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Electrochemical synthesis serves as a green and efficient method with great application potential. However, it has not been extensively applied in the synthesis of energetic materials. Nitrogen-rich heterocyclic compounds, as a new generation of energetic materials, enjoy advantages such as eco-friendliness, high energy output, and excellent safety performance. This study reports the electrochemical cathodic synthesis of copper nitrotriazole [Cu(NTz)2] using copper chloride and 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazole as a reaction substrate and triethylamine as a deprotonation agent. The obtained Cu(NTz)2 comprises uniform spherical particles of nano lamellae. As the dosage of triethylamine increased from 50 μL to 150 μL, Cu(NTz)2 gradually grew into compact solid spherical particles, significantly increasing the energy output. Notably, the heat release increased from 711 J g−1 to 1301 J g−1, accompanied by a significant positive elevation of ignition performance and peak combustion pressure in the process of confined combustion. This greatly boosted the energetic performance of Cu(NTz)2. Moreover, Cu(NTz)2 demonstrates insensitivity to electrostatic discharge (E50＞225 mJ) and friction (FS＞360 N), suggesting excellent safety performance. Owing to its outstanding energetic and safety performance, Cu(NTz)2 boasts great potential for application as pyrotechnic compositions, including military gas-producing and incendiary agents. Moreover, it has been corroborated that Cu(NTz)2 can be applied as a micro ignitor.

This study reports the simulation and experiments of a MEMS-based igniter for a semiconductor bridge (SCB), which is fabricated using complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology. The finite-element method was first employed to simulate the ultrafast temperature response of the ignition process of SCB under conditions of an electro-exploding ignition, electro-thermal ignition, and no-ignition and to conduct a capacitor discharge stimulation. The recorded voltage from an oscilloscope was used as the initial condition, and conductivity values based on experimental data were taken as a key parameter for the polysilicon material to ensure the accuracy of the heat source loaded into the model. Under the electro-exploding ignition, the SCB was initially ignited at the sharp corners at the valley of the first voltage peak instead of the secondary peak. The maximum temperature of the SCB was no more than the melting point of the polysilicon material (except for the sharp corners) and only at 1369 ​K under the electro-thermal ignition and no-ignition conditions, respectively. The optical testing and ablation results of the bridge area demonstrate that the numerically simulated temperature is quite accurate. This method can be easily extended to other MEMS-based igniters for temperature prediction applications.

Objective. To investigate the association between β1 adrenergic receptor autoantibodies (β1-AA) and angiotensin II type-1 receptor autoantibodies (AT1-AA) and cardiac function in patients with hypertension complicated with left ventricular diastolic function limitation. Methods. A total of 120 patients with essential hypertension who were not taking drug treatment and were hospitalised in the Department of Cardiology at the authors’ hospital from April 2018 to December 2018 were enrolled in this study and divided into a diastolic dysfunction group (65 cases) and a normal diastolic group (55 cases) according to their left ventricular diastolic function. The levels of cardiac parameters, β1-AA, AT1-AA, and other indicators were compared. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyse the related factors affecting left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD). The diagnostic efficacy of related factors in the diagnosis of diastolic dysfunction was evaluated. Results. Univariate analysis demonstrated that the left ventricular posterior wall diameter (10.29±1.23 vs. 9.12±1.53), left ventricular systolic dysfunction (10.56±1.37 vs. 9.43±1.44), systolic blood pressure (152.37±10.24 vs. 140.33±5.99), diastolic blood pressure (95.66±6.34 vs. 87.33±7.28), β1-AA (33 vs. 9 cases), and AT1-AA (35 cases vs. 12 cases) were higher in the dysfunction group than in the control group (all P

