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This study aims to systematically review and critical evaluation of the risk of bias and the applicability of existing prediction models for acute kidney injury post liver transplantation. A comprehensive literature search up until February 7, 2024, was conducted across nine databases: PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO CINAHL Plus, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, CBM, and VIP. Systematic review of observational studies. Literature screening and data extraction were independently conducted by two researchers using a standardized checklist designed for the critical appraisal of prediction modelling studies in systematic reviews. The prediction model risk of bias assessment tool was utilized to assess both the risk of bias and the models' applicability. Thirty studies were included, identifying 34 prediction models. External validation was conducted in seven studies, while internal validation exclusively took place in eight studies. Three models were subjected to both internal and external validation, the area under the curve ranging from 0.610 to 0.921. A meta -analysis of high-frequency predictors identified several statistically significant factors, including recipient body mass index, Model for End-stage Liver Disease score, preoperative albumin levels, international normalized ratio, and surgical-related factors such as cold ischemia time. All studies were demonstrated a high risk of bias, mainly due to the use of unsuitable data sources and inadequate detail in the analysis reporting. The evaluation with prediction model risk of bias assessment tool indicated a considerable bias risk in current predictive models for acute kidney injury post liver transplantation. The recognition of high bias in existing models calls for future research to employ rigorous methodologies and robust data sources, aiming to develop and validate more accurate and clinically applicable predictive models for acute kidney injury post liver transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of avalanche photodiode (APD) in optical detection system is greatly influenced by background radiation and operating temperature, so an APD optimal bias voltage compensation method based on machine learning is designed to accurately judge the current laser emission state and APD working state so that dichotomy compensation can be carried out to make APD work in optimal state. By means of cross-verification, the accuracy of judging laser emission state and APD working state is as high as 100% and 99.3% separately, then the number of input variables in the model is reduced appropriately by experiment and the prediction speed of the algorithm is further improved. Finally, road detection application is taken as the experimental background and comparison between the proposed method and the most widely used signal amplitude feedback compensation method is carried out. The results of this study suggest that the proposed APD optimal bias voltage compensation method based on machine learning offers a new and promising approach. • Mathematical model of APD optimum reverse bias voltage is analyzed. • Machine learning is used to make comprehensive evaluation of performance of APD. • The number of input variables in the model is reduced appropriately by experiment. • The road detection application is taken as the experimental background. • The effectiveness of APD optimal bias voltage compensation method is verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New strategies with the ability to enhance both the humoral and cellular immune responses remain a priority for the development of future therapeutic cancer vaccines. In this study, we took advantage of β-glucan particles (GPs) derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae baker's yeast and a novel reverse micro-emulsion method to prepare an antigen-loaded GP carrier system for dendritic cell (DC) specific antigen delivery, followed by careful evaluation of the immune functions of the prepared particles in initiating both the humoral and cellular immune responses through in vitro and in vivo experiments. The prepared particles greatly promoted DC activation and cytokine production and cross presented the antigen to CD8 cells, inducing very strong OVA specific humoral and cellular immune responses. Treatment with these particles significantly prevented the growth of implanted EG7-OVA tumors in a prophylactic and pre-established tumor model. These results suggest that our strategy may be able to be utilized as a promising platform for cancer immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) has been newly demonstrated to play a great role in promoting fat accumulation, providing a potential to target FSH for controlling fat accumulation and treating obesity. A short, 13-amino acid of FSHβ (FSHβ13AA) was indentified to be the FSH receptor-binding epitope in both humans and mice. By conservation analysis, we found such FSHβ13AA is highly conserved across species. Accordingly, we designed a new FSH antigen by synthesizing a tandem of FSHβ13AA (LVYKDPARPNIQK) and then conjugating it to ovalbumin (FSHβ13AA-T-OVA). Then, we tested its efficacy in suppressing fat accumulation in both ovariectomized and intact mouse models. Vaccination with this novel antigen emulsified in mild adjuvant, Specol, was highly effective in preventing ovariectomy-induced body weight gain and fat accumulation in mice (P < 0.01). Mechanistically, FSH vaccination treatment inhibited lipid biosynthesis by inactivating PPARγ adipogenic signaling pathway and simultaneously enhanced adipocyte themogenesis via upregulating UCP1 expression in both visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissues. Moreover, injection of