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Taiwanese-style emulsified pork meatballs (EPM) (Kung-wan) are the most popular restructured ready-to-eat meat products in Taiwan. However, the quality of EPM is influenced by numerous factors, especially its nonmeat ingredients. Sorghum distillers grains (SDGs) are a byproduct of Taiwanese alcoholic liquor, kaoliang liquor brewing. SDGs have comprehensive nutrients and good processing properties. However, the application of SDGs in EPM has not been reported. For this purpose, we examined the quality of EPM containing SDGs in this study. EPM containing SDGs showed substantially higher hardness (2126.67 to 3515.50 gf), gumminess (1093.79 to 1532.19 gf), chewiness (395.43 to 501.16 mJf), and lower pH values (4.98 to 5.87) compared to those of control (1917.33 gf, 930.81 gf, 389.83 mJf, and 5.99) (p < 0.05); however, EPM did not affect springiness or cohesiveness. Additionally, the control EPM exhibited the highest water-holding capacity (WHC) (94.87%), which did not markedly differ from those of 20% and 40% SDGs (p > 0.05). The control EPM (0% SDGs) showed the lowest cooking loss (5.58%), water loss (3.67%), fat loss (1.31%), and L (54.29), a (4.23), and b values (12.62), which substantially increased with increasing SDGs addition ratios (7.42 to 35.16%, 4.27 to 15.30%, 1.31 to 9.73%, 54.87 to 59.20, 4.26 to 5.67, and 13.81 to 18.51). Therefore, sorghum distiller's grains can replace potato starch for emulsified meat products such as tribute balls, and produce high-quality products, and promote the added value of SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic progressive autoimmune disease characterized with high recurrence, high disability, poor prognosis, and long treatment cycles. Versus western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine has the traits of definite efficacy, low toxicity, and side effects in the treatment of RA. Moreover, traditional Chinese medicine also has the advantages of multiple targets, multiple links, and multiple approaches. This study was committed to exploring the effect of Jinwujiangu prescription on peripheral blood osteoclasts in those patients with RA and relevant molecular mechanisms. We first identified 159 common targets by online pharmacology, and there were correlations among these targets; besides, the main signaling pathways involved were inclusive TNF signaling pathway, rheumatoid arthritis, IL-17 signaling pathway, NF-kappa B signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, etc. Through experimental verification, we found that PBMC cells extracted from human peripheral blood could be successfully induced into osteoclasts, and Jinwujiangu prescription inhibited the generation of osteoclasts from PBMCs of RA patients. CCK-8 and flow cytometry showed that osteoclast viability was significantly decreased and osteoclast apoptosis was significantly increased in the HIF-1α interference group; low-, medium-, and high-dose Jinwujiangu prescription groups; sinapine group; and hydroxychloroquine control group. Moreover, Jinwujiangu prescription and sinapine could inhibit the production of cytokines in peripheral blood osteoclasts and inhibit autophagy in RA patients. The expression level of mTOR was significantly increased in both Jinwu middle- and high-dose groups. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that sinapine, the active target in Jinwujiangu prescription, can act as a HIF-1α inhibitor; activate the mTOR pathway; downregulate the level of autophagy rate, ATG5, beclin-1, and LC3 expression; and inhibit the occurrence of autophagy. The trial registration number of the study is KYW2021010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Unexplained infertility (UIF) or recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) affects 10%–15% of couples in their reproductive years and is multifactorial and not completely elucidated. In this study, we attempt to determine the endometrial expression pattern of non-coding RNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD) in women with UIF and RPL, as well as its clinical significance. Methods. The microarray dataset GSE165004 was used to identify differentially expressed RNAs in the endometrial samples between women with RPL and fertile women and between women with UIF and fertile women. A total of 142 women were included in this retrospective analysis, including 32 women with UIF, 48 women with RPL, and 62 fertile women. The relative expression level of NORAD in the endometrial tissues was quantified by qRT-PCR. Results. NORAD stood out as an only overlapped lncRNA among differentially expressed RNAs in the endometrial samples between RPL and fertile women and between UIF and fertile women. It was showed that the endometrial tissues of UIF and RPL both were demonstrated with lower relative expression levels of NORAD (UIF: 2.09 ± 0.68; RPL: 1.98 ± 0.65) than the endometrial tissues of normal fertility (4.32 ± 1.04) (P < 0.001). Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated that the serum level of E2 was negatively correlated with the relative expression level of NORAD in the endometrial tissues of UIF (r = −0.630) and RPL (r = −0.696). Results of ROC curves showed that the endometrial expression of NORAD could be used to differentiate RPL and UIF with an AUC of 0.977 (95% CI: 0.956–0.999) and 0.970 (95% CI: 0.941–0.998), sensitivity of 0.873 and 0.955, and specificity of 0.845 and 0.948, respectively. Conclusion. The findings obtained from the study showed that the low endometrial expression of NORAD was linked to fertility-related problems, such as UIF and RPL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. The expression and clinical significance of tumor necrosis factor-α (INF-α) and interleukin 1-β (IL-1β) in retinal cells of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) retinopathy were detected by flow cytometry. Materials and Methods. Fifty patients with T2DM who attended our ophthalmology clinic between May 2021 and May 2022 were selected as the observation group. Another 50 healthy individuals who were examined at our hospital during the same period were selected as the comparison group. Tear film rupture time (BUT), fluorescein staining (FL), basal tear secretion (Schirmer I) test, and conjunctival impression cytology (CIC) were detected in both groups, and the expression of TNF-α and IL-1β in retinal cells was observed by immunohistochemical staining. Results. The levels of IL13 and TNF-α in the two groups were not exactly the same. The serum levels of IL13 and TNF-α in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group, and there was a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). TNF-α and IL-1B expressions in the observation group were positively correlated