Previous studies have mainly focused on changes in soil physical and chemical properties to evaluate the reclamation of sodic soils using flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum. However, information on the effects of this reclamation method on microbial-based indicators of soil quality is limited, particularly after many years of FGD gypsum application. This study aimed to investigate the long-term effects of FGD gypsum on soil organic carbon (SOC), nutrients, microbial biomass and enzyme activity. Data were collected from soils of three exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) classes (i.e., low-, middle- and high-ESP classes of 6.1–20, 20–30 and 30–78.4%, respectively) 17 years after FGD gypsum treatment in Inner Mongolia, China. Averaged across the three ESP classes, FGD gypsum application increased the SOC contents at the 0–20 and 20–40-cm soil depths by 18 and 35%, respectively, and increased available potassium at the 0–20-cm soil depth by 51% compared with the no-gypsum controls. The microbial biomass carbon and microbial biomass nitrogen contents at the 20–40-cm soil depth increased by 69 and 194%, respectively, under FGD gypsum. Except in the high-ESP class, urease activities in the 0–40 cm soil profile were significantly higher in the FGD gypsum treatments than in the controls. A significant increase in alkaline phosphatase activity was concentrated in the 20–40 cm soil layer; few classes showed significant increases in catalase and invertase activities in the 0–20 cm soil layer. Pearson correlation analysis showed that increases in soil fertility and biological activity could be attributed to reductions in electrical conductivity, pH and ESP caused by FGD gypsum application. These results confirm that FGD gypsum application is a viable strategy for reclaiming sodic soils due to its positive effects on soil fertility and biochemistry and that it may contribute to soil ecosystem sustainability.

Abstract. Background:. Geriatric hip fracture patients receiving clopidogrel are a surgical challenge. In China, most of these patients undergo delayed surgical treatment after clopidogrel withdrawal for at least 5 to 7 days. However, delayed surgery is associated with increased complications and mortality in the older adults. This retrospective paralleled comparison study investigated the safety of early surgery for geriatric hip fracture patients within 5 days of clopidogrel withdrawal. Methods:. Acute hip fracture patients (≥65 years) who were hospitalized in the orthogeriatric co-management ward of Beijing Jishuitan Hospital between November 2016 and April 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Sixty patients taking clopidogrel before injury and discontinued 0.050). The percentages of patients with coronary heart disease (61.7% vs. 18.3%; P 0.050). There was no significant difference in perioperative complications, and 30-day and 1-year mortality rates between the groups. Conclusions:. Early hip fracture surgery is safe for elderly patients within 5 days of clopidogrel withdrawal, without increased perioperative blood loss, transfusion requirement, complications, and mortality compared with patients not taking antiplatelet drugs.

The large energy release potential and highly adjustable combustion characteristics of nanostructured silicon compounded with sodium perchlorate (NaClO4) make it one of the most attractive inorganic energetic materials. Compared with nanoporous silicon, the silicon nanowires prepared by metal-assisted chemical etching are easily loaded with NaClO4 to obtain energetic materials, due to their one-dimensional array structure and tight contact with the silicon substrate. However, the high hygroscopicity of NaClO4 greatly degrades the long-term storage property of the material, and must be addressed. In this study, sulfur, as a known stable and non-hygroscopic oxidant that reacts with nanostructured silicon, was impregnated on the silicon nanowires/NaClO4 energetic material to insulate NaClO4 from H2O in the ambient air. After sulfur impregnation, the mass of the sample increased by 8.7 ​mg after being exposed to 98% relative humidity at 25 ​°C for 12 ​h, while the sample without sulfur increased by 50 ​mg, indicating significant improvement in the hygrophobicity of the sulfur-containing energetic material. Laser ignition experiments showed that the combustion performance was only slightly affected after sulfur treatment. This work provides a new strategy for improving the hygrophobicity of silicon-based energetic materials, which can improve their applicability in micro-electromechanical systems.

Abstract Polymer dielectric capacitors are widely utilized in pulse power devices owing to their high power density. Because of the low dielectric constants of pure polymers, inorganic fillers are needed to improve their properties. The size and dielectric properties of fillers will affect the dielectric breakdown of polymer‐based composites. However, the effect of fillers on breakdown strength cannot be completely obtained through experiments alone. In this paper, three of the most important variables affecting the breakdown strength of polymer‐based composites are considered: the filler dielectric constants, filler sizes, and filler contents. High‐throughput stochastic breakdown simulation is performed on 504 groups of data, and the simulation results are used as the machine learning database to obtain the breakdown strength prediction of polymer‐based composites. Combined with the classical dielectric prediction formula, the energy storage density prediction of polymer‐based composites is obtained. The accuracy of the prediction is verified by the directional experiments, including dielectric constant and breakdown strength. This work provides insight into the design and fabrication of polymer‐based composites with high energy density for capacitive energy storage applications.

