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When studying the relationship between acoustic emission features and coal samples and fractures, both raw coal and briquette can be used as experimental samples. Most coal seams have soft materials, making it difficult to manufacture standard raw coal samples. Therefore, it is common to use briquettes as research samples in experiments. However, coal briquettes change the original structure of coal, affecting its physical and mechanical properties. The applicability of using briquettes instead of raw coal as experimental samples has always been a focus of academic discussion. And currently, there is relatively limited research on the differences in acoustic emission features between raw coal and briquette in pseudo triaxial compression experiments. In order to solve the above problems, pseudo triaxial compression acoustic emission experiments are conducted on raw coal and briquette, with a focus on discussing and analyzing mechanical properties, fracture modes, spatiotemporal evolution of acoustic emission, frequency band energy distribution, nonlinear features, and other aspects. The results show that the acoustic emission energy released during the loading process and the total peak stress energy are closely related to the strength of the coal sample. The raw coal mainly exhibits a mixed failure mode of shear and tension, while the briquette mainly exhibits a tensile axial crack failure mode. The acoustic emission positions of coal samples correspond to their macroscopic fracture morphology, but their occurrence time and spatial distribution are different. In the pre peak loading stage, the acoustic emission signal of raw coal is relatively small, while the acoustic emission response of briquette is intense and reaches its maximum value at the peak stress moment. Through wavelet packet analysis, it is found that the energy distribution of the acoustic emission frequency band of briquette is smaller than that of raw coal. The acoustic emission signals of raw coal are mainly concentrated in the frequency range of 10-120 kHz, while the acoustic emission signals of briquette only jump in the frequency range of 0-100 kHz, indicating that the micro fracture scale of briquette is larger than that of raw coal. 90% of the waveform energy of raw coal and briquette is active at 0-150 kHz. When the loaded sample approaches instability failure, i.e. around 99% of the peak stress, the Hurst index of the acoustic emission signals of raw coal and briquette are both greater than 0.5. It indicates a long-term correlation between the acoustic emission time series and the loading process.

"Objective To investigate the application of in-hospital informatized blood glucose monitoring system (IGMS) in Jiangsu and the satisfaction of medical staff to use IGMS. Methods From August 2021 to July 2022, a survey was conducted among medical staff in 119 secondary and tertiary hospitals in Jiangsu Province. The survey included questions on the application status of IGMS, such as the year of initiation and the medical units using it, and the satisfaction with the use of IGMS in medical staff was investigated by a 5-level Likert scale. Results (1) Utilization rate of IGMS: among the 119 hospitals, 58 (48.7%) utilized IGMS. The utilization rate in Southern Jiangsu (61.0%) was significantly higher than that in Central Jiangsu (34.8%) and Northern Jiangsu (37.8%) (χ2=7.113,P=0.029). (2) Distribution of medical units using IGMS: utilization rate in internal medicine department (96.6%) was significantly higher than that in surgical department (51.7%) and ICU (39.7%) (χ2=44.550,P＜0.01), with the highest utilization rate observed in endocrinology department (96.6%). (3) Satisfaction survey: the satisfaction scale had a Cronbach's alpha of 0.702 and a KMO value of 0.742, and Bartlett's sphericity test yielded aχ2 value of 298.268 (P＜0.01). Two initial factors with eigenvalues greater than 1 accounted for 72.5% of the variance. Following a scree plot analysis, two factors were extracted ,and the items were deleted according to the reliability and validity, and the satisfaction scale containing two factors and seven items was finally determined. Ninety-seven medical staff completed the scale with a score of 29.0 (25.5, 31.0). There was no significant difference in personal satisfaction with IGMS among medical staff in different regions, hospitals of grades and titles (P＞0.05). Conclusion The utilization rate of IGMS in secondary and tertiary hospitals in Jiangsu is approximately 48.7%, with a higher rate in Southern Jiangsu. Endocrinology departments have the highest rate of IGMS usage. Medical staff are satisfied with the use of IGMS, and put forward higher expectations for the stability of networking and the standardization of training."

With the wide application of phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation, many cataract patients have effectively recovered vision. Postoperative intraocular lens opacification is an important indicator for evaluating biocompatibility, as it affects the visual quality of patients. The manifestation and risk factors of opacification vary among different materials used for intraocular lenses. However, better visual quality after surgery is not determined by a single factor. The material of the intraocular lens and the patient's response to the intraocular lens are all factors that affect the postoperative visual quality. With the continuous advancement of technology, an increasing number of new materials are being applied in the field of intraocular lenses. Fully understanding the characteristics of intraocular lens materials, selecting suitable intraocular lens for patients and reducing complications caused by materials will be beneficial to patients. The characteristics of different intraocular lens materials and the risk factors of opacification after intraocular lens implantation were discussed in this paper.

