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Postoperative delirium (POD) is a common and severe postoperative complication in elderly patients undergoing major surgery linked to increased morbidity and mortality. It is reported that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) effectively enhances cognitive function and improves impaired consciousness. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of tDCS on POD in elderly patients undergoing lower limb major arthroplasty, including total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Patients aged ≥65 years scheduled for THA or TKA were randomly assigned to receive 2 mA tDCS for 20 min active-tDCS (n = 61) or sham-tDCS (n = 61). The primary outcome was the incidence of POD during the first 3 postoperative days. All 122 patients (median age, 70 years; 80 women [65.6%]) completed the trial. The incident delirium risk was 4.9% (n = 3) vs. 19.7% (n = 12) in active-tDCS and sham-tDCS groups, respectively (relative risk, 0.250; 95% CI, 0.074 to 0.842; P = 0.013). Compared to the sham-tDCS group, the anxiety and depression scores of patients in the active-tDCS group were lower at 2 h and one day after surgery (P < 0.001 for each), and pain scores of patients in the active-tDCS group were lower during the first three days after surgery (P < 0.05). One session of anodal tDCS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may decrease the incidence of POD in elderly patients undergoing lower limb major arthroplasty. • POD is a common perioperative complication in older patients after major surgery. • tDCS over the DLPFC decreases the incidence of POD in elderly patients undergoing lower limb major arthroplasty. • Our results show a possible prophylactic effect of tDCS on POD in elderly patients undergoing lower limb major arthroplasty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apart from electricity, high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell also produces a lot of waste heat, leading to energy wasting. Harvesting the waste heat for additional cooling production may further improve the commercial competitiveness. In this paper, we propose a novel combined system model that integrates high-temperature proton exchange fuel cell with heat-driven elastocaloric cooling system. Considering different sources of irreversible effects, mathematical formulas of performance indicators for each subsystem and combined system are specified. In addition, energetic and exergetic analyses are conducted to assess the potentiality of elastocaloric cooling system as a waste heat recovery candidate. The maximum power output density of the combined system can be boosted by 9.18% in comparison with that of a single fuel cell. The basic performance features and optimum criteria of the proposed system performance are expounded. Extensive sensitivity analyses and calculation examples have been conducted to check the dependance of the proposed combined system performance on some important design variables and operation conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reuse the exhaust heat produced by molten hydroxide direct carbon fuel cells (MHDCFCs), a new combined system mainly composed of an MHDCFC, a regenerator, and a Stirling heat engine (SHE) is theoretically integrated for fuel-to-power efficiency enhancement. Mathematical formulas of the performance indicators for the combined system are derived based on the first and second laws of thermodynamics, from which the feasibility and effectiveness of the combined system are evaluated from both energetic and exergetic viewpoints. Moreover, the optimum working regions of the combined system are further specified by using a multi-objective function paying equal attention to both efficiency and power output. Results show that SHEs can be effectively acted as bottoming cycles for MHDCFC for additional mechanical power production. Numerical calculations indicate that the maximum power density and its corresponding energy efficiency and exergy efficiency of the proposed system are, respectively, about 97.6%, 97.1% and 99.2% greater than that of the single MHDCFC. Furthermore, extensive parametric studies show that increasing working temperature, volume ratio, hot-side working substance temperature or mean pressure is beneficial for the overall system performance, while increasing reactor compartment width may degrade the overall system performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six kinds of choline chloride (ChCl)/diols deep eutectic solvents (DESs) with different alkyl chain lengths and hydroxyl positions were prepared, which are easily synthesized and biodegradable. Tribological and bearing tests show that ChCl/ethylene glycol (EG) has the best performance on the surface of Si 3 N 4 /GCr15 tribo-pairs. Compared with PAO10, friction coefficient, wear scar diameter, bearing vibration, and friction torque decreased by 71 %, 28 %, 34.8 %, and 24.6 %, respectively. ChCl/EG, which has the shortest alkyl chain length and hydroxyl distance, has the highest molecular polarity. Such a dense and stable chemisorption film is formed and the lubrication performance is improved, which is confirmed by the inconspicuous tribochemical films. Consequently, ChCl/EG serves as a potentially superior lubricant for Si 3 N 4 hybrid ceramic ball bearings. • The shorter the alkyl chain of the diol DES, the better the tribological effect. • The longer the hydroxyl group distance