Abstract Background Optimal balance control is of paramount importance for function recovery after total joint arthroplasty (TJA). The study objective of this meta-analysis was to assess the short- and mid-term effects of proprioceptive and balance training for patients undergoing TJA. Methods Electronic searches were conducted from PubMed, Cochrane library, and Embase databases to identify eligible RCTs through May 2020. Standard mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was applied to calculate pooled effect estimates between proprioceptive and balance training and control group. Main outcomes were self-reported functionality, balance, pain, quality of life, and function (range of motion). Results Seven randomized controlled trials were finally included in this meta-analysis. Pooled results found that balance and proprioceptive trainings have a positive role in improving self-reported functionality at short-term after TJA. Moreover, balance and proprioceptive trainings were associated with an increase of the balance at short- and mid-term after TJA. These results were further confirmed by subgroup analysis between preoperative and postoperative administration of balance and proprioceptive trainings. Conclusion Our meta-analysis suggests that balance and proprioceptive trainings after TJA improved self-reported functionality and balance. These improvements were maintained at mid-terms. More research is needed to confirm balance and proprioceptive trainings for pain and quality of life for TJA.

PurposeThe social support theory suggested that involving older people in social activities could increase their level of social participation and interaction, which in turn improved their well-being. However, there has been a heated controversy about whether participating in volunteer services could enhance the well-being of older people, especially for the Chinese sample.MethodBased on the data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2013, this paper used an ordered probit model to examine the impact of older people's participation in volunteer services on their well-being, as well as the differences in the impact across groups and the specific transmission mechanism.ResultThe empirical study found that Chinese older people's participation in volunteerism significantly enhanced their well-being, which remained robust after eliminating the possible effects of self-selection. Further heterogeneity analysis revealed that for female, non-party members and older adults with good economic status, participation in volunteerism has a higher increase in well-being. The mediating effect test indicated that older people's participation in volunteerism affected well-being mainly through enhancing positive emotions.ConclusionIt is necessary to promote the participation of older people in volunteer services and to clarify the role of government support and advocacy. Proper guidance is given to change the role of older people as care recipients to that of service providers and caregivers, and to continuously enrich the programmes and content of volunteer service to safeguard the well-being of older people.

There is little literature on the impact of donation on individual wellbeing in China. This study examines individual donations in China to answer the question of whether helping others makes us happier and to provide policy implications for in Chinese context. Based on the 2012 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) data and using ordered logit and OLS as benchmark models, this study finds that donation can significantly increase individual happiness. After using propensity score matching (PSM) to eliminate the possible impact of self-selection, the above conclusion remains robust. After a sub-sample discussion, it is found that this effect is more pronounced under completely voluntary donation behavior, and is not affected by economic factors, indicating that the happiness effect of donation does not vary significantly depending on the individual’s economic status. This study contributes to the literature on donation behavior by examining the impact of donation behavior on donors’ subjective happiness in China, and further identifies subjective happiness differences, as between voluntary and involuntary donations, thereby providing theoretical and empirical support for the formulation of policies for the development of donation institutions in China.