this novel FSH vaccine also substantially reduced (P < 0.05) fat accumulation in both intact male and female mice. These actions result from the specific binding of the generated antibody to the β-subunit to block its action, rather than lowering the circulating levels of FSH, as evidenced by nearly no alterations in serum FSH levels in mice following FSH vaccination. Overall, we developed a novel FSH antigen and vaccine, and demonstrated it is highly efficacious in suppressing fat accumulation. • A novel FSH vaccine was developed based on the FSH receptor-binding epitope of FSH β-subunit. • Vaccination with this vaccine was highly effective in preventing ovariectomy-induced fat accumulation in mice. • Vaccination with this vaccine was also highly effective in preventing fat accumulation in intact mice fed on normal chow. • FSH vaccination suppresses fat accumulation through inactivating PPARγ and upregulating UCP1 signaling in adipose tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• AEBP1 promotes growth, and migration of PTC cells in vitro and in vivo. • AEBP1 induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition in PTC progression. • BMP4 mediates the biological role of AEBP1 in PTC progression. Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most prevalent endocrine cancer worldwide. Approximately 30 % of PTC patients will progress into the advanced or metastatic stage and have a relatively poor prognosis. It is well known that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a pivotal role in thyroid cancer metastasis, resistance to therapy, and recurrence. Clarifying the molecular mechanisms of EMT in PTC progression will help develop the targeted therapy of PTC. The aberrant expression of some transcription factors (TFs) participated in many pathological processes of cancers including EMT. In this study, by performing bioinformatics analysis, adipocyte enhancer-binding protein 1 (AEBP1) was screened as a pivotal TF that promoted EMT and tumor progression in PTC. In vitro experiments indicated that knockout of AEBP1 can inhibit the growth and invasion of PTC cells and reduce the expression of EMT markers including N-cadherin, TWIST1, and ZEB2. In the xenograft model, knockout of AEBP1 inhibited the growth and lung metastasis of PTC cells. By performing RNA-sequencing, dual-luciferase reporter assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) was identified as a downstream target of AEBP1. Over-expression of BMP4 can rescue the inhibitory effects of AEBP1 knockout on the growth, invasion, and EMT phenotype of PTC cells. In conclusion, these findings demonstrated that AEBP1 plays a critical role in PTC progression by regulating BMP4 expression and the AEBP1-BMP4 axis may present novel therapeutic targets for PTC treatment. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CD36 is a transmembrane glycoprotein, located on surface of numerous cell types. This review is aimed to explore regulatory role of CD36 in hematopoiesis beyond fatty acid uptake. CD36 acts as a pattern recognition receptor, regulates cellular fatty acid homeostasis, and negatively monitors angiogenesis. CD36 also mediates free fatty acid transportation to hematopoietic stem cells in response to infections. During normal physiology and pathophysiology, CD36 significantly participates in the activation and metabolic needs of platelets, macrophages, monocytes, T cells, B cells, and dendritic cells. CD36 has shown a unique relationship with Plasmodium falciparum -infected erythrocytes (Pf IEs) as a beneficiary for both parasite and host. CD36 actively participates in pathogenesis of various hematological cancers as a significant prognostic biomarker including AML, HL, and NHL. CD36-targeting antibodies, CD36 antagonists (small molecules), and CD36 expression inhibitors/modulators are used to target CD36, depicting its therapeutic potential. Many preclinical studies or clinical trials were performed to assess CD36 as a therapeutic target; some are still under investigation. This review reflects the role of CD36 in hematopoiesis which requires more consideration in future research. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The proposed joint demand response and dynamic pricing strategies can make the net grid demand curve smoother and have practical significance. • The dynamic pricing strategy helps to realize the joint dispatch of multiple demand response resources in the region and alleviate the grid pressure during peak hours. • A two-layer optimization model is proposed to not only realize the economy of joint operation of multiple energy stations, but also make the net grid demand curve smoother through joint demand response. In recent years, countries around the world have made great efforts to coordinate energy green and low-carbon development and energy supply. In this context, it is of great significance to build energy stations that can greatly absorb renewable energy. The coordinated operation of multi-energy stations in the region can expand the role of energy stations and strengthen energy complementarity between regions. Aiming at the problem of energy interaction and coordinated operation of multi-energy stations in regional integrated energy system, this paper proposes a two-layer scheduling optimization model, which can effectively reduce the system operation cost and carbon emissions. At the same time, considering the joint demand response, it can effectively reduce the peak power supply pressure of the power grid. In addition, in order to ensure the accuracy and efficiency of the solution, this paper improves the traditional NSGA-II algorithm, greatly improving the overall performance of the algorithm. Finally, the simulation analysis is carried out through an example. The results show that the