of the diol DES, the better the tribological effect. • ChCl/EG exhibits excellent tribological properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a power generation device, direct ammonia protonic ceramic fuel cells (NH 3 –PCFCs) also produce a significant amount waste heat, which not only results in energy wastage but also abnormal operation if the waste heat is not removed. To address these concerns and enhance generation electricity capacity, a novel waste heat recovery system based upon NH 3 -PCFC and alkali metal thermal electric converter (AMTEC) is first proposed, wherein the AMTEC converts the high-grade exhaust heat produced by the NH 3 -PCFC to extra electricity. Considering ammonia decomposition sluggish kinetics, various irreversible overpotential losses of NH 3 -PCFC as well as thermodynamic losses within the integrated system, the energetic/exergetic performance parameters evaluating the NH 3 -PCFC, AMTEC and the hybrid system are formulated. The general performance characteristics of the proposed system are revealed, along with a sensitive analysis conducted under specific operational conditions or structural parameters. Numerical calculation exhibited that the maximum attainable power density of the hybrid system has been promoted 20.5 % than that of stand-alone NH 3 -PCFC system. The multi-objective genetic algorithm is utilized to optimize the hybrid system performance for trade-off the power output and efficiency. Optimized results show the power density and corresponding efficiency of proposed system can respectively reach 6762.3 W m−2 and 49.8 % in the corresponding optimization conditions. • A novel direct ammonia protonic ceramic fuel cell based hybrid system is proposed. • Energetic and exergetic performances of the hybrid system are evaluated. • Effects of several structural parameters and operation conditions are revealed. • Combined system gains a 20.5 % increase in maximum power density. • Multi-objective optimization is utilized to optimize hybrid system performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The effect factors of diurnal variation of albedo were investigated quantitatively. • The diurnal variation of albedo is crucial for solar energy research. • The solar zenith angle and leaf angle distribution are the most sensitive factors. The diurnal variation of land surface albedo (DVLSA) is crucial for research on solar energy. It is necessary to systematically and quantitatively investigate the effects of atmospheric and land surface factors on the DVLSA. This paper explores the influencing factors of DVLSA over vegetated surfaces based on field observations, laboratory experiments, and simulated data. DVLSA over vegetated surfaces is influenced by four main types of factors: solar illumination geometries, canopy structure, canopy components, and atmospheric conditions. Through global sensitivity analysis, the study identifies sensitive parameters to DVLSA over vegetated surfaces, including solar zenith angle (SZA), leaf angle distribution (LAD), leaf area index (LAI), soil dryness index (SDI), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), and aerosol optical depth (AOD). Their respective contributions are approximately 30%, 24%, 17%, 10%, 4%, and 7%, respectively. Further analysis reveals that when SZA is less than 50°, the DVLSA is minimally influenced by these factors. However, when SZA exceeds 50°, the sensitivity of DVLSA to these factors increases with rising SZA. The DVLSA over vegetated surfaces is significantly influenced by canopy structure, exhibiting a nonlinear increase with growing LAI and LAD. Among various land cover types, the DVLSA of forests is the strongest, followed by that of cropland and grassland, while that of soil is the weakest. Under a sparse canopy, the DVLSA increases linearly with higher SMC and LDMC. Additionally, it increases with reduced leaf surface roughness and increased soil surface roughness. Under clear sky conditions, the DVLSA decreases linearly as the AOD increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine the level of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of lung cancer patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and analyze its influencing factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted. From April 2022 to March 2023, 560 lung cancer patients receiving ICIs at three medical bases in Guangzhou, China were recruited using a convenient sampling method. A general information questionnaire, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) and the Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire (MCMQ) were used for collecting data on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, HRQOL, social support and medical coping mode. A descriptive analysis was conducted to describe HRQOL. Multiple regression analysis was applied to determine the factors influencing HRQOL. For lung cancer patients receiving ICIs, the mean score of HRQOL was 59.21 ± 19.86. Multivariate analysis indicated that acceptance-resignation coping mode (β = −0.37, P < 0.01), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score (β = −0.35, P < 0.01), combination of chemotherapy and/or bevacizumab (β = −0.14, P < 0.01), and subjective support (β = 0.07, P = 0.04) all contributed to 42.7% of the variance in HRQOL of the patients receiving ICIs. It is imperative to address and resolve the HRQOL issue for lung cancer patients receiving ICIs. The findings suggest