To reduce excessive vibration of a turboprop engine with qualified balanced compressor and turbine rotor, the finite element model of the rotor system was established. The magnitude, axial distribution and especially the phase combinations of the residual unbalances were considered and optimized. Based on the numerical results, the whole engine tests were conducted for verification. The numerical and experimental results show that the vibration level of the rotor system can be significantly reduced by only changing the phase combination of the residual unbalances. The magnitude, axial distribution of residual unbalance and rotational speed of the rotor play a very important role in determining the optimal phase combination. The optimal phase combination under different rotational speeds might be conflicting, and reasonably designed optimization would be a feasible solution. The findings of the research can provide important reference for the design and troubleshooting for similar industrial turbine engines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The relationship between different puncture points and perioperative complications and length of stay in hospital (LOS) in SCCAG patients has rarely been reported. Aim: To compare the curative effect and safety of the transradial artery approach and the transfemoral artery approach in combined heart-brain angiography. Material and methods: 120 patients who received combined cardio-cerebral angiography in our hospital were selected and divided into a transradial artery approach group (TRA) and a transfemoral artery approach group (TFA) according to a random number table. The postoperative efficacy and safety of the 2 groups were compared. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in puncture time and operation time between the 2 groups (p > 0.05). Postoperative bed rest time, hospitalization time, and X-ray exposure time in the TRA group were shorter than those in the TFA group, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Before operation and 3 days after operation, there was no significant difference in left ventricle ejection fraction between the 2 groups (p > 0. 05). The overall incidence of complications in the TFA group was higher than that in the TRA group. The incidence between haematoma and pseudoaneurysm in the TFA group was higher, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusions: For simultaneous heart-brain angiography, interventional therapy via radial artery and femoral artery has good curative effect and can improve cardiac function. However, interventional therapy through the radial artery can shorten the postoperative bed rest time and hospitalization time, and reduce the incidence of complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Aim Cervical cancer is a common malignant carcinoma of the gynecological tract with high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, it is crucial to elucidate the pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and prognosis of cervical cancer by searching for the involved key genes. Method In this study, the alternative splicing (AS) events of 253 patients with cervical cancer were analyzed, and 41,766 AS events were detected in 9961 genes. Univariate analysis was performed to screen prognostic AS events. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis was used to identify the pathways in which these AS events were involved. Results We found that exon skip (ES) is the main AS event in patients with cervical cancer. There was pronounced consistency between the genes involved in overall survival and those involved in recurrence. At the same time, we found that a gene may exhibit several different types of AS events, and these different AS events may be related to prognosis. Four characteristic genes, HSPA14, SDHAF2, CAMKK2 and TM9SF1, that can be used as prognostic markers for cervical cancer were selected. Conclusion: The importance of AS events in the development of cervical cancer and prediction of prognosis was revealed by a large amount of data at the whole genome level, which may provide a potential target for cervical cancer treatment. We also provide a new method for exploring the pathogenesis of cervical cancer to determine clinical treatment and prognosis more accurately.

Exercising was reported by several studies to bring great benefits to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), which reduced the hospitalization and the mortality of heart failure. However, the underlying mechanism of exercising on HFpEF remains unclear. In the present study, we designed and constructed a device that can perform early passive leg movement (ePLM) in rats and further observed whether treatment of ePLM exerts protective effects on HFpEF of rats. Rats were fed with high salt feed to establish an animal model of pre-clinical diastolic dysfunction (PDD), which would eventually develop into HFpEF, and then treated rats with ePLM. We conducted several experiments to evaluate the conditions of heart and blood vessel. The results show that diastolic functions of heart and blood vessel in rats were significantly improved by treatment of ePLM. We also found that pathological injuries of heart and blood vessel were ameliorated after treatment of ePLM. Moreover, treatment of ePLM decreased the protein levels of Collagen type I, Collagen type III, MMP2, and MMP9 in heart and blood vessel, indicating that cardiac and vascular fibrosis were reduced apparently by treatment of ePLM. Further investigation suggested that treatment of ePLM probably inhibit the activation of TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway as well as promote the activation of Akt/eNOS signaling pathway in high salt diet induced HFpEF. In conclusion, treatment of ePLM alleviated high salt diet induced HFpEF by inhibiting fibrosis via suppressing TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway as well as activating Akt/eNOS signaling pathway, implicating treatment of ePLM as a promising novel non-pharmacological approach for HFpEF.