C2H2-type zinc finger protein (C2H2-ZFP) transcription factors play evident roles in regulating plant growth and development and abiotic stress responses. However, the role of C2H2-ZFP from Mentha canadensis remains uncertain. We identified the multifunctional C2H2-ZFP gene McZFP1 from M. canadensis based on phylogenetic analysis. The McZFP1 gene was highly expressed in stems, responding to abiotic stress and phytohormone treatments. McZFP1 localized in the nucleus and showed no transcriptional autoactivation activity in yeast. McZFP1 overexpression in Arabidopsis thaliana significantly reduced the number of trichomes and root hairs, root hair length, and salt stress tolerance. Further study revealed that McZFP1 overexpression increased the expression of negative regulator genes and decreased that of positive regulator genes to inhibit plant trichome and root hair development. Malondialdehyde accumulation was promoted, but the proline content and catalase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase activities were reduced and the expression of stress response genes was inhibited in McZFP1 overexpression lines under salt treatment, thereby compromising plant salt tolerance. Overall, these results indicate that McZFP1 is a novel C2H2-ZFP transcription factor that plays negative roles in trichome and root hair development and salt stress tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To identify perceptions, attitudes, behaviours and barriers to effective obesity care among people living with obesity (PLwO) and healthcare professionals (HCPs) across mainland China. Materials and Methods: ACTION‐China (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05428501) was a cross‐sectional, observational, descriptive, online survey‐based study of 7000 PLwO and 1000 HCPs (conducted between August and November 2022). Results: The majority of PLwO (76.8% [5374/7000]) and HCPs (94.6% [946/1000]) agreed that obesity is a chronic disease. Only 40.8% of PLwO (2853/7000) had discussed their weight or talked about losing weight with an HCP in the past 5 years. The most frequent reason given by PLwO for not discussing weight management with an HCP was believing it was their responsibility to manage their weight (34.7% [2430/7000]), whereas the most frequent reason HCPs gave for not discussing obesity with their patients with obesity was having more important health issues to discuss (72.1% [721/1000]). A smaller proportion of PLwO (19.1%) than HCPs (53.6%) felt that weight management discussions with an HCP would be very or extremely helpful for the patient, and 30.7% of PLwO experienced negative feelings after their most recent discussion. Overall, 34.8% (2438/7000) of PLwO had been diagnosed with obesity by an HCP, while 30.0% (2101/7000) of PLwO did not recognize that they had obesity. Conclusions: This large, national survey conducted among PLwO and HCPs highlights key barriers to effective obesity care in China, including underestimation of weight status by PLwO and the need for increased communication between HCPs and PLwO regarding weight management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Runoff in high-latitude water towers is crucial for ecological and human water demands during freeze–thaw periods but is highly sensitive to climate change and human activities. This study focuses on Changbai Mountain, the source of the Songhua, Tumen, and Yalu rivers, analyzing runoff variation and its environmental responses using the modified Mann–Kendall method and the water–energy balance equation. The results show significant non-stationarity in runoff trends, with an increasing trend in the Yalu River basin (p < 0.05), a decreasing trend in the Tumen River basin (p < 0.05), and complex trends in the Songhua River basin. Additionally, the relationship between runoff and driving factors during freeze–thaw periods was quantized. When the snowfall, potential evapotranspiration (E0), and subsurface changes increased by 1%, the snowmelt runoff changes were 1.58~1.96%, −0.58~−1.96%, and −0.86~−1.11% in the Yalu River basin; 2.16~2.35%, −1.04~−1.35%, and −1.56~−1.95% in the Tumen River basin; and 1.44~2.41%, −0.44~−1.41%, and −0.72~−1.62% in the Songhua River basin. The increased snowfall was the most prominent reason for the increase in snowmelt runoff during spring. The results of this study will benefit ecosystem conservation and the stability of downstream water supply in this high-latitude water tower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article ingeniously adopts a glucose-assisted hydrothermal method to bridge TiO2 nanotubes and MoS2 nanosheets with a multifunctional carbon layer (C), synthesizing three-dimensional (3D) TiO2@C@MoS2 composites. The multifunctional carbon layer bridges MoS2 nanosheets and TiO2 nanotubes by creating C–S and Ti–O–C chemical bonds, which not only reduces the mechanical stress of the composites during charge/discharge cycling and enhances the structural stability of the composites but also improves the overall conductivity of the composites. Furthermore, the one-dimensional (1D) TiO2 nanotubes act as a reliable skeleton for the growth of MoS2 nanosheets, effectively shortening the transport path for ions/electrons. The MoS2 nanosheets on the surface contribute to an increase in active sites for electrochemical reactions, thus bringing about faster charge transfer within the material. As a result, the overall electrochemical properties of the composites are improved. The prepared TiO2@C@MoS2 composites show up to an initial discharge specific capacity of 881.77 mAh g–1, sustaining a capacity retention of 81% even after 200 cycles at 0.2 A g–1. The outstanding specific capacity and impressive cyclic stability are ascribed to the unique synergistic effect of the multifunctional carbon layer bridging TiO2 nanotubes and MoS2 nanosheets. This preparation offers a perspective for the synthesis of other composite materials, broadening the horizons of lithium-ion battery anode research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is recognized as a robust indicator for evaluating insulin resistance (IR). Despite the well-documented anti-aging biological functions of Klotho protein, its correlation with the TyG index remains unexplored. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted involving participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 2007–2016. The TyG index was computed using laboratory data, while serum Klotho concentrations was determined using ELISA kit. After adjusting potential confounding variables, multivariate regression models were employed to evaluate the association between the TyG index and Klotho protein levels among middle-aged and elderly females and males separately. Additionally, smooth curve fitting and segmented regression model were applied to investigate potential threshold effects and identify the inflection point. Results: A total of 6,573 adults qualified for inclusion, comprising 3,147 (47.88%) males and 3,426 (52.12%) females. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that females with a higher TyG index exhibited significantly lower serum Klotho concentrations (β=-83.41, 95% CI: -124.23 to -42.60, P < 0.0001). This association was not statistically significant in males (β = 15.40, 95% CI: -19.16 to 49.95, P = 0.3827). Subgroup analyses revealed a significant interaction effect by diabetes status in females (P-interaction = 0.0121), where non-diabetic females showed a stronger negative association between TyG index and serum Klotho levels compared to diabetic females. In the female group, when TyG index was divided into quartiles, individuals in the highest quartile of TyG index exhibited reduced levels of Klotho protein (Q4: -88.77 pg/ml) compared to those in the lowest quartile (Q1) after full adjustment (P = 0.0041). Segmented regression analysis indicated a turning point value of 9.4 in females. Notably, a 1-unit increase in TyG index was significantly associated with a decrease in Klotho levels by -111.43 pg/ml (95% CI: -157.34 to -65.52, P < 0.0001) when TyG index was below 9.4, while above this threshold, the association was not significant (Log likelihood ratio test: 0.009). Conclusions: The findings highlight a non-linear correlation between the TyG index and serum Klotho concentrations among females, indicative of a saturation effect. This relationship was particularly pronounced in non-diabetic women. In contrast, no statistically significant association was observed in male participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: After a 920-day hiatus, COVID-19 resurged in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in August 2022. This study compares the characteristics of COVID-19 between high-altitude residents and newcomers, as well as between newcomers and lowlanders. Methods: This multi-center cohort study conducted at the Third People's Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region and Beijing University Shenzhen Hospital, included 520 high-altitude resident patients, 53 high-altitude newcomer patients, and 265 lowlander patients infected with the Omicron variant. Initially, we documented epidemiological, clinical, and treatment data across varying residency at admission. We compared the severity of COVID-19 and various laboratory indicators, including hemoglobin concentration and SpO2%, over a 14-day period from the date of the first positive nucleic acid test, as well as the differences in treatment methods and disease outcomes between highlanders and high-altitude newcomers. We also compared several characteristics of COVID-19 between high-altitude newcomers and lowlanders. Univariate analysis, multivariable logistic regression, and the generalized linear mixed model were utilized for the analysis. Results: No fatalities were observed. The study found no significant differences in COVID-19 severity or in the physiological measures of hemoglobin concentration and SpO2% between high-altitude and lowland residents. Similarly, there were no statistically significant differences in the values or trends of hemoglobin and SpO2% between high-altitude residents and newcomers throughout the 14-day observation period. However, compared to age- and sex-matched lowlander patients (1:5 ratio), high-altitude newcomers exhibited higher heart rates, respiratory rates, and average hemoglobin concentrations, along with lower platelet counts. There were no significant differences in hospital stays between the two groups. Conclusions: High-altitude residents and newcomer patients exhibit clinical similarities. However, the clinical characteristics of high-altitude newcomers and lowlander patients differ due to the impact of the high-altitude environment. These results highlight potential considerations for public health strategies in high-altitude regions such as Tibet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]