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PURPOSE: To compare image quality, iodine intake, and radiation dose in overweight and obese patients undergoing abdominal computed tomography (CT) enhancement using different scanning modes and contrast medium. METHODS: Ninety overweight and obese patients (25 kg/m2≤body mass index (BMI)< 30 kg/m2 and BMI≥30 kg/m2) who underwent abdominal CT-enhanced examinations were randomized into three groups (A, B, and C) of 30 each and scanned using gemstone spectral imaging (GSI) +320 mgI/ml, 100 kVp + 370 mgI/ml, and 120 kVp + 370 mgI/ml, respectively. Reconstruct monochromatic energy images of group A at 50–70 keV (5 keV interval). The iodine intake and radiation dose of each group were recorded and calculated. The CT values, contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs), and subjective scores of each subgroup image in group A versus images in groups B and C were by using one-way analysis of variance or Kruskal–Wallis H test, and the optimal keV of group A was selected. RESULTS: The dual-phase CT values and CNRs of each part in group A were higher than or similar to those in groups B and C at 50–60 keV, and similar to or lower than those in groups B and C at 65 keV and 70 keV. The subjective scores of the dual-phase images in group A were lower than those of groups B and C at 50 keV and 55 keV, whereas no significant difference was seen at 60–70 keV. Compared to groups B and C, the iodine intake in group A decreased by 12.5% and 13.3%, respectively. The effective doses in groups A and B were 24.7% and 25.8% lower than those in group C, respectively. CONCLUSION: GSI +320 mgI/ml for abdominal CT-enhanced in overweight patients satisfies image quality while reducing iodine intake and radiation dose, and the optimal keV was 60 keV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clinical data are limited in patients with vitiligo with or without autoimmune thyroid disease. Objectives: The objective of the study was to investigate the clinical features and basic data of patients with vitiligo, especially those with autoimmune thyroid disease. Methods: The study was a single‐center retrospective study. A total of 1305 patients with vitiligo from June 2018 to May 2023 were included, and the clinical characteristics and basic information of the patients were recorded in detail. Results: We identified an association between sex (odds ratio [OR]: 2.380; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.772–1.198), vitiligo duration (OR: 1.449; 95% CI: 1.076–1.952), skin involvement exceeding 5% of the body surface area (OR: 3.764; 95% CI: 2.134–6.640), negative emotions (OR: 3.076; 95% CI: 2.292–4.127), vitiligo type (OR: 1.974; 95% CI: 1.096–3.555), family history of AITD (OR: 4.979; 95% CI: 2.687–9.225), and family history of AD (OR: 2.418; 95% CI: 1.410–4.146) and patients with vitiligo. Conclusions: For patients with statistically significant associated risk factors, differential diagnosis and early intervention should be performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calf diarrhea is one of the main diseases affecting the growth and development of calves. Factors that cause diarrhea in calves include bacterial, viral, parasitic, and non-infectious factors. Bacterial diarrhea is one of the common causes of diarrhea in calves, and its mechanism is mainly due to the proliferation of bacteria after entering the intestine, destroying the balance of intestinal flora, and then causing serious damage to the intestinal mucosal barrier of calves. Chinese herbal medicine has the effect of regulating the intestinal flora, enhancing immune function, and reducing the diarrhea rate of calves. This article reviews the etiology of calf diarrhea and the research progress of Chinese herbal medicine treatment, so as to provide a reference for the clinical treatment of calf diarrhea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Large yellow croaker is highly perishable during storage because of high protein and moisture content. The degradation of the fish is mainly attributed to microbial growth and enzyme activity, so it is important to find an efficient storage method to extend its shelf life. Methodology: This study investigated the effect of a low‐voltage electrostatic field combined with partial freezing treatment on the physicochemical properties of myofibrillar protein (MP) and metabolomic analysis of large yellow croaker during preservation. The samples in chilled storage (C), partial freezing storage (PF) and 6 kV/m low‐voltage electrostatic field partial freezing storage (LVEF‐PF) were analyzed during an 18 day storage period. Results: In comparison with the C and PF groups, LVEF‐PF delayed the oxidation of MP by inhibiting the formation of carbonyl groups (2.25 nmol/mg pro), and maintaining higher sulfhydryl content (29.73 nmol/mg pro). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy analysis also demonstrated that the LVEF‐PF treatment maintained the stability of the protein structure by increasing the a‐helix ratio (19.88%) and reducing the random coil ratio (17.83%). Scanning electron microscopy showed that, compared with the LVEF‐PF group, there was more degeneration and aggregation of MP in the C and PF groups after 18 days' storage. The results of untargeted metabolomic analysis showed that 415 kinds of differential metabolites were identified after storage, and the difference levels of differential metabolites were least between the samples treated with LVEF‐PF stored on the ninth day and the fresh samples. The main differential metabolic pathways during storage were amino acid metabolism and lipid metabolism. Conclusion: The LVEF‐PF treatment could maintain the stability of myofibrillar protein in large yellow croaker during storage. These results showed a potential application of the LVEF‐PF method for aquatic product preservation. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fused deposition modeling 3D printing can quickly manufacture parts and models with complex cavities using the layer-by-layer accumulation method, but the parts are prone to surface defects and dimensional errors in this manufacturing method. In order to solve the problem of rib drawing on the bottom surface of the overhang part during the printing process of the part, the cylindricity of the overhang part of the printed part was measured by adding a dense layer in the pre-treatment and the method of chemical solution polishing in the post-treatment, and the cylindricity measured by the direct printing part was taken as the benchmark. The results show that the cylindricity of the parts that have only been pre-treated is increased by 13.6% compared with the parts that have not been treated. The cylindricity of the post-treated parts was increased by 18.7% compared to the untreated parts. The cylindricity accuracy of the overhang part of the part obtained by combining pre-treatment and post-treatment is increased by 64.3%. The study verified that the combination of pre-treatment and post-treatment can effectively solve the tendon-like wire drawing in the overhang. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The winter cold stress of dairy cows has become one of the important problems affecting the healthy development of animal husbandry. Cold stress will lead to the decrease of feed intake, milk yield and reproductive performance of dairy cows, and seriously harm the economic benefits of dairy farmers. Inner Mongolia is located in a cold region, where animals are in a cold environment for a long time, and the impact of cold stress is more common. In order to more specifically understand the effects of cold stress on the production performance of dairy cows, the paper reviews the effects of cold stress on the behavior, milk yield, neuroendocrine, biochemical indexes, immune, antioxidant function, intestinal flora and other aspects of dairy cows, and summarizes the effective prevention and control measures to prevent cold stress of dairy cows, to provide reference for further research on the prevention and relief of cold stress in dairy cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Although previous studies have reported an association between multimorbidity and frailty, its direction and mechanism remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the direction of this association, as well as the role of depression among older Europeans. Methods We used a cross-lagged panel design to evaluate the temporal relationship between multimorbidity and frailty and the role of depression. Multimorbidity status was assessed by the self-reporting of 14 chronic diseases. Frailty was assessed based on the frailty phenotype. The European-Depression Scale (EURO-D) was used to assess depression. Results There was a bidirectional relationship between frailty and multimorbidity. More severe multimorbidity predicted greater frailty (β = 0.159; p  < .001) and vice versa (β = 0.107; p  < .001). All paths from multimorbidity to frailty were stronger than the paths from frailty to multimorbidity (b1–a1: β = 0.051; p  < .001). Likewise, early multimorbidity change was a significant predictive factor for late frailty change (β = 0.064; p  < .001) and vice versa (β = 0.048; p  < .001). Depression in Wave 5 (T5) mediated the association between frailty in Wave 4 (T4) and multimorbidity in Wave 6 (T6; indirect effect: β = 0.004; bootstrap 95% confidence interval: 0.003, 0.006). Conclusions A positive, bidirectional association was observed between multimorbidity and frailty. Depression may be a potential cause of an increased risk of multimorbidity later in life in frail older adults. Early