Obesity is a metabolic condition associated with multiple health problems such as endocrine and metabolic dysfunction and chronic inflammation in adipose tissues. In this study, the ADSCs could be stimulated to differentiate into brown adipocyte with rosiglitazone treatment based on the Oil-Red-O staining trial. Furthermore, the multilocular lipid droplets located in the center was increased in differentiated brown adipocytes, and brown fat-associated proteins, UCP1, PPAR-γ, and LPL were highly expressed in brown adipocytes differentiated from ADSCs. Additionally, the results of animal experiments showed that both weight and amount of VLDL and LDL were decreased in the serum of obese mice after transplantation of rosiglitazone-induced brown adipocytes, while the level of HDL increased. Moreover, the proteins associated with lipid metabolism, LPA and UCP1, were downregulated, and the inflammatory response was suppressed through inhibition of the ITGAM/NF-κB-mediated proinflammatory responses and polarization of M2 macrophages. Similarly, the amounts of proinflammatory cytokines, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β were decreased after rosiglitazone-induced brown adipocyte transplantation. On the contrary, anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was significantly increased in both groups of obese mice, with or without brown adipocyte transplantation. Therefore, the adipose-derived stromal cells with induced browning could promote lipid consumption and alternative polarization of M2 macrophages to attenuate adipose inflammation in obesity mouse models, which thus provides a potential therapy for obesity.

Objective This study aims to reveal the regulation network of lncRNAs-miRNAs-mRNA in endometrial carcinoma (EC), to investigate the underlying mechanisms of EC occurrence and progression, to screen prognostic biomarkers. Methods RNA-seq and miRNA-seq data of endometrial carcinoma were downloaded from the TCGA database. Edge.R package was used to screen differentially expressed genes. A database was searched to determine differentially expressed lncRNA-miRNA and miRNA-mRNA pairs, to construct the topological network of ceRNA, and to elucidate the key RNAs that are for a prognosis of survival. Results We screened out 2632 mRNAs, 1178 lncRNAs and 189 miRNAs that were differentially expressed. The constructed ceRNA network included 97 lncRNAs, 20 miRNAs and 73 mRNAs. Analyzing network genes for associations with prognosies revealed 169 prognosis-associated RNAs, including 92 lncRNAs, 16miRNAs and 61 mRNAs. Conclusion Our results reveal new potential mechanisms underlying the carcinogenesis and progression of endometrial carcinoma.

Calcium signal plays an important role in a variety of cancer cell metabolism, but knowledge on its role in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is limited. Store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) is the principal Ca2+ entry mechanism that maintains calcium concentration and produces calcium signal in non-excitable cells. SOCE is triggered by stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1), which is located in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) as Ca2+ sensor. Although, many studies demonstrated that STIM1 and SOCE play important functions in the regulation of many cancer progressions, their clinical relevance in HNSCC remains unclear. In this study, STIM1 expression levels notably increased in 89% HNSCC tissues compared with those in adjacent normal tissues. Meanwhile, this overexpression was close associated with tumor size but not with neck lymph node metastasis. Thus, this study mainly focuses on STIM1 function in HNSCC tumor growth. Three HNSCC cell lines, namely, TSCCA (oral cancer cell line) and Hep2 (laryngeal cell line) with high STIM1 expression levels and Tb3.1 (oral cancer cell line) with STIM1 expression level lower than previous two cell lines, were selected for in vitro study. Downregulated STIM1 expression levels in TSCCA and Hep2 arrested cells in G0/G1 stages, promoted cell apoptosis, and inhibited cell proliferation. By contrast, upregulated STIM1 expression in Tb3.1 inhibited cell apoptosis and promoted cell proliferation. Induced by thapsigargin (TG), ER stress was amplified when STIM1 expression was downregulated but was attenuated as STIM1 expression was upregulated. Furthermore, TSCCA cell xenograft models confirmed that STIM1 could promote HNSCC tumor growth in vivo. The present study provides new insight into HNSCC molecular mechanism and potential therapeutic target through targeting SOCE-dependent process. However, whether STIM1 participates in HNSCC metastasis requires further study.

OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to examine the association between negative life events (NLEs) and attempted suicide in rural China. METHODS:Six rural counties were selected from disease surveillance points in Shandong province, China. A total of 409 suicide attempters in rural areas between October 1, 2009, and March 31, 2011, and an equal number of matched controls were interviewed. We compared negative life events experienced within 1 month, 1-3 months, 3-6 months, and 6-2 months prior to attempted suicide for cases and prior to interview for controls. We used multivariate logistic regression to examine the association between NLEs and attempted suicide. RESULTS:Suicide attempters experienced more NLEs within the last year prior to suicide attempt than controls prior to interview (83.1% vs. 33.5%). There was a significant dose-response relationship between NLEs experienced within the last year and increased risk of attempted suicide. Timing of NLEs analysis showed that NLEs experienced in the last month and 6-12 months prior to suicide attempt were significantly associated with elevated risk of attempted suicide, even after adjusting for mental disorders and demographic factors. Of NLEs, quarrelling with spouse, quarrelling with other family members, conflicting with friends or neighbors, family financial difficulty, and serious illness were independently related to attempted suicide. CONCLUSION:NLEs are significantly associated with increased risk for attempted suicide in rural China. Stress management and intervention may be important to prevent suicidal behavior in rural China.

BACKGROUND: Antinuclear antibodies (ANA), smooth muscle antibodies (SMA) and antibodies to a soluble liver antigen/liver pancreas (anti-SLA/LP) are useful markers that can help clinicians to diagnose and classify autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). OBJECTIVES: To determine whether ANA, SMA and anti-SLA/LP help to accurately diagnose patients with AIH. SEARCH STRATEGY: The PubMed, CNKI, WANFANG, and SinoMed databases were accessed to retrieve studies published in English and Chinese. Studies published up to October 2013 were reviewed. SELECTION CRITERIA: Studies on the diagnostic value of ANA, SMA or anti-SLA/LP in the diagnosis of known or suspected AIH were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors evaluated studies independently and rated their methodological quality using quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies (QUADAS) tools; relevant data were abstracted. The random-effects method was used to summarize sensitivities, specificities, positive and negative likelihood ratios, and diagnostic odds ratios (DORs) from all 29 studies. RESULTS: The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, and DOR for ANA were 0.650 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.619 to 0.680), 0.751 (95%CI, 0.737 to 0.764), 3.030 (95%CI, 2.349 to 3.910), 0.464 (95%CI, 0.356 to 0.604), and 7.380 (95%CI, 4.344 to 12.539), respectively. For SMA, the values were 0.593 (95%CI, 0.564 to 0.621), 0.926 (95%CI, 0.917 to 0.934), 11.740 (95%CI, 7.379 to 18.678), 0.449 (95%CI, 0.367 to 0.549), and 31.553 (95%CI, 17.147 to 58.060), respectively. Finally, for anti-SLA/LP, the values were 0.194 (95%CI, 0.168 to 0.222), 0.989 (95%CI, 0.985 to 0.993), 11.089 (95%CI, 7.601 to 16.177), 0.839 (95%CI, 0.777 to 0.905), and 16.867 (95%CI, 10.956 to 25.967), respectively. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: ANA provided moderate sensitivity and specificity, while SMA gave moderate sensitivity and high specificity, and anti-SLA/LP exhibited low sensitivity and high specificity. All three antibodies were limited by their unsatisfactory sensitivities and lack of consistency.