with the fluorescence staining, and the expression of TNF-α and IL-1β in the observation group was significantly negatively correlated with the BUT test and Schirmer I test. Conclusion. Serums TNF-α and IL-1β are significantly elevated in patients with T2DM retinopathy and gradually increase with disease progression. Combined detection of serums TNF-α and IL-1β can help determine the severity of the disease and assess the prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of the nursing safety management in nursing quality of hemodialysis room was deeply analyzed through the evaluation index study of nursing quality in hemodialysis room. Sixty-two patients were selected from hemodialysis rooms as study samples, and 31 patients who had not carried out nursing safety management from September 2018 to September 2019 were selected as control samples. Thirty-one patients who underwent nursing safety management from September 2019 to September 2020 were included in the observation group. By comparing the samples of the control group and the observation group, it was found that the comprehensive score of adverse reaction risk nursing quality and nursing satisfaction score between the groups were significantly improved; P < 0.05. Nursing safety management can effectively reduce the quality of nursing in hemodialysis room and greatly reduce the occurrence of adverse risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the limitation of carbon emissions, China's photovoltaic (PV) industry has developed vigorously, while some traditional heavy industries have been violently hit. Therefore, the industrial production data exhibits significant nonlinear and complexity characteristics, which may affect prediction accuracy, thus hindering the corresponding department's decision-making. Consequently, a novel structure-adaptive fractional Bernoulli grey model is presented in this paper to surmount this toughie, and the core innovations can be summarized as follows. Initially, a novel time function term is utilized to depict the accumulative time effect, which can smoothly represent the dynamic variations and significantly strengthen the robustness of the new model. Besides, the fractional-order accumulation technique, which could effectively improve the predicting accuracy, is employed in the proposed model. Furthermore, the adaptability and generalizability of the proposed model can be enhanced by the self-adaptive parameters optimized by the Particle Swarm Optimization. For illustration and verification purposes, experiments on forecasting the annual output of Photovoltaic modules in China and the annual output of steel in Beijing are compared with a range of benchmarks, including the classic GM (1, 1), conventional econometric technology, and machine learning methods. And the results confirmed that the proposed model is superior to all benchmark models, which indicates that the novel model is indeed suitable for industrial production forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Ultrasound is a practical imaging modality for screening and identification of anomalies in the organs. This study used ultrasonography to examine the association between body parameters and dimensions of the normal liver, spleen, and kidney in adolescents based on ultrasound examination results. Methods. A total of 300 junior and senior high school teenagers receiving routine health check-ups in our hospital from January 2020 to January 2021 were included. Their height and weight were measured, and their body surface area (BSA) and body mass index (BMI) were calculated. Ultrasound imaging was employed to obtain information such as the length and volume of the liver, gallbladder, spleen, and kidney. Besides, the correlation of body parameters such as gender, age, height, weight, BSA, and BMI with visceral dimension was investigated using the Pearson test and multiple regression analysis, respectively. Results. We observed that the abdominal organs of adolescents were enlarged with age. The span and volume of the liver and the length and volume of the right kidney were significantly larger in boys than in girls. The age, BSA, and BMI were positively correlated with the liver span and spleen length, as well as the left and right kidney lengths. Additionally, age, BSA, and BMI were identified as important predictors for dimensions of the spleen, liver, and kidney. Conclusions. Body parameters are notably associated with the dimensions of the liver, spleen, and kidney and could be utilized as predicting factors for the liver, spleen, and kidney dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to better understand and optimize the national physical fitness, this paper puts forward the national physical fitness data change feature extraction method based on data mining, uses the decision tree and association rule data mining algorithm to collect the national physical fitness data in recent years, constructs the database to realize the effective data management, and uses the data mining algorithm to construct the physical fitness change feature evaluation index. Finally, through experiments, it is confirmed that the national physique data change feature extraction method based on data mining has high effectiveness in the process of practical application. It can better understand the national physique change trend and put forward targeted suggestions for national physique health optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarcopenia is defined as the loss of skeletal muscle mass and muscle function. It is common in patients with malignancies and often associated with adverse clinical outcomes. The presence of sarcopenia in patients with cancer is determined by body composition, and recently, radiologic technology for the accurate estimation of body composition is under development. Artificial intelligence- (AI-) assisted image measurement facilitates the detection of sarcopenia in clinical practice. Sarcopenia is a prognostic factor for patients with cancer, and confirming its presence helps to recognize those patients at the greatest risk, which provides a guide for designing individualized cancer treatments. In this review, we examine the recent literature (2017-2021) on AI-assisted image assessment of body composition and sarcopenia, seeking to synthesize current information on the mechanism and the importance of sarcopenia, its diagnostic image markers, and the interventions for sarcopenia in the medical care of patients with cancer. We concluded that AI-assisted image analysis is a reliable automatic technique for segmentation of abdominal adipose tissue. It has the potential to improve diagnosis of sarcopenia and facilitates identification of oncology patients at the greatest risk, supporting individualized