nurse practitioners should be aware of a variety of factors that influence HRQOL and provide tailored inventions to patients as early as possible to help them achieve better HRQOL. • A cross-sectional study assessed HRQOL and its influencing factors among lung cancer patients receiving ICIs. • For lung cancer patients receiving ICIs, the mean score of HRQOL was 59.21 ± 19.86. • Nurse practitioners should identify high-risk influencing factors of HRQOL in lung cancer patients receiving ICIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract High mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) is potentially triggered by Aβ oligomers and other sterile injuries, and is a non-histone DNA binding nuclear protein with roles in neural development and neurodegeneration, which contribute to memory impairment and chronic neuroinflammation in the brain. However, the exact molecular mechanisms of HMGB1 activation in Alzheimer's disease (AD) were previously unknown. The present study aimed to elucidate the effects of HMGB1 in Aβ 25–35 -induced neuroinflammation in hippocampal neuron cultures. RNA interference (RNAi) HMGB1 treatment significantly reduced Aβ 25–35 -induced HMGB1 expression by almost 70% in primary hippocampal neurons. Furthermore, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) demonstrated that short hairpin RNA (shRNA) for HMGB1 ameliorated Aβ 25–35 -treated neuroinflammation, including activation of advanced glycosylation end product-specific receptor (RAGE), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)-p65, as well as induced the release of inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and HMGB1 in primary hippocampal neurons and the culture supernatant. In addition, pretreatment with HMGB1-shRNA dramatically reduced both the degree of nuclear-cytoplasmic HMGB1 translocation of HMGB1 and NF-κB DNA binding. Together, the data indicate that HMGB1 mediates the pathogenesis of AD by activating RAGE/TLR4 signaling and that shRNA targeting HMGB1 may be a promising therapeutic strategy for treating AD. Highlights • Molecular mechanisms of HMGB1 activation in Alzheimer's disease were investigated. • We evaluated HMGB1 in Aβ 25–35 -induced hippocampal neuron neuroinflammation. • HMGB1 mediates Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis via RAGE/TLR4 signaling. • Targeting HMGB1 with shRNA may be a promising therapeutic strategy for treating AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD), the most common neurodegenerative disorder, primarily affects dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). In addition to severe motor dysfunction, PD patients appear apparent cognitive impairments in the late stage. Cognitive dysfunction is accompanied by synaptic transmission damage in the hippocampus. Cordycepin has been reported to alleviate cognitive impairments in neurodegenerative diseases. The study aimed to estimate the protection roles of cordycepin on cognitive dysfunction in PD model and explore the potential mechanisms. 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) was used to establish the PD model in vivo and in vitro experiments. In the in vivo experiments, the C57BL / 6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with MPTP and intragastric administration with cordycepin. Open field test (OFT) was used to estimate the exercise ability. Spontaneous alternation behavioral (SAB) and morris water maze (MWM) tests were used to evaluate the learning and memory abilities. The hippocampal slices from C57BL / 6 and Kunming mice in the i n vitro experiments were used to record field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) by electrophysiological methods. Western blotting was used to examine the level of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the in vivo experiments and the levels of adenosine A 1 and A 2A receptors (A 1 R and A 2A R) in the in vitro experiments, respectively. The drugs of MPTP, cordycepin, DPCPX and SCH58261 were perfused through dissolving in artificial cerebrospinal fluid. Cordycepin could significantly reduce the impairments on motor, exploration, spatial learning and memory induce by MPTP. MPTP reduced the amplitude of LTP in hippocampal CA1 area but cordycepin could improve LTP amplitudes. Cordycepin at dosage of 20 mg/kg also increased the TH level in SN. In the in vitro experiments, MPTP inhibited synaptic transmission in hippocampal Schaffer-CA1 pathway with a dose-dependent relationship, while cordycepin could reverse the inhibition of synaptic transmission. Furthermore, the roles of cordycepin on synaptic transmission could been attenuated in the presence of the antagonists of A 1 R and A 2A R, DPCPX and SCH58261, respectively. Interestingly, the level of A 2A R rather than A 1 R in hippocampus was significantly decreased in the cordycepin group as compared to the control. The present study has showed that cordycepin could improve cognitive function in the PD model induced by MPTP through regulating the adenosine A 2A receptors. These findings were helpful to provide a new strategy for the dementia caused by Parkinson's disease. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Inequality in urban greenspace provision is assessed for global large cities. • Marked disparities in urban greenspace exit among the high-income and low-income divisions. • Globally, compact cities suffer more urban greenspace issues, regardless of the financial capacity. • Climate plays a dominant role in shaping urban greenspace in most regions around the world. • Demographic and climatic factors have a nonlinear-enhanced effect on global urban greenspace. Given the important role of urban green space (UGS) playing in sustainable cities, UGS has received extensive attention and study. However, most studies were limited to individual cities or regions and yielded inconsistent results due to the use of diverse data sources and methods, and little is known about the inequality in green provision at the global scale. In this study, we compared green provisions and inequality in 1013 cities (built-up areas≥100 km2) around the globe utilizing the indicators of percentage of green area, green exposure, and Gini coefficient. Furthermore, their relation to demographic, geophysical and socioeconomic factors was estimated at the levels of the globe, geographical regions, and income divisions. We found that the large cities in high-income countries enjoy much more adequate and equitable UGS resources than that in low-income countries. In global context, population density is most strongly associated with UGS provision and inequality, while climate influence UGS to a higher extent than human activities in most regions. The interactions with demographic or climatic factors have a relatively significant nonlinear-enhanced effect on UGS. Our findings can provide insights for greening interventions at regional and global scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovine and caprine theileriosis is caused by the parasitic genus Theileria , which is transmitted by ticks, and causes substantial losses to sheep. We conducted a sero-epidemiological study of ovine and caprine theileriosis in China, using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In total, 2351 field blood samples were collected from 21 provinces in China, and the seroprevalence of theileriosis was estimated. The results showed that the highest prevalence was 76.0% in Gansu Province, the mean prevalence was 41.0%, and there was no detection of Theileria infection in Hebei Province. The obvious differences were found among the provinces in China, especially in Northwestern China. Effective measures should be adopted to prevent theileriosis of small ruminants in China. To our knowledge, this is the first report from China of a national serosurvey of theileriosis of small ruminants using ELISA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of vaccarin from the seeds of Vaccaria segetalis was optimized in this study. Compared with the conventional extraction methods, maceration extraction (ME), ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) and heat reflux extraction (HRE), MAE possessed higher efficiency for the extraction of vaccarin. The MAE conditions including methanol concentration, temperature, liquid/solid ratio, and microwave power were studied and optimized. The maximum extraction rate of vaccarin reached 0.52%, under the optimal conditions: methanol concentration 57%, temperature 65 °C, liquid/solid ratio 50 mL/g, and microwave power 400 W. At these optimal extraction parameters, the maximum extraction rate of vaccarin obtained experimentally was found to be very close to its predicted value. Furthermore, MAE extract of vaccarin exhibited substantial free radical-scavenging activity with an IC50 value of 0.48 mg/mL, which indicated crude extracts possess good potential in food and pharmaceutical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the conventional vapor-compression heat pumps, the heating capacity and the heating load usually vary in opposite directions, which results in a mismatch of the heating capacity and the heating load at off-design conditions. Air (reversed Brayton) cycle is a potential substitute for the conventional vapor-compression cycles. This paper proved that in theory the air heat pump cycle can make the heating capacity in line with the heating load at a stable level of heating COP (coefficient of performance). A thermodynamic model for the air heat pump cycle with practical compressor and expander was developed. The optimal heating COP and the corresponding pressure ratio were derived from the model. Then the cycle performance was analytically expressed under the optimal COP conditions. The heating capacity under different operating conditions was found in line with the heating load. Comparisons between the air heat pump cycle and two typical vapor-compression heat pump cycles were numerically done for further verification. It also turned out that the energy efficiency of air heat pump is comparable to the transcritical CO2 heat pump, particularly at large temperature difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new ferrocene–anthracene dyad anion receptor 1 bearing amide and 1,2,3-triazolium donor groups has been designed and synthesized. In CH3CN solvent, 1 shows a dual-signaling sensing toward over other anions, with its fluorescence a large enhancement, and electrochemical potential a negative shift. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] A single layer graphene was modified with TiO x and PEDOT:PSS. [•] The sheet resistance of the modified graphene was reduced by 86% from 628Ω/sq to 86Ω/sq. [•] The work function of the modified graphene was increased by 0.82eV from 4.30eV to 5.12eV. [•] Enhanced charge injection and transport were achieved from the modified graphene. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new pyrenyl-appended triazole for fluorescent sensing of Hg2+, 1, has been synthesized and characterized. Upon addition of Hg2+ to 1 in the acetonitrile aqueous solution, more than 80% of the initial fluorescence intensity of 1 was quenched, which allowed a selective and sensitive fluorescent detection of Hg(II) without any interference from other metal ions. 1H NMR analysis revealed that the two sulfonamide and triazole groups of 1 played a critical role in the interactions with Hg2+ ion, which can be further proved by the density functional theory based theoretical calculation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In addition to generate electricity, proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) also produce a considerable quantity of waste heat, which may affect the cell normal operation if not removed immediately. To remove and harvest the waste heat, a novel combined system that couples an elastocaloric cooler (ECC) to a PEMFC is proposed, where the ECC harnesses the waste heat from the PEMFC for cooling purposes. Including thermodynamic and electrochemical irreversible losses, mathematical expressions for efficiency and power output of the combined system are obtained. The operating current density region of the PEMFC allowing the ECC to work is determined and the optimum operation regions for power output and efficiency of the combined system are specified. Moreover, numerical calculations indicate that the equivalent maximum power density and its corresponding efficiency of the combined system can be, respectively, increased by 163.2 % and 64.2 % in comparison with that of the single PEMFC. Exhaustive parametric studies are further undertaken to reveal how the combined system performance is associated with some key design parameters and operation conditions, such as operating temperature, operating pressure, proton exchange membrane thickness, environment temperature, cross-sectional area ratio, length ratio and thermodynamic losses related parameters. The results may offer some theoretical bases for designing and running such a real combined system and open up a new avenue to harvest waste heat from PEMFCs. • A proton exchange membrane fuel cell-elastocaloric cooler hybrid system is proposed. • Each component within the hybrid system is mathematically described in detail. • Performance indicators for the hybrid system are mathematically formulated. • The proposed system is more efficient than sole proton exchange membrane fuel cell. • Effects of some decisive design parameters and operation conditions are revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The clinical application of gentamicin has been limited by its nephrotoxicity, which is characterized by kidney injury, interstitial fibrosis and progressive renal impairment. In this paper, we examine effects of plasmid pUDK-HGF which encodes the human hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) gene on gentamicin-induced renal injury in rats. The kidney injury was intentionally induced by injecting gentamicin intraperitoneally. On the third day after last gentamicin treatment, pUDK-HGF was injected into the left kidney tissue only once via a sterile back incision. At day 30 after gentamicin treatment, RI, Scr, BUN, 24h-UTP and apoptotic cell death were determined. Tubulointerstitial injury and the renal interstitial vessel regeneration were evaluated by histological scoring. pUDK-HGF treatment significantly improved the renal function with decreasing RI, Scr and BUN. 24h-UTP also presented ameliorating trend compared to the control group with kidney injury. pUDK-HGF treatment significantly decreased the score of tubulointerstitial injury and enhanced angiogenesis, also prevented kidney cells from apoptosis. The tubulointerstitial injury was significantly reduced in the pUDK-HGF injected left kidney and right kidney also showed some improvements. Our results showed that pUDK-HGF may become a novel therapeutic agent for kidney injury and renal fibrosis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Alzheimer''s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease concomitant with grey and white matter damages. However, the interrelationship of volumetric changes between grey and white matter remains poorly understood in AD. Using joint independent component analysis, this study identified joint grey and white matter volume reductions based on structural magnetic resonance imaging data to construct the covariant networks in twelve AD patients and fourteen normal controls (NC). We found that three networks showed significant volume reductions in joint grey–white matter sources in AD patients, including (1) frontal/parietal/temporal-superior longitudinal fasciculus/corpus callosum, (2) temporal/parietal/occipital-frontal/occipital, and (3) temporal-precentral/postcentral. The corresponding expression scores distinguished AD patients from NC with 85.7%, 100% and 85.7% sensitivity for joint sources 1, 2 and 3, respectively; 75.0%, 66.7% and 75.0% specificity for joint sources 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Furthermore, the combined source of three significant joint sources best predicted the AD/NC group membership with 92.9% sensitivity and 83.3% specificity. Our findings revealed joint grey and white matter loss in AD patients, and these results can help elucidate the mechanism of grey and white matter reductions in the development of AD. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]