcaneus (13.3%). 39 urate deposits were found in the Asymptomatic Group; DECT urate crystal deposition was most frequently observed in the calcaneus (25.6%), the first MTP joint (17.9%), and the first phalanx (15.4%)., Conclusions: Urate deposition can occur in children with HUA, and these deposits occur more frequently in hyperuricemic children with a history of arthritis symptoms. Also, the urate deposition in the first MTP joint and calcaneus was more prevalent than in other joints. It is important to give more attention to hyperuricemic children., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © 2021 Termedia & Banach.)

Procedures for enrichment, isolation and purification of exosomes from complex biological samples are difficult, tedious, non-standardized, and require bulky instrumentation such as ultracentrifugation (UC). In this article, a simple method for isolating exosomes. Size-Selective Method (SSM) was established based on commercially available materials, and the UC and ExoQuick-TC kits (EQkit) methods were compared in terms of morphology, particle size, quantity, Western Blot (WB), and extraction time. Results showed that all three different exosome separation methods could obtain circular membranous vesicles, with a diameter of 30-110 nm. There were more non-exosome components in the samples extracted by SSM, such as large microvesicles, with a lower purity. UC obtained a large number of exosomes with a higher purity, but it required an ultracentrifuge, costed much time and had low yield. Both EQkit and SSM were easy to operate, but EQkit tended to aggregate exosomes and consume much time. WB results showed that exosomes extracted by all the three methods expressed CD63 protein. The SSM had the highest CD63 protein content and at the same protein concentration. The above evidences showed that SSM was fast and had high recovery, low cost and high protein concentration, but had more non-exosome protein components, which can be a choice for exosome separation.

Golgi protein 73 (GP73) is an independent diagnostic indicator of cirrhosis. However, it lacks automatic detection techniques to meet the large-scale clinical requirement in physical examination. In this paper, an automatic approach was established based on the ACL2800 automatic chemiluminescent analyzer, using magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and chemiluminescence. This method depended on sandwich strategy among biotin-labeled capture monoclonal antibody, target GP73 and acridinium ester (AE)-labeled reporter monoclonal antibody, conjugation of streptavidin-labeled MNPs to biotin-labeled capture monoclonal antibody, and chemiluminescent detection of AE-linked targets. Optimal conditions were investigated and clinical assessment was processed. Detection of GP73 demonstrated a high sensitivity of 1.19 ng/mL with a wide range from 1.34 ng/mL to 684.38 ng/mL. The quantitative detection was achieved with the repeatability of 2.69%, the coefficient of variation of 3.55% and the percent recovery of 93.46%-107.82%. Therefore, an automatic quantitative detection method was successfully developed, which was a potential screening method in physical examination.

Purposes: The aim of this study was to investigate the serum levels and clinical significance of interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and IL-6 in children with hyperuricemia (HUA)., Methods: We included 71 children with HUA and 71 children with no HUA as control subjects. Children with HUA were divided into groups I and II according to whether they had a history of acute gout-like attacks (including sudden monoarthritis of rapid onset with intense pain and swelling). Group I was examined twice (A, in the acute phase; B, in the remission phase). Serum IL-1β and IL-6 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay., Results: Serum IL-1β and IL-6 levels were increased in children with HUA and were overall statistically different from the control group (P < 0.05, respectively). Serum IL-1β and IL-6 were significantly higher in group IA in comparison with group IB, group II, and control subjects (P < 0.05, respectively), as well as in groups IB and II compared with control subjects (P < 0.05, respectively). In group IB, the serum IL-1β and IL-6 concentrations were higher than those in group II, but there were no statistical differences (P > 0.05). In addition, in children with HUA, serum IL-1β and IL-6 levels were positively associated with white blood cell count, neutrophil count, monocyte count, uric acid levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, blood urea nitrogen, and serum creatinine levels (all P < 0.05), but were not associated with triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (all P > 0.05)., Conclusion: IL-1β and IL-6 levels are increased in children with hyperuricemia, even if they have not had acute gout. Further studies are necessary to fully characterize the significance of IL-1β and IL-6 found in HUA children, and whether they could be correlated with long-term prognosis.

Purposes: The aims of this study were to investigate urinary macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) levels and their clinical significance in Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) children with or without nephritis (N) and to assess the influence of steroid treatment on the urine MIF levels of HSPN patients., Methods: Group I comprised 35 children with HSPN who were examined twice (A before treatment and B after steroid treatment). Group II comprised 41 children with HSP. The control group included 32 healthy children. Urinary MIF levels were measured via enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The levels of serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, urinary microalbumin (mAlb), and 24-hour proteinuria were performed to determine their associations with MIF levels., Results: Urinary MIF levels were significantly higher in group I compared with group II and the control group (P < 0.01); however, no significant difference was found between group II and the control group (P > 0.05). Upon examination, albeit urinary MIF concentration was significantly lower in group IB compared with group IA (P < 0.05), these concentrations were statistically higher than that of group II (P < 0.05). In addition, in the HSPN patients, the urinary MIF was positively associated with urinary microalbumin and 24-hour proteinuria but no association with serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen., Conclusions: Elevated urinary MIF levels were found to be correlated with proteinuria in pediatric HSPN. An obvious decrease in urinary MIF concentrations among the children with HSPN was associated with steroid treatment. Urinary MIF can be used as a noninvasive biomarker in pediatric HSPN.