prevention planning and treatment evaluation. The capability of AI approaches in analyzing series of big data and extracting features beyond manual skills would no doubt progressively provide impactful information and greatly refine the standard for assessing sarcopenia risk in patients with cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical training data are greatly affected by the human movement state, and the current monitoring method has the problem of low accuracy. A dynamic monitoring method of physical training intensity is designed based on the wearable sensor. The wearable sensor network is established, the quaternion is transformed into the corresponding Euler angle, and the measurement of the sensor is transformed into the human body coordinate system. In the process of human motion reconstruction, the human motion state parameters are estimated based on the wearable sensor data, the parameter eigenvalues are extracted, and the decision tree classification algorithm is used to identify the physical training state. According to the classification results, the dynamic monitoring model of three-dimensional energy training intensity is established, and the numerical index of training intensity is obtained. In terms of various physical training items, the average monitoring accuracy of the dynamic monitoring method of physical training intensity based on the wearable sensor is 97.12%, which is 3.70%, 4.59%, and 5.04% higher than the methods based on reflected interframe image, median average filtering algorithm, and Internet of Things technology, respectively, so as to realize the accurate monitoring of sports state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research attempted to investigate the molecular mechanism of Jin-Wu-Jian-Gu Formulation (JWJGF) in inhibiting rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a pharmacological approach for analysis and experimental validation. First, the potential targets and pathways of JWJGF for RA were predicted by network pharmacology. Second, the effect of JWJGF on RA was observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Further, we observed the effects of JWJGF on the IL33-ST2 signaling pathway by Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) experiments, and finally, we studied the effects of Liquiritigenin on rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblast (RASF) cells and the IL33-ST2 signaling pathway. Network pharmacology results showed that the key component of JWJGF was Liquiritigenin and the core target of JWJGF was IL-33. The results of HE and ELISA showed that JWJGF could alleviate RA. Western blot and qPCR findings indicated that JWJGF could inhibit the IL33-ST2 signaling pathway. Furthermore, JWJGF could inhibit the proliferation of RASF cells and the IL33-ST2 signaling pathway. In conclusion, this study revealed that JWJGF attenuated RA by inhibiting the IL33-ST2 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has been incorporated into all walks of life, especially the integration of machine learning and health management has achieved very significant progress and results. It is very necessary to analyze personalized sports health management services and long-term assessment of health issues in the era of AI. Methods. This paper explores AI + personalized sports management service system design ideas, system operation process, management stage design, taking common chronic diseases, and diabetes as examples. 150 patients were divided into an observation group and a control group, and the blood glucose, blood pressure, blood lipid, and knowledge awareness rate were compared. Results. The blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood lipid levels of the observation group all reduced, and the awareness rate of diabetes knowledge increased, which proved that the AI research has great value in sports rehabilitation research coupled with long term health assessment and is worth further research. Conclusion. The AI research proposed in this paper is of far-reaching practical significance in helping the transformation and upgrading of the sports health management service industry, promoting the innovative development of sports health management service supply, and promoting national fitness and national health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. To identify the guinea pig eyeball with edge detection and curve fitting and devise a noncontact technology of measuring ocular morphological parameters of small experimental animal. Methods. Thirty-nine eyeballs of guinea pig eyeballs were photographed to obtain the anterior and posterior surface; transverse and sagittal planes after the eyeballs were eviscerated. Next, the eyeball photos were input into digital image analysis software; the corresponding photo pixels-actual length ratio was acquired by a proportional scale. The contour lines of the eyeballs were identified by edge detection technology; conic curve fitting was applied to fit the contour line of the eyeball. The maximum and minimum diameters, the horizontal and vertical diameters, eccentricity, tilt angle, cross-sectional area, equatorial circumference, retrobulbar equatorial maximum length, corneal radius of curvature (CRC) in central region, and the whole cornea were calculated according to the geometric principles. The corneal data of in vitro study were compared with the in vivo results. Results. The contour line of the selected guinea pig eye was identified correctly by edge detection. There were no significant differences between anterior and posterior surfaces of one eyeball in the maximum diameters, eccentricity, cross-sectional area, equatorial circumference, and tilt angle (P > 0.01). There were significant differences of eccentricity and CRC between central region and the whole cornea (P < 0.01). There were no significant differences between keratometer in vivo and cornea in vitro. Conclusion. It was feasible to measure an experimental animal eye in a noncontact way. Edge detection and curve fitting technology could accurately evaluate the ocular morphological parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Lung cancer (LC) is top-ranked in cancer incidence and is the leading cause of cancer death globally. Combining serum biomarkers can improve the accuracy of LC diagnosis. The identification of the best potential combination of traditional tumor markers is essential for LC diagnosis. Patients and Methods. Blood samples were collected from 132 LC cases and 118 benign lung disease (BLD) controls. The expression levels of ten serum tumor markers (CYFR21, CEA, NSE, SCC, CA15-3, CA 19-9, CA 125, CA50, CA242, and CA724) were assayed, and that the expression in the levels of tumor markers were evaluated, isolated, and combined in different