monitoring of frailty and depression may slow the progression of multimorbidity, thereby interrupting the vicious cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oxide-carbonate composite electrolyte material with high ionic conductivity at low temperature has been thought that it can be used to develop LT-SOFC. However, the carbonate composite electrolyte is not easy to make it dense, especially mixing and packing oxide and carbonate to fabricate the composite electrolyte simply. In this article, rare-earth-doped CeO2 (RDC) (R = La, Sm, Gd, and Gd + Y) series samples were prepared by wet ball-milling, then sintered into fully dense and porous oxide bulk at 1500–1600 °C and 1000 °C. Melted carbonate LNCO, composed of Li2CO3 and Na2CO3 at a molar ratio of 1:1, was combined with porous oxide bulk materials using a bath method at 500 °C for 10 h to prepare a dense carbonate-oxide composite electrolyte. The dense oxide-carbonate composite electrolyte always obtains by this fabrication process. Boiling water was used to remove carbonate from these composites. Lattice parameters were obtained through Rietveld refinement, and a calculation procedure for quantifying the composite density was proposed. The quantified composite density results were verified through scanning electron microscopy microstructure observations. The Ce valence in the RDC oxides and RDC-carbonate composite was analyzed by X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy to observe the effects of heat treatment temperature and carbonate on the Ce4+/Ce3+ mixed-valence state in doped CeO2.

Antler ossified tissue has been widely used for the extraction of bioactive peptides. In this study, collagen was prepared from antler ossified tissue via acetic acid and pepsin. Five different proteases were used to hydrolyze the collagen and the hydrolysate treated by neutrase (collagen peptide named ACP) showed the highest DPPH radical clearance rate. The extraction process of ACP was optimized by response surface methodology, and the optimal conditions were as follows: a temperature of 52 °C, a pH of 6.1, and an enzyme concentration of 3200 U/g, which resulted in the maximum DPPH clearance rate of 74.41 ± 0.48%. The peptides (ACP-3) with the strongest antioxidant activity were obtained after isolation and purification, and its DPPH free radical clearance rate was 90.58 ± 1.27%; at the same time, it exhibited good scavenging activity for ABTS, hydroxyl radical, and superoxide anion radical. The study investigated the protective effect of ACP-3 on oxidative damage in HaCaT cells. The findings revealed that all groups that received ACP-3 pretreatment exhibited increased activities of SOD, GSH-Px, and CAT compared to the model group. Furthermore, ACP-3 pretreatment reduced the levels of ROS and MDA in HaCaT cells subjected to H2O2-induced oxidative damage. These results suggest that collagen peptides derived from deer antler ossified tissue can effectively mitigate the oxidative damage caused by H2O2 in HaCaT cells, thereby providing a foundation for the utilization of collagen peptides in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of the ecological barrier and an essential element of food security, the agro-pastoral ecotone is vital in northern China. Since soil fertility in northern China is low due to frequent surface disturbances, it is necessary to improve the properties of the soil. This study aims to examine the impact of fungal residue return on soil properties based on six treatments (CK: 0 kg/40 m2; R3: 90 kg/40 m2; R5: 150 kg/40 m2; R7: 210 kg/40 m2; R9: 270 kg/40 m2; R11: 330 kg/40 m2;) of fungal residue return concentration experimental data from 0 to 30 cm soil depth. The results showed that the effect of fungal residue returning on soil habits was greater at 0–10 cm of the surface layer. The bulk density can be reduced to 25.83% of CK, and water content can be increased up to 26.26%. Adding fungal residue to the field led to a greater increase in soil parameters (SOM and AP), and this characteristic effect continued as the return concentration increased. The number of soil bacteria and actinomycetes remained stable, and the amount of fungi was at its lowest. Compared with CK, the number of bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes increased by 1.94 times, 1.46 times, and 1.71 times, respectively. After the residue was returned to the field, AK had the strongest correlation with other factors (p < 0.01), and microorganism and enzyme activities were strongly correlated (p < 0.01). In conclusion, this study presents a new method of resource utilization of downstream wastes in the food industry while simultaneously providing natural, pollution-free improvements to the soil, which is very beneficial to increasing crop yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]