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Current real-time direction judgment systems are inaccurate and insensitive, as well as limited by the sampling rate of analog-to-digital converters. To address this problem, we propose a dynamic real-time direction judgment system based on an integral dual-frequency laser interferometer and field-programmable gate array technology. The optoelectronic signals resulting from the introduction of a phase subdivision method based on the amplitude resolution of the laser interferometer when measuring displacement are analyzed. The proposed system integrates the optoelectronic signals to increase the accuracy of its direction judgments and ensures these direction judgments are made in real time by dynamically controlling the integration time. Several experiments were conducted to verify the performance of the proposed system. The results show that, compared with current real-time direction judgment systems, the proposed system makes accurate judgements during low-speed motions and can update directions within 0.125 cycles of the phase difference change at different speeds. Moreover, a sweep frequency experiment confirmed the system's ability to effectively judge dynamic directions. The proposed system is capable of accurate and real-time directional judgment during low-speed movements of a table in motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The most common method of inducing brain death in rats is inflating an intracranially placed balloon of a Fogarty catheter inserted through a burr hole. However, because of the poor controllability of balloon position, the standardization and stability of the model are compromised. This study examined an improved technique in which the balloon is placed and fixed through double holes., Methods: Forty adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly and equally assigned into the single-hole (SH) group and the double-hole (DH) group. In each rat in the DH group, 2 holes were made, at the left frontal bone and parietal bone. A Fogarty catheter was inserted outside of the dura mater through the frontal hole, and its tip was guided out through the parietal hole using an arc-shaped needle. The SH group served as a control. In both groups, normal saline was injected into the balloon at 40 μL/minute until breathing stopped. Mechanical ventilation was instituted immediately and provided for another 6 hours after the determination of brain death., Results: Typical blood pressure patterns were observed in both groups during the brain death induction period, whereas the fluctuation seemed relatively mild in the DH group. Stable brain death with normotension for 6 hours was induced successfully in 18 rats (90%) in the DH group and in 9 rats (45%) in the SH group (P = .002). The mean arterial pressure at 3 hours and thereafter was significantly higher in the DH group compared to the SH group (P < .05)., Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that the DH method is a simple and effective technique to make the brain death model more stable and standardized, possibly due to precise control of the direction of the cannulation and the position of the balloon., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

With the advancement of medical care and the continuous improvement of organ support technologies, some critically ill patients survive the acute phase of their illness but still experience persistent organ dysfunction, necessitating long-term reliance on intensive care and organ support, known as chronic critical illness. Chronic critical illness is characterized by prolonged hospital stays, high mortality rates, and significant resource consumption. Patients with chronic critical illness often suffer from malnutrition, compromised immune function, and poor baseline health, which, combined with factors like shock or trauma, can lead to intestinal mucosal damage. Therefore, effective nutritional intervention for patients with chronic critical illness remains a key research focus. Nutritional therapy has emerged as one of the essential components of the overall treatment strategy for chronic critical illness. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the latest research progress in nutritional support therapy for patients with chronic critical illness., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Chen, Song and Gong.)

The mortality of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is on the rise globally, particularly in the Western world, with etiology gradually shifting from virus-related liver diseases to metabolic disorders such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Early detection of HCC is challenging, and effective prognostic indicators are currently lacking, urgently necessitating reliable markers to assist in treatment planning and clinical management. Here, we introduce hepatocellular carcinoma senescence genes (HSG) to assess cellular senescence in HCC and devise a hepatocellular carcinoma senescence score (HSS) for prognostic prediction. Higher HSS levels signify poorer prognosis and increased tumor proliferation activity. Additionally, we observe alterations in the tumor immune microenvironment with higher HSS levels, such as increased infiltration of Treg, potentially providing a basis for immunotherapy. Furthermore, we identify key genes, such as PTTG1, within the senescence gene set and demonstrate their regulatory roles in HCC cells and Treg through experimentation. In summary, we establish a scoring system based on hepatocellular carcinoma senescence genes for prognostic prediction in HCC, potentially offering guidance for clinical treatment planning., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Qiao, Xu, Chen, Chen, Liang, Wei, Wang, Yu and Yan.)

Background: Weaning from invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) is a complex and challenging process that involves multiple pathophysiological mechanisms. A combined ultrasound evaluation of the heart, lungs, and diaphragm during the weaning phase can help to identify risk factors and underlying mechanisms for weaning failure. This study aimed to investigate the accuracy of lung ultrasound (LUS), transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), and diaphragm ultrasound for predicting weaning failure in critically ill patients., Methods: Patients undergoing invasive MV for > 48 h and who were readied for their first spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) were studied. Patients were scheduled for a 2-h SBT using low-level pressure support ventilation. LUS and TTE were performed prospectively before and 30 min after starting the SBT, and diaphragm ultrasound was only performed 30 min after starting the SBT. Weaning failure was defined as failure of SBT, re-intubation, or non-invasive ventilation within 48 h., Results: Fifty-one patients were included, of whom 15 experienced weaning failure. During the SBT, the global, anterior, and antero-lateral LUS scores were higher in the failed group than in the successful group. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the areas under the curves for diaphragm thickening fraction (DTF) and global and antero-lateral LUS scores during the SBT to predict weaning failure were 0.678, 0.719, and 0.721, respectively. There was no correlation between the LUS scores and the average E/e' ratio during the SBT. Multivariate analysis identified antero-lateral LUS score > 7 and DTF < 31% during the SBT as independent predictors of weaning failure., Conclusion: LUS and diaphragm ultrasound can help to predict weaning failure in patients undergoing an SBT with low-level pressure support. An antero-lateral LUS score > 7 and DTF < 31% during the SBT were associated with weaning failure., (© 2024. The Author(s).)