patients. The performance of the biomarkers was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses, and the difference between combinations of biomarkers was compared by Chi-square ( χ 2 ) tests. Results. As single markers, CYFR21 and CEA showed good diagnostic efficacy for nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, while NSE and CEA were the most sensitive in the diagnosis of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The area under the curve (AUC) value was 0.854 for the panel of four biomarkers (CYFR21, CEA, NSE, and SCC), 0.875 for the panel of six biomarkers (CYFR21, CEA, NSE, SCC, CA125, and CA15-3), and 0.884 for the panel of ten markers (CYFR21, CEA, NSE, SCC, CA125, CA15-3, CA19-9, CA50, CA242, and CA724). With a higher sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV), the diagnostic accuracy of the three panels was better than that of any single biomarker, but there were no statistically significant differences among them (all P values > 0.05). However, the panel of six carbohydrate antigen (CA) biomarkers (CA125, CA15-3, CA19-9, CA50, CA242, and CA724) showed a lower diagnostic value (AUC: 0.776, sensitivity: 59.8%, specificity: 73.0%, and NPV: 60.4%) than the three panels (P value < 0.05). The performance was similar even when analyzed individually by LC subtypes. Conclusion. The biomarkers isolated are elevated for different types of lung cancer, and the panel of CYFR21, CEA, NSE, and SCC seems to be a promising serum biomarker for the diagnosis of lung cancer, while the combination with carbohydrate antigen markers does not improve the diagnostic efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Lung cancer (LC) is top-ranked in cancer incidence and is the leading cause of cancer death globally. Combining serum biomarkers can improve the accuracy of LC diagnosis. The identification of the best potential combination of traditional tumor markers is essential for LC diagnosis. Patients and Methods. Blood samples were collected from 132 LC cases and 118 benign lung disease (BLD) controls. The expression levels of ten serum tumor markers (CYFR21, CEA, NSE, SCC, CA15-3, CA 19-9, CA 125, CA50, CA242, and CA724) were assayed, and that the expression in the levels of tumor markers were evaluated, isolated, and combined in different patients. The performance of the biomarkers was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses, and the difference between combinations of biomarkers was compared by Chi-square ( χ 2 ) tests. Results. As single markers, CYFR21 and CEA showed good diagnostic efficacy for nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, while NSE and CEA were the most sensitive in the diagnosis of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The area under the curve (AUC) value was 0.854 for the panel of four biomarkers (CYFR21, CEA, NSE, and SCC), 0.875 for the panel of six biomarkers (CYFR21, CEA, NSE, SCC, CA125, and CA15-3), and 0.884 for the panel of ten markers (CYFR21, CEA, NSE, SCC, CA125, CA15-3, CA19-9, CA50, CA242, and CA724). With a higher sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV), the diagnostic accuracy of the three panels was better than that of any single biomarker, but there were no statistically significant differences among them (all P values > 0.05). However, the panel of six carbohydrate antigen (CA) biomarkers (CA125, CA15-3, CA19-9, CA50, CA242, and CA724) showed a lower diagnostic value (AUC: 0.776, sensitivity: 59.8%, specificity: 73.0%, and NPV: 60.4%) than the three panels (P value < 0.05). The performance was similar even when analyzed individually by LC subtypes. Conclusion. The biomarkers isolated are elevated for different types of lung cancer, and the panel of CYFR21, CEA, NSE, and SCC seems to be a promising serum biomarker for the diagnosis of lung cancer, while the combination with carbohydrate antigen markers does not improve the diagnostic efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The swimming performance of juvenile rock carp (Procypris rabaudi, Tchang) subjected to repeated fatigue exercise was studied using a flume‐type respirometer at 20°C. The critical swimming speed (Ucrit) and oxygen consumption rate (MO2) of juvenile rock carp were measured during two successive stepped velocity tests, following a 60 min rest interval. Ucrit of rock carp was giving a recovery ratio (Rr) of 92.64%, and exertion exercise decreases Ucrit. When MO2 was plotted as a linear function of U, the slope for trial 1 was 1.06 and 1.50 for trial 2, indicating a decreasing in swimming efficiency. The maximum metabolic rate (MMR) increased from 17.06 ± 1.14 mmol O2/(kg·hr) to 19.14 ± 1.23 mmol O2/(kg·hr), and the exercise post oxygen consumption rate (EPOC) increased from 9.00 to 9.65 mmol O2/kg. Repeated fatiguing exercise increased both the aerobic and anaerobic cost of reaching Ucrit, but anaerobic metabolism accounted for a larger proportion in the trial 2. The data investigation on the swimming performance and the physiological response to fatigue provide important design criteria for fishways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Transition metal and heteroatom codoped carbon materials have become the most promising materials to replace commercial platinum carbon (Pt / C) catalysts due to their low cost, high stability, and methanol resistance. In this work, iron‐nitrogen and phosphorus codoped carbon nanorod‐layer composites (N, P‐CNL) derived from phosphorus‐doped polyaniline (P‐PANI) by phytic acid (PA) and iron salt were successfully obtained after high‐temperature pyrolysis. As a result, the N, P‐CNL materials exhibited good electrocatalytic performance due to abundant active sites. The N, P‐CNL with 50% mass filling ratio of iron salt (named as N, P‐CNL‐1:1) displayed an enhanced limiting current density of −5.97 mA cm−2 at 1600 rpm and outstanding onset potential (−0.004 V) and oxygen reduction peak potential (−0.144 V). In general, this work can give insights into understanding the mechanism of codoped catalysts and synthesis the catalyst with excellent long‐term stability and resistance to methanol crossover and poisoning better than commercial Pt/C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A cross‐linked MnO2 coated ZnFe2O4 hollow nanosphere composite is synthesized and controlled via a facial and handy route. The connected MnO2 nanoplates form a cross‐linked network, which is conducive to the rapid transfer of Li ions. The composite with unique architecture can not only release the strain and stress caused by the insertion and desertion of lithium ions but also greatly improve the electrical conductivity and lithium ion diffusivity. Consequently, when used as a lithium‐ion battery anode material, the electrode shows an excellent initial