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Microbial contamination of external-use ultrasound probes is a serious and overlooked issue. We assessed the effects of different methods of disinfecting medical external-use ultrasound probes. On-site disinfection experiments were conducted at 10 hospitals; the tips and sides of external-use ultrasound probes were sampled before and after disinfection, and 3 disinfection methods were assessed (use of a new ultraviolet [UV] ultrasound probe disinfector, wiping with ordinary paper towels or cleaning with disinfectant wipes). For the new UV probe disinfector, the median microbial death rates for the tips and sides of the external-use ultrasound probe were 93.67% and 97.50%, respectively, which were higher than those for wiping with paper towels and cleaning with disinfectant wipes (12.50% and 10.00% and 20.00% and 21.42%, respectively); the rates of microorganisms exceeding the standard were 15.0% and 13.3%, respectively, which were lower than those for wiping with paper towels and cleaning with disinfectant wipes (53.3% and 60.0% and 46.7% and 38.3%, respectively). The death rates of different species of microorganisms were high, ranging from 87.5% to 100%. The new UV ultrasound probe disinfector significantly reduced the risk of potential nosocomial infections according to the low microbial death rate for conventional disinfection methods. • Microbial contamination of external-use ultrasound probes is serious and overlooked. • Wiping with paper towels and cleaning with disinfectant wipes are traditional disinfection methods. • The new ultraviolet ultrasound probe disinfector can destroy the DNA or RNA of pathogens on the probe and block their replication and reproduction and have higher disinfection efficiency than the above disinfection methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) exhibits the superior benefits including high gas purity, high power density and wide variable loading but is still limited by the prohibitive cost and dearth of iridium (Ir)-based anode catalysts. Herein, we report a low-loading Ir-based catalyst with ultrasmall iridium nanoparticles (1.46 ± 0.01 nm) supported on oxygen-vacancy-rich tungsten oxide nanofibers (WO 3-x) through electrospinning combined with surfactant-free microwave-assisted polyol reduction method for active acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). According to structural analysis and theoretical calculation, the charge transfer from W to Ir is induced by the strong electronic interaction at the Ir and WO 3-x interface, thereby raising the electron density surrounding the Ir sites and favoring to boost OER activity. The resultant Ir@WO 3-x exhibits an excellent overpotential of ca. 276 mV@10 mA cm−2 and remarkable durability. This study offers a new path for promoting the activity and durability of electrocatalysts while minimizing the mass loading of Ir towards OER. Oxygen-rich-vacancy WO 3-x nanofibers induce the deposition of ultrafine Ir nanoparticles to efficiently enhance acidic oxygen evolution reaction in water electrolysis. [Display omitted] • Ir@WO 3-x nanofibers is designed via electrospinning combined with surfactant-free microwave-assisted polyol reduction method. • Ir@WO 3-x nanofibers is rich in oxygen vacancies. • The charge transfer is induced by the strong metal support interaction at the Ir and WO 3-x interface. • Ir@WO 3-x nanofibers exhibits the enhanced oxygen evolution reaction activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural gas hydrate has potentially become a clean energy source in the future. Most natural gas hydrates are stored in the ocean, and the exploitation of deep-sea gas hydrates requires the construction of offshore platforms. Generally, the platform consumes a lot of energy due to its impact on the marine environment. Therefore, the adoption of a reasonable energy equipment operation scheme can effectively reduce the platform operation cost. Compared with the way of directly consuming natural gas to provide power to the platform, introducing wind energy may be cleaner and more economical. However, the uncertainty and volatility of wind power must be carefully considered when it is introduced. The paper establishes a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model to solve this problem. A flexible distributed energy system framework for the natural gas hydrate mining platform is constructed to design and optimize the equipment scale and the number of wind turbines with the minimum total annual cost of the energy system as the objective function. A case study is conducted by an established model and the results show that access to wind energy can significantly reduce the cost of the energy system by 18.9 % and CO 2 emissions by 46.9 %. Meanwhile, the uncertainty of electric energy demand is the most sensitive to the optimization results. • Constructed a flexible source-load connected energy system. • Carbon emissions are reduced with access to wind energy. • Robust optimization methods to improve the anti-interference ability of the system. • Uncertainty in electricity demand has the greatest impact on the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The conventional medicines to mitigate hyperglycemia, such as metformin, is controversial for prediabetes due to the possible side effects. • We found that Zhenyuan Capsule, a patented Chinese herbal medicine consisting of ginseng berry saponins, could additionally reduced 2-h postprandial plasma glucose by 0.98 mmol/l, alleviated insulin resistance and raised HDL-C level by 0.25 mmol/l in prediabetic patients on the background of lifestyle interventions. • The current study supported Zhenyuan capsule as a complementary therapy for prediabetic patients, providing benefits for glucose metabolism and cardiovascular health, which is particularly significant for the individuals who have not achieved satisfactory outcomes with lifestyle interventions. Prediabetes strongly increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular events. However, lifestyle intervention, the first-line treatment for prediabetes currently, was inconsistently beneficial for glucose metabolism, and the conventional medicines, such as metformin, is controversial for prediabetes due to the possible side effects. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of Zhenyuan Capsule, a Chinese patented medicine consisting of ginseng berry saponins extracted from the mature berry of Panax Ginseng, on the glucose metabolism of prediabetic patients as a complementary therapy. In this randomized, double-Blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial, 195 participants with prediabetes were randomized 1:1 to receive either placebo followed by Zhenyuan Capsule, or vice versa, alongside lifestyle interventions. Each treatment period lasted 4 weeks with a 4-week washout period in between. The primary outcomes were the changes in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and 2-h postprandial plasma glucose (2-h PG) from baseline. Secondary outcomes includes the changes in fasting and 2-h postprandial insulin and C-peptide, the homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) from baseline. Blood lipids and adverse events were also assessed. Compared with placebo, Zhenyuan Capsule caused remarkable reduction in 2-h PG (-0.98 mmol/l) after adjusting treatment order. Zhenyuan Capsule also reduced the fasting and 2-h postprandial levels of insulin and C-peptide, lowered HOMA-IR index (-1.26), and raised QUICKI index (+0.012) when compared to placebo. Additionally, a significant increase in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C; +0.25 mmol/l) was found in patients with Zhenyuan Capsule. No serious adverse event occurred during the study. Among prediabetic patients, Zhenyuan Capsule further reduced 2-h PG level, alleviated insulin resistance and raised HDL-C level on the background of lifestyle interventions. The study protocol is registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2000034000). [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium-sulfur (Li–S) batteries are considered among the most promising systems for next-generation energy storage because of their high theoretical energy density, inexpensiveness, and the environmentally friendliness of the sulfur cathode material. Carbon nanotube (CNT) has been used widely for separator modification to overcome the shuttle effect of polysulfides. This strategy based on CNT can improve the performance of Li–S batteries in terms of their cycling stability and rate capability. However, the performance improvement has not been assessed under various mass loadings of CNT, which would significantly affect the entire battery energy density and manufacturing cost. In this study, we prepared CNT-modified polypropylene (CNT-PP) separators and explored the effects of different CNT mass loadings on the performance of Li–S batteries. We also developed an approach to reduce the amount of CNTs required while maintaining high performance. The results showed that the CNT-PP separator significantly improved the electrochemical performance of the pure sulfur cathode compared with the PP separator, and a CNT mass loading of 0.6 mg cm−2 obtained the optimal battery performance. Moreover, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was added to reduce the CNT mass loading, which promoted the dispersion of the CNT in aqueous solution and also enabled the chemical interaction between the CNT and polysulfides to inhibit the shuttling effect. When CNT/PVP was applied to modify the PP separator, the mass loading could be reduced by about 33% compared with the pure CNT while maintaining the optimal battery performance. At a CNT/PVP mass loading of 0.4 mg cm−2, the cells had a much higher initial capacity (1226 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and 936 mA h g−1 at 2 C) and cycling stability (617 mAh g−1 after 300 cycles at 1 C) than the cells containing pure CNT-modified separators with a CNT mass loading of 0.6 mg cm−2. These findings could facilitate the development of a facile approach for the practical application of Li–S batteries. Image 1 • CNT and CNT/PVP-modified PP separators were fabricated via vacuum filtration. • CNT mass loading of 0.6 mg cm−2 obtains optimal lithium sulfur battery performance. • Mass loading reduced by about 33% when CNT/PVP was applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between dementia and the mortality of stroke is a significant concern for patients and careers. However, there are few research about it in China and a lack of reliable data on the risk of dementia. We aim to analyze and compare the risk of death in stroke patients with and without dementia. Further investigation into the predictive value of dementia for stroke death. All patients with stroke who were identified among residents of Ningxia, between January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2021, set death or May 22, 2022 as the observation endpoint. All patients were screened by 1:4 propensity score matching (PSM). The association between dementia and all-cause mortality was evaluated using Cox regression with survival time. Evaluation of the predictive value of dementia using decision curve analysis (DCA) and clinical impact curve (CIC) curves. Mortality of stroke with dementia is 45.4% and without dementia is 13.8%, further calculated one-year mortality is higher in the patients with dementia than without dementia (17.3%vs. 5.4%, p < 0.001). Stroke patients with dementia had a 3.74 times higher risk of death (95% CI = 3.29,4.26) and had a shorter survival time than those without dementia. Dementia was an independent predictor of death in all models (hazard ratio [HR]=3.77,95%CI: 3.31-4.30, p < 0.001). DCA and CIC curves indicated that dementia has a high value in predicting the risk of death in stroke patients. Dementia is an independent risk factor for death and reduces survival time in stroke patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experimental advances in cold fermion gases motivates the investigation of a one-dimensional (1D) correlated electronic system by incorporating a four-body coupling. Using the low-energy field theory scheme and focusing on the weak-coupling regime, we extend the 1D Penson–Kolb–Hubbard (PKH) model at half filling. It is found that the additional four-body interaction may significantly modify the quantum phase diagram, favoring the presence of the superconducting phase even in the case of two-body repulsions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation control of multiple underwater gliders has been incredibly helpful in ocean research and inspection. However, it can be substantially challenging due to its underactuation, nonlinear dynamics, weak mobility, vulnerability to the ocean current, and long communication interval. Based on a fleet with a wave glider and multiple underwater gliders, this study introduces a formation control strategy suitable