operation optimization model proposed in this paper can effectively reduce the total energy cost of the system, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and reduce the peak pressure of the power grid. The coordinated operation optimization method is effective and feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying a high-voltage electric field to waxy oil can significantly reduce its viscosity near the pour point, and the viscosity recovers gradually after the removal of the electric field. The impact of shear, which is an inevitable occurrence during oil pipeline transportation, on the durability of viscosity reduction remains inadequately explored. In this study, four waxy crude oils were subjected to electric fields with various strengths, and the effect of shear on the viscosity and impedance of treated oils was evaluated. The results revealed that a higher field strength promotes the accumulation of more colloidal particles (asphaltenes and resins) on wax particle surfaces, resulting in longer maintenance of viscosity reduction. Shear exhibited a contrasting impact on electrically-treated oils' viscosity: it hastened the disappearance of the modification effect of oils with low liquid phase viscosity and small colloidal particle size, but preserved the viscosity reduction of oils with high liquid phase viscosity and large colloidal particle size. Further investigation revealed that shear disrupted the interconnection between colloidal particles and wax particles, and promoted the collision and adhesion of free-moving colloidal particles with wax particles. The competition between these two effects determined the effect of shear on the viscosity of treated oils. • Higher field strength resulted in a longer maintenance of viscosity reduction. • Shear exhibited a contrasting impact on the viscosity of electrically-treated oils. • The state of charged colloidal particles under shear determined the shear effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antibacterial activity and mechanism of monolauroyl-galactosylglycerol (MLGG) against Bacillus cereus were investigated. The minimum inhibitory concentration of MLGG against B. cereus was 0.156 mg/ml. The inhibition growth curve assay also revealed that MLGG presented good antibacterial activity against B. cereus. Alkaline phosphatase activity assay, nucleotide leakage and cell viability analysis demonstrated that MLGG disrupted the integrity of cell wall and cell membrane of B. cereu s. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy results showed obvious morphological and ultrastructural changes of B. cereu s membrane, further confirming the damage of cell membrane integrity caused by MLGG. In summary, MLGG might exerted its antibacterial activity mainly by an action mode of membrane disruption, and it was expected to be an alternative for the development of new food preservatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREM) have become a critical component in assessing healthcare quality from the patient's perspective. Accurate and reproducible assessment tools are essential for generating robust and reliable results for evaluating peri-anesthesia patient experiences, identifying associated factors, and assessing the impact of healthcare interventions. However, there is currently no systematic review that consolidates all existing peri-anesthesia PREMs and evaluates their psychometric properties. To identify and assess the psychometric properties of PREMs for peri-anesthesia patients. Systematic review of measurement properties following the COSMIN guidelines. Systematic searches were conducted in China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases from January 1, 1993, to April 15, 2024. Studies reporting on the development and/or validation of any PREMs for use in the peri-anesthesia period were considered eligible. The measurement properties extracted included data on the item development process, content validity, structural validity, internal consistency, cross-cultural validity, reliability, hypothesis testing and responsiveness. For the same PREM across different studies, reliability coefficients were analyzed using a meta-analysis. The quality assessment, rating of measurement properties, synthesis, and modified grading of the evidence were carried out following the COSMIN methodology for systematic reviews. A total of 26 studies encompassing 16 PREMs were included. Among them, the Patient Satisfaction with Perioperative Anesthetic Care questionnaire (PSPACq), Perception of Quality in Anesthesia (PQA), Sindhvananda General Anesthesia Satisfaction questionnaire, and Daycare Anesthesia Satisfaction (DAS) demonstrated moderate to high-quality evidence of adequate content validity and internal consistency, resulting in strong recommendations. Five PREMs exhibited high-quality evidence of inadequate structural validity and internal consistency, receiving a "not recommended" status. The remaining PREMs were weakly recommended. This systematic review identified PSPACq and PQA as effective tools for assessing peri-anesthesia experiences in surgical patients, suitable for both research and clinical use. Future studies should focus on thoroughly evaluating the measurement properties of these two PREMs, as many aspects remain underexplored. A high risk of bias was noted in other PREMs, particularly in content validity, structural validity, and reliability, which increases uncertainty in the evidence base. This study's protocol has been registered at PROSPERO under the registration number CRD42024537900. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stress-director coupling of monodomain nematic elastomers may lead to soft deformation and the appearance of stripe domains under uniaxial tension. Based on a continuum mechanical model and finite element method, we investigated the loading-unloading hysteretic behavior of thin monodomain nematic elastomer sheets. Under orthogonal uniaxial loading tests, stripe domains appeared in the center of the specimens after the critical strain was reached. Furthermore, a stress peak was observed, which was followed by a stress plateau. During unloading, these stripe domains did not disappear, and the unloading curve was significantly lower than the loading curve, resulting in large stress-strain hysteresis and unloading residual strain. Additionally, the presence of stripe domains led to an increased strain rate correlation in stress-strain curves, while significantly extending the period of strain recovery without unloading constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Infrared interference is divided into small-region and full-region interference. • Fault diagnosis of IRFPA is studied under small-region and full-region interference. • An adaptive fault-tolerant extended Kalman filter is proposed. • This method improves the anti-interference ability of infrared attitude measurement. To improve the anti-jamming ability of infrared attitude measurement methods, the infrared focal plane array (IRFPA) fault diagnosis method was investigated with regard to small-region and full-region infrared interference, respectively. An adaptive fault-tolerant extended Kalman filter algorithm is proposed to actively remove the infrared interference data in the case of small-region infrared interference and carry out attitude estimation with the mathematical model under full-region infrared interference. The results reveal that the adaptive fault-tolerant extended Kalman filter has stronger anti-jamming ability compared with the conventional extended Kalman filter. Additionally, the adaptive fault-tolerant extended Kalman filter can maintain the attitude estimation accuracy of ± 0.8 ° when full-region infrared interference doesn't exist or if most IRFPA data are reliable. Apart from missile navigation, the framework of the adaptive fault-tolerant extended Kalman filter can be applied to almost all applications using extended Kalman filter, such as aircraft, vehicular navigation, indoor positioning, and target tracking, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Electric field induces charged particles to adsorb on the surface of wax particles. • The impedance of a waxy oil below the WAT increases after exposure to electric field. • The impedance increase is positively correlated with viscosity reduction. Previous studies have shown that the application of a high-voltage electric field to a liquid or gelled waxy crude oil can significantly improve its cold flowability, such as reducing viscosity and yield strength. However, the mechanism of the electrorheological behaviors of waxy oils remains largely unknown. In this study, the impedance spectroscopy was firstly used to investigate the mechanism of the electrorheological behaviors of waxy oils. The impedance of the waxy oil increases and the conductivity decreases after an oil is exposed to electric fields. Based on this finding and with the aid of further experiments using model oils of controlled compositions, i.e. to control the absence of wax, resins and asphaltenes in the oil, interfacial polarization of wax particles was demonstrated as the primary and essential mechanism of the electrorheological behaviors. The interfacial polarization of wax particles means that charged colloidal particles in the oil, i.e., resins and asphaltenes, would accumulate on the surface of wax particles upon the application of the external electric field, and the resulted electrostatic repulsion will diminish the van der Waals force between wax particles, thus reducing viscosity and the strength of wax particle structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Neutralizing antibody evaluation helps to assess the risk of re-infection. • Some COVID-19 patients may not develop neutralizing antibody after recovery. • SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody levels are correlated with COVID-19 disease severity. The emerging coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a serious global public health threat. With more and more recovered patients, it is urgently needed for evaluation of the neutralizing antibody (NAb) in these patients. In this study, we collected blood samples from 49 patients recently recovered from COVID-19. Serum NAbs were measured using a novel surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT). Factors associated with NAb titers were analyzed using Ordinary Least Squares regression model. The median age of the study participants was 37 years (IQR, 30.0–54.5) and 55.1 % (27/49) of which were male. The median time to blood collection (for NAb analysis) from illness onset, viral clearance and discharge were 43.0 days (IQR, 36.0–50.0), 27.0 days (IQR, 20.5–37) and 17.0 days (IQR, 15.0–33.0), respectively. Patients had a median NAb titer of 1: 40 (IQR, 1:15–1:120). NAbs were not detected in two asymptomatic children who quickly cleared the virus. NAb titers were higher in patients with older age (p = 0.020), symptomatic infection (p = 0.044), more profound lung involvement (p＜0.001), abnormal C-reactive protein level (p＜0.01) and elevated lactate dehydrogenase (p = 0.019). Multivariable analysis revealed that severity of pneumonia and having comorbidity positively correlated with NAb titers in recovered patients (p = 0.02), while use of corticosteroids negatively impacted NAb titers (p = 0.01). Our study suggests that some COVID-19 patients may not have detectable NAb after recovery. SARS-CoV-2 NAb titers are positively correlated with severity of COVID-19 pneumonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]