reversible capacity of 933.5 mAh/g with an initial coulombic efficiency of 62.5%. After 100 cycles, the reversible capacity stabilized at 605.6 mAh/g with a high capacity retention of 91% from the 20th cycle to the 100th cycle. At a high current density of 3 A/g, an excellent capacity of 390.6 mAh/g can be retained. In this case, the electrode shows broad application prospects for novel power storage systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia contributing to severe outcomes, including cardiac dysfunction and stroke, and it has drawn great attention around the world. Drug therapies have been available for many years to terminate AF and control heart rate. However, the results from clinical studies on drug therapies have been discouraging. Mounting evidence indicates that radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) is a safe and effective method to maintain sinus rhythm, especially in patients who are drug intolerant or for whom the drugs are ineffective, although it is a technically demanding and complex procedure. Fortunately, a novel application, cryoballoon ablation (CBA), with outstanding characteristics has been widely used. Great outcomes based on CBA have manifested its significant role in the treatment of AF. However, how to improve the safety and efficacy of CBA is a question that has not been well-answered. Would it be helpful to develop a different generation of cryoballoon? Is bonus freezing beneficial, or not? Is it better to prolong freezing time? Dose CBA combined with RFCA bring higher success rates? In this review, we comprehensively summarized useful applications for improving outcomes of CBA in AF patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two feeding trials were conducted to investigate the effect of replacing fishmeal with a combination of soy and corn protein concentrate (1:1 ratio) on growth performance of the Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). A basal diet containing 200 g/kg fishmeal was systematically reduced (200, 150, 100, 50 and 0 g/kg) with protein concentrate on an isonitrogenous basis. Additionally, two diets containing 0 or 50 g/kg fishmeal were supplemented with lysine and methionine to evaluate possible limitations in EAAs. Each diet was randomly fed to five replicate tanks (15 shrimp per 75 L aquaria) reared in an indoor clear water system (Trial 1), or four replicate circular tanks (100 shrimp per 800 L) reared in outdoor green water system (Trial 2). In trial 1, results indicated a slight decrease in shrimp performance as fishmeal was replaced at the highest levels. Meanwhile, the supplementation of lysine and methionine to the diets did not result in shifts in survival, growth or FCR. In trial 2, there were no significant differences in growth performance across the tested diets. This study demonstrated that plant‐based protein concentrates can be used to replace fishmeal in practical shrimp diet in clear and green water under high stocking density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The purpose of this study was to examine the capacity of commonly used trauma scoring systems such as the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Injury Severity Score (ISS), and Revised Trauma Score (RTS) to predict outcomes in young children with traumatic injuries. Methods. This retrospective study was conducted for the period from 2009 to 2016 in Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Medical Hospital, a level I trauma center. We included all children under the age of 6 years admitted to the hospital via the emergency department with any traumatic injury and compared the trauma scores of GCS, ISS, and RTS on patients' outcome. The primary outcomes were mortality and prolonged Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay, with the latter defined as an ICU stay longer than 14 days. The secondary outcome was the hospital length of stay (HLOS). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was also adopted with the value of the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for comparing trauma score prediction with patient mortality. Cutoff values from each trauma score for mortality prediction were also measured by determining the point along the ROC curve where Youden's index was maximum. Results. We included a total of 938 patients in this study, with a mean age of 3.1 ± 1.82 years. The mortality rate was 0.9%, and 93 (9.9%) patients had a prolonged ICU stay. An elevated ISS (34 ± 19.9 vs. 5 ± 5.1, p=0.004), lower GCS (8 ± 5.0 vs. 15 ± 1.3, p=0.006), and lower RTS (5.58 ± 1.498 vs. 7.64 ± 0.640, p=0.006) were all associated with mortality. All three scores were considered to be independent risk factors of mortality and prolonged ICU stay and had a linear correlation with increased HLOS. With regard to predicting mortality, ISS has the highest AUC value (ISS: 0.975; GCS: 0.864; and RTS: 0.899). The prediction cutoff values of ISS, GCS, and RTS on mortality were 15, 11, and 7, respectively. Conclusion. Regarding traumatic injuries in young children, worse ISS, GCS, and RTS were all associated with increased mortality, prolonged ICU stay, and longer hospital LOS. Of these scoring systems, ISS was the best at predicting mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A new template‐free controlled method is reported herein to prepare the novel hollow carbon nanospheres with dual active sites of FeN4 and FeC3 by in situ growth reaction on graphene nanosheets, labeled as HCN‐FNFCG. As‐prepared HCN‐FNFCG nanomaterials possess hierarchically porous FeN4/FeC3 shells with structures of microporous, mesoporous, and macroporous properties. Moreover, the hierarchically porous HCN‐FNFCG nanomaterials with dual active sites of FeN4 and FeC3 have not been reported before. The HCN‐FNFCG nanomaterials, as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts, are first studied systematically toward cathodic ORR of fuel cell. The measurements have illustrated that HCN‐FNFCG‐650 has the best ORR performances among these HCN‐FNFCG nanomaterials studied. The onset potential of HCN‐FNFCG‐650 has reached 1.095 V in alkaline electrolyte, and its maximum current density is 6.48 mA cm−2. Additionally, the HCN‐FNFCG‐650 has also displayed small electrochemical impedance, its Tafel‐slope value is 44.25 mV dec−1, much lower than that of the 20% Pt/C (69.57 mV dec−1). And its value of current density is still maintained 92.83% of the initial value after 9000‐second continuous tests. High tolerance against methanol crossover is also exhibited for HCN‐FNFCG‐650. This novel method of template‐free synthesis can provide a promising strategy for preparing hollow nanospheres with hierarchically porous shells. And it can be used to design ORR electrocatalysts, electrode materials, or other applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interleukin- (IL-) 35, a novel functional cytokine of regulatory T cells (Treg) comprised of the IL-12p35 subunit and the other subunit Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 (EBI3), regulates the activity of CD4+ T cells and macrophages, thereby playing a critical role in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Previous studies demonstrated that both recombinant mice and human IL-35 attenuated atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice. Additionally, EBI3 deficiency enhanced the activation of macrophages and increased atherosclerotic lesions in LDLR-/- mice. This study generated double-deficient mice for ApoE and IL-12p35 (ApoE-/- IL-12p35-/- mice) and investigated the effect of IL-12p35 deficiency on atherosclerosis. IL-12p35 deficiency alleviated Th1/Th2 imbalance, aggravated Th17/Treg imbalance, and attenuated atherosclerotic plaque formation in ApoE-/- mice. Additionally, exogenous rIL-35 treatment reversed the imbalance of Th17/Treg and attenuated atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice. These findings suggest that IL-12p35 deficiency ameliorates atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice, partially, via attenuating the Th1/Th2 imbalance, although IL-12p35 deficiency aggravates the Th17/Treg imbalance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a complex and heterogeneous disease with four consensus molecular subtypes (CMS1-4). LTBP2 is a member of the fibrillin/LTBP super family and plays a critical role in tumorigenesis by activating TGF-β in the CMS4 CRC subtype. So far, the expression and prognostic significance of LTBP2 in CRC remains obscure. In this study, we aimed to analyze the mRNA and protein expression levels of LTBP2 in CRC tissues and then estimate their values as a potential prognostic biomarker. We detected the mRNA expression of LTBP2 in 28 cases of fresh CRC tissues and 4 CRC cell lines and the protein expression of LTBP2 in 483 samples of CRC tissues, matched tumor-adjacent tissues, and benign colorectal diseases. LTBP2 protein expression was then correlated to patients' clinical features and overall survival. Both LTBP2 mRNA and protein expression levels in CRC tissues were remarkably superior to those in adjacent normal colorectal tissues (P=0.0071 and P<0.001, respectively), according to TCGA dataset of CRC. High LTBP2 protein expression was correlated with TNM stage (P<0.001), T stage (P<0.001), N stage (P<0.001), and M stage (P<0.001). High LTBP2 protein expression was related to poor overall survival in CRC patients and was an independent prognostic factor for CRC. LTBP2 mRNA expression was especially higher in the CMS4 subtype (P<0.001), which was confirmed in CRC cell lines. Our data suggested that LTBP2 may act as an oncogene in the development of colorectal cancer and have important significance in predicting CRC prognosis. LTBP2 could be a novel biomarker and potential therapeutic target for mesenchymal colorectal cancer and can improve the outcome of high-risk CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

However, obvious scars and recurrences are not rare, which sometimes are tough clinical problems.4 Here, we report the first case using ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy for a recurrent epidermoid cyst in the right buttock. An epidermoid cyst is characterized by stratified squamous epithelium lining in the cyst wall and the cavity filling with keratinous material (Hematoxylin-eosin staining, Magnification: ×100) gl GLO:ETZ/01jan21:dth14552-fig-0002.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): 2 Images of ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy for a recurrent epidermoid cyst. Minimal excision technique and punch incision technique involve making a small incision and extracting the cyst contents and the cyst wall through compression.5,6 Lasers are also applied in the fenestration of epidermoid cysts, providing reduced length of the scar, shorter recovery time and less bleeding. [Extracted from the article]

A 27-year-old female presented to us with "mucocutaneous eruptions with blisters of the skin." After the routine anti-infection and antihistamine treatment, the erythema and edema did not fade, while the blisters developed with positive Nikolsky sign. A week ago, round erythema and edema can be found on the face, neck, and back, with blisters at the center and redness on the edge, which progress to eye, nasal and oral mucosal hemorrhagic erosions (Figure 1). [Extracted from the article]

Drivability is the key factor for the automated manual transmission. It includes fast response to the driver’s demand and the driving comfort. This paper deals with a control methodology applied to an automated manual transmission vehicle for drivability enhancement during vehicle start-up phase. Based on a piecewise model of powertrain, a multiple-model predictive controller (mMPC) is designed with the engine speed, clutch disc speed, and wheel speed as the measurable input variables and the engine torque reference and clutch friction torque reference as the controller’s output variables. The model not only includes the clutch dynamic, the flexible shaft dynamic, but also includes the actuators’ delay character. Considering the driver’s intention, a slipping speed trajectory is generated based on the acceleration pedal dynamically. The designed control strategy is verified on a complete powertrain and longitudinal vehicle dynamic model with different driver’s torque demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modified Simiao decoctions (MSD) have been wildly applied in the treatment of gouty arthritis in China. However, the evidence needs to be evaluated by a systematic review and meta-analysis. After filtering, twenty-four randomised, controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the effects of MSD and anti-inflammation medications and/or urate-lowering therapies in patients with gouty arthritis were included. In comparison with anti-inflammation medications, urate-lowering therapies, or coadministration of anti-inflammation medications and urate-lowering therapies, MSD monotherapy significantly lowered serum uric acid (p<0.00001, mean difference = −90.62, and 95% CI [−128.38, −52.86]; p<0.00001, mean difference = −91.43, and 95% CI [−122.38, −60.49]; p=0.02, mean difference = −40.30, and 95% CI [−74.24, −6.36], resp.). Compared with anti-inflammation medications and/or urate-lowering therapies, MSD monotherapy significantly decreased ESR (p<0.00001; mean difference = −8.11; 95% CI [−12.53, −3.69]) and CRP (p=0.03; mean difference = −3.21; 95% CI [−6.07, −0.36]). Additionally, the adverse effects (AEs) of MSD were fewer (p<0.00001; OR = 0.08; 95% CI [0.05, 0.16]). MSD are effective in the treatment of gouty arthritis through anti-inflammation and lowering urate. However, the efficacy of MSD should be estimated with more RCTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Problems with gait in Parkinson’s disease (PD) are a challenge in neurorehabilitation, partly because the mechanisms causing the walking disability are unclear. Weakness and fatigue, which may significantly influence gait, are commonly reported by patients with PD. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between weakness and fatigue and walking ability in patients with PD. Methods. We recruited 25 patients with idiopathic PD and 25 age-matched healthy adults. The maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), twitch force, and voluntary activation levels were measured before and after a knee fatigue exercise. General fatigue, central fatigue, and peripheral fatigue were quantified by exercise-induced changes in MVC, twitch force, and activation level. In addition, subjective fatigue was measured using the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Results. The patients with PD had lower activation levels, more central fatigue, and more subjective fatigue than the healthy controls. There were no significant differences in twitch force or peripheral fatigue index between the two groups. The reduction in walking speed was related to the loss of peripheral strength and PD itself. Conclusion. Fatigue and weakness of central origin were related to PD, while peripheral strength was important for walking ability. The results suggest that rehabilitation programs for PD should focus on improving both central and peripheral components of force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Recent evidence demonstrated that the circulating levels of omentin-1 are related to the presence of ischemic heart disease and heart failure. However, omentin-1 plasma levels in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), which is the most common etiology of heart failure, have yet to be investigated. Methods. Plasma levels of omentin-1 and adiponectin were measured in 100 patients with DCM and 45 healthy controls. Results. Plasma omentin-1 levels significantly decreased in DCM patients compared with the control group, whereas adiponectin levels significantly increased in DCM patients compared with the control group. Plasma omentin-1 levels were negatively correlated with adiponectin (R=-0.376, P=0.005), C-reactive protein (CRP) (R=-0.320, P=0.001), and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) (R=-0.365, P=0.000) levels as well as left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) (R=-0.200, P=0.046) but were positively correlated with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (R=0.496, P=0.000). Plasma adiponectin levels were positively correlated with CRP (R=0.273, P=0.006) and NT-proBNP (R=0.329, P=0.001) levels but were negatively correlated with fasting glucose (R=-0.218, P=0.029) and LVEF (R=-0.615, P=0.000) levels. Furthermore, omentin-1 (OR 0.983, 95% CI 0.970 to 0.996; P=0.008) levels were independently associated with the presence of DCM before NT-proBNP was added. Conclusions. Omentin-1 is a novel biomarker of DCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To compare the efficacy of swabbing versus tissue biopsy for microbiological diagnosis of diabetic foot infection. Methods. This was a prospective trial. Fifty-six patients with diabetic foot infection were divided into the following 3 groups according to the PEDIS grading system: grade 2 (n=10), grade 3 (n=29), and grade 4 (n=17). Two specimens were collected from each wound for microbial culturing after debridement, including a superficial swab and a deep tissue punch biopsy specimen. Results. Swab culturing identified all of the microorganisms isolated from the corresponding deep tissue specimens in 9/10 of grade 2 wounds (90.0%), and this proportion decreased to 12/29 (41.4%) and 7/17 (41.2%) for grades 3 and 4 wounds, respectively (p=0.02). Moreover, the sensitivity for identifying Gram-negative bacteria, such as E. coli and Citrobacter, by swabbing was low (33.3%). In addition, some Gram-negative bacteria, such as Serratia and Ralstonia pickettii, were isolated from deep tissues but not from swabs. Conclusions. Swab culturing may be reliable for identification of pathogens in diabetic foot wounds classified as grade 2. However, it is advisable to culture deep tissue specimens for wounds of grade ≥3 because swab culturing is associated with a high risk of missing pathogens, especially Gram-negative bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. The prognostic value of inflammatory index in esophageal cancer (EC) was not established. In the present study, we initially used a nomogram to predict prognostic value of red cell distribution width (RDW) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods. A total of 277 ESCC patients were included in this retrospective study. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the cancer-specific survival (CSS). A nomogram was established to predict the prognosis for CSS. Results. The mean value of RDW was 14.5 ± 2.3%. The patients were then divided into two groups: RDW ≥ 14.5% and RDW < 14.5%. Patients with RDW < 14.5% had a significantly better 5-year CSS than patients with RDW ≥ 14.5% (43.9% versus 23.3%, P < 0.001). RDW was an independent prognostic factor in patients with ESCC (P = 0.036). A nomogram could be more accurate for CSS. Harrell’s c-index for CSS prediction was 0.68. Conclusion. RDW was a potential prognostic biomarker in patients with ESCC. The nomogram based on CSS could be used as an accurately prognostic prediction for patients with ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disrupted triphasic electromyography (EMG) patterns of agonist and antagonist muscle pairs during fast goal-directed movements have been found in patients with hypermetria. Since peripheral electrical stimulation (ES) and motor training may modulate motor cortical excitability through plasticity mechanisms, we aimed to investigate whether temporal ES-assisted movement training could influence premovement cortical excitability and alleviate hypermetria in patients with spinal cerebellar ataxia (SCA). The EMG of the agonist extensor carpi radialis muscle and antagonist flexor carpi radialis muscle, premovement motor evoked potentials (MEPs) of the flexor carpi radialis muscle, and the constant and variable errors of movements were assessed before and after 4 weeks of ES-assisted fast goal-directed wrist extension training in the training group and of general health education in the control group. After training, the premovement MEPs of the antagonist muscle were facilitated at 50 ms before the onset of movement. In addition, the EMG onset latency of the antagonist muscle shifted earlier and the constant error decreased significantly. In summary, temporal ES-assisted training alleviated hypermetria by restoring antagonist premovement and temporal triphasic EMG patterns in SCA patients. This technique may be applied to treat hypermetria in cerebellar disorders. (This trial is registered with NCT01983670.