for leader–follower and no-leader scenarios under switching communication topology. The underwater gliders in the fleet are linearized by feedback linearization and the mathematical model is described in discrete time. The formation control protocol is established by combining the consensus of speed control in the forward direction with the path following control in the lateral direction and applying partial state information of the leader and followers under the randomly switching topology. By performing state transformation and analyzing matrix properties, sufficient conditions are obtained for the discrete-time glider systems under randomly switching topology to achieve the desired formation. Also, convergence results are derived whether the formation feasibility conditions are satisfied or not. Two cases for a fleet consisting of a wave glider and multiple underwater gliders are given in the numerical simulation and sea trials, including the leader–follower scenario for formation control during cruising, and the no-leader scenario for the coordination of underwater gliders in depth direction. The results of simulation and sea trials show that the theoretical results can be used to deal with the formation control problem for multi-glider systems. • A formation control method suitable for both leader–follower and no-leader scenarios under switching communication topologies is proposed. • The underwater glider mathematical model is linearized using a feedback linearization method and is described in discrete time. • The control protocol is established by combining the consensus of speed control with the path following control. • Two cases for a fleet of wave glider and underwater gliders are given in simulation and sea trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural gas hydrate has potentially become a clean energy source that can replace fossil fuels in the future. Offshore natural gas hydrates mining platforms are usually energy-intensive and wind power has been used as the main source of energy supply. However, there have been a limited number of studies investigating the energy systems in these offshore platforms, and the optimal implementation of wind turbines has not been considered. In this work, a floating wind farm is combined with gas turbines to supply energy for the natural gas hydrate mining platform. Since the position of floating wind turbines can be adjusted, a multi-period optimization method is proposed to consider the changes in wind resources and production profiles in different periods. In addition, the performances of different types of wind turbines are also investigated in the optimization. The minimum total cost of energy is set as the objective function in this method. Considering that the number and layout of wind turbines are affected by moving costs. When the moving costs per unit distance is 40 €/MW, the results showed that six wind turbines are required for stable operation of the platform, and the power generated by the wind turbines accounts for 77.59% of the total power supply in the whole period. From the results of case, compared with directly burning natural gas, wind power generation can effectively reduce the power generation cost of the platform. • Floating wind farm is combined with gas turbines to supply energy for mining platform. • Floating wind farm with different types of wind turbines is investigated. • The change of gas production capacity is considered in the design of energy system. • A multi-periods optimization method is proposed by combining genetic algorithm and Geosteiner algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negative regulation is required to keep NF-κB-dependent immune response under tight control. In previous study, we have identified a Fas associated factor (FAF) family member in Bombyx mori , BmFAF , and proposed it may act as a negative regulator in immune response. In this study, we found knock-down of BmFAF by RNAi led to a remarkable increase in transcriptional level of several antimicrobial peptide genes, including BmCecropinA1 and BmMoricin , and higher survival rate to Gram-negative bacterial infection. We also confirmed the regulatory role of BmFAF in suppressing NF-κB-dependent transcription by employing an inducible promoter in BmE cells. Consistent with these physiological phenotypes, BmFAF suppressed the activity of the essential transcription factor, Relish, in IMD signaling pathway by promoting its proteasomal degradation through direct interaction. In addition, by constructing various truncation mutants, we further demonstrated that UBA domain in BmFAF is required for the inhibitory role, and potential ubiquitination also occurs in this domain. Taken together, our results suggest that BmFAF is a negative regulator of IMD pathway by mediating degradation of Relish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transglutaminase (TG) modifies proteins by amine incorporation, crosslinking and deamination. It is used as an important tool in food processing. The aim of this work was to crosslink ovalbumin (OVA) and egg white (EW) with TG, either under high pressure (HP) or under atmospheric pressure on previously HP-treated proteins, to assess the allergenic potential of polymerized allergens. The susceptibility of OVA and EW to TG-mediated crosslinking was enhanced by HP (400 MPa, 40 °C, 30 min). Simultaneous or sequential HP and TG treatments led to the formation of high-molecular weight polymers, but left a substantial amount of monomeric proteins. Results of digestibility experiments, binding to immunoglobulin E (IgE) from egg allergic patients and stimulation of spleen and mesenteric lymph node cell cultures of EW-sensitized BALB/c mice showed that resistance to proteolysis, IgE-binding and immunostimulatory properties of the HP and TG-treated proteins were not substantially different from those of the native ones. Industrial Relevance The use of transglutaminase as a crosslinking agent has been suggested for many industrial applications, as in the case of meat, fish, milk or soy proteins, which are good substrates for this enzyme. This work widens the possible use of transglutaminase, for modifying less suitable substrates for crosslinking, as egg proteins, through the use of high pressure before or during crosslinking. In our study, HP-assisted TG-induced OVA and EW crosslinking enhanced gastroduodenal digestion but did not reduce the allergenicity of egg proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]