Background As a novel adipokine, CTRP3 involves in various functions of energy metabolism. Recent advance reveals a complex interaction between bone and adipose tissue via the secretion of adipokines. Aims A hospital-based case-control study was conducted to investigate the role of serum CTRP3 in osteoporosis among postmenopausal women. Methods Serum levels of CTRP3 and osteocalcin were measured. Bone mineral density (BMD) was obtained on femoral neck and lumbar spines by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Results Serum CTRP3 level was lower in subjects with osteoporosis (76.7 ± 22.1 ng/ml) than it in controls (89.4 ± 22.5 ng/ml) (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, the frequency of osteoporosis presented a significant decrease (66.4%, 53.9% and 35.9%, P < 0.001), in the tertiles of serum CTRP3. Furthermore, serum CTRP3 witnessed an association with a lower risk of osteoporosis (adjusted odds ratio = 0.973, 95% confidence interval [0.963-0.983], P < 0.001). Lastly, serum CTRP3 level was positively correlated with femoral BMD (r = 0.403, P < 0.001), lumbar BMD (r = 0.368, P < 0.001), and HDL-C (r = 0.118, P = 0.022), among all participants after adjustment. Meanwhile, CTRP3 presented negative correlations with HOMA-IR (r = - 0.136, P = 0.008) and insulin (r = - 0.192, P < 0.001). Conclusions It shows that a decreased serum level of CTRP3 was independently associated with osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To realize simultaneous and rapid analysis of the intracellular polymer during denitrifying phosphorus removal, near infrared spectroscopy and BP neutral network algorithm are used to established the analytical models (BP neutral network calibration models) of the poly-P-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), poly-phosphate (Poly-P) and glycogen (Gly). After the stability of denitrifying phosphorus removal process, 100 samples were used to establish BP neutral net-work calibration models, and 40 samples were used to test the performance of the established models. Multiple scatter correction was used as a spectral preprocessing method. The preprocessing results showed that multiple scatter correction can effectively eliminate the baseline shift and migration of near infrared spectra that result from scattering, and the signal-to-noise ratio of near infrared spectral data is improved. preprocessed spectral data were used to establish the BP neutral network calibration models of PHB, Poly-P and Gly. The BP neutral network calibration models of PHB, Poly-P and Gly showed that the correlation coefficients (rc) were respectively 0.9840, 0.9473 and 0.9283, with the root mean square errors of cross validation (RMSECV) being 0.0051, 0.0057 and 0.0063 respectively. In addition, the test results of the BP neutral network calibration models of PHB, Poly-P and Gly indicated that the correlation coefficient (rp) were respectively 0.9789, 0.9291, 0.9182, with the root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) being 0.0057, 0.0073 and 0.0080. It showed that BP neutral network calibration models can better analyze PHB, Poly-P and Gly during denitrifying phosphorus removal. The research suggests that near infrared spectroscopy and BP neutral network algorithm may provide a simultaneous and rapid analysis of intracellular polymer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a design and systematic numerical study of an amorphous Si/metal plasmonic solar cell structure for the total ratio of light trapping at visible frequencies. The proposed plasmonic structure consists of periodic metallic grating arrays on the side of semiconductor active layer of solar cell. The total ratio of light trapping of 3.48 can be achieved, which attributes to the localized surface plasmon generated from the metallic grating enhancing light absorption in the active region. The influence of the geometry parameters and conductor material on the total ratio of light trapping for the plasmonic solar cell has been also investigated. The results can be used for the practical device design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In this study, using a meta-analysis approach, we examined the correlation between serum levels of lysophosphastidic acid (LPA) and ovarian cancer (OC). Methods: Relevant published studies were identified from multiple scientific literature databases by using a pre-determined electronic and manual search strategy. The search results were screened through a multi-step process to select high-quality case-control studies suitable for the present meta-analysis. Mean values and standardized mean differences (SMD) were calculated for plasma LPA levels. Two investigators independently extracted the data from the studies and performed data analysis using STATA software version 12.0 (Stata Corp, College Station, TX, USA). Results: Nineteen case-control studies met our selection criteria and contained a total of 980 OC patients, 872 benign controls and 668 healthy controls. Our meta-analysis results revealed that the plasma levels of LPA in OC patients were significantly higher than benign controls (SMD = 2.36, 95 % CI: 1.61-3.10, P <0.001) and healthy controls (SMD = 2.32, 95 % CI: 1.77-2.87, P <0.001). Subgroup analysis by ethnicity showed that the plasma LPA levels in OC patients were significantly higher than the benign controls only in Asian populations (SMD = 2.52, 95 % CI: 1.79-3.25, P <0.001). However, a comparison between healthy controls and OC patients revealed that, in both Asians and Caucasians, the OC patients displayed significantly higher plasma LPA levels compared to healthy controls (all P <0.05). Conclusion: Our meta-analysis showed strong evidence that a significantly higher plasma LPA levels are present in OC patients, compared to benign controls and healthy controls, and plasma LPA levels may be used as a biomarker or target of OC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]