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentrations of pollutants in soil samples collected in and around a dumpsite in Heze, Shandong, China, were investigated, and the potential ecological and health risks of these pollutants were assessed. Seventeen soil samples from five different locations were analysed for pollution characteristics, and the target pollutants included inorganic pollutants and heavy metals as well as volatile organic compounds/semivolatile organic compounds (VOCs/SVOCs). Results showed that the mean concentration level of each pollutant from the interior area was relatively higher than that from the boundary area of the dumpsite. Inorganic pollutants and heavy metals were detected in all of the soil samples. According to potential ecological risk assessment with environmental background values of Shandong as screening values, heavy metals in majority of the samples pose low ecological risk to the ecosystem except Hg. Hg poses a considerable or very high risk because of its high levels of accumulation. In consideration of future land use pattern, human health risks derived from environmental exposure to heavy metals were assessed. Carcinogenic risk and noncarcinogenic hazards for adults are acceptable, while noncarcinogenic hazards for children exceed the safety threshold. The health risks are primarily attributed to oral exposure to As and Cr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of new two semiconductor catalysts, Co3O4/CeO2, were prepared by glycine-nitrate combustion method for photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide to produce methanol and ethanol under visible light (λ>400 nm) irradiation. The catalysts were characterized by BET, UV-vis spectra, XRD, SEM, PL, and XPS and the results indicated that the catalyst with 5 wt.% of Co3O4 has the highest yield among all kinds of tests with the methanol yield of 1.52 μmol·g−1·h−1 and the ethanol yield of 4.75 μmol·g−1·h−1, which are about 2.34 and 1.71 times as large as those of CeO2. However, methanol and ethanol can hardly be detected for Co3O4 under the same condition because of its too narrow band gap. The improvement of the photoreduction activity of Co3O4 doped CeO2 was caused by the separation of electron-hole pairs of Co3O4/CeO2 and charge transfer between Co3O4 and CeO2, mimicking the Z-scheme in photosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a preliminary study on establishing a mobile point-to-point (P2P) microwave air-bridging (MAB) between Unmanned Low Altitude Flying Platform (ULAFP) and backhaul telecommunication network. The proposed Sky-Net system relays telecom signal for general mobile cellphone users via ULAFP when natural disaster sweeps off Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs). Unlike the conventional fix point microwave bridging application, the ULAFP is cruising on a predefined mission flight path to cover a wider range of service. The difficulty and challenge fall on how to maintain antenna alignment accurately in order to provide the signal strength for MAB. A dual-axis rotation mechanism with embedded controller is designed and implemented on airborne and ground units for stabilizing airborne antenna and tracking the moving ULAFP. The MAB link is established in flight tests using the proposed antenna stabilizing/tracking mechanism with correlated control method. The result supports backbone technique of the Sky-Net mobile communication and verifies the feasibility of airborne e-Cell BTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To subclassify parapharyngeal extension in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and investigate its prognostic value and staging categories based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods and Materials. Data from 1504 consecutive NPC patients treated with definitive-intent radiotherapy were analyzed retrospectively. Sites of parapharyngeal extension were defined by MRI. Overall survival (OS), local relapse-free survival (LRFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the log-rank test. Hazard consistency and hazard discrimination were determined by multivariate analysis with Cox proportional hazards models. Results. 1104 patients (73.4%) had parapharyngeal extension; 1.7–63.8% had involvement of various anatomic sites. The hazard ratio for death was significantly higher with extensive parapharyngeal extension (lateral pterygoid muscle of masticator space and beyond or parotid space) than with mild extension (medial pterygoid muscle of masticator space, or carotid, prestyloid, and prevertebral or retropharyngeal space). OS, LRFS, and DMFS with extensive parapharyngeal extension were similar to those in T4 disease; OS, LRFS, and DMFS with mild parapharyngeal extension were significantly higher than in those T3 disease (all P ≤ 0.015). Conclusions. Parapharyngeal extension in NPC should be subclassified as mild or extensive, which should be regarded as stages T2 and T4 diseases, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to compare quinolone resistance and gyrA mutations in clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli from Chinese adults who used quinolone in the preceding month and children without any known history of quinolone administration. The antimicrobial susceptibilities of 61 isolates from children and 79 isolates from adults were determined. The mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining regions in gyrA gene were detected by PCR and DNA sequencing. Fluoroquinolone resistance and types of gyrA mutations in isolates from children and adults were compared and statistically analyzed. No significant differences were detected in the resistance rates of ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin between children and adults among isolates of the two species (all P>0.05). The double mutation Ser83→Leu + Asp87→Asn in the ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates occurred in 73.7% isolates from the children and 67.9% from the adults, respectively (P=0.5444). Children with no known history of quinolone administration were found to carry fluoroquinolone-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolates. The occurrence of ciprofloxacin resistance and the major types of gyrA mutations in the isolates from the children were similar to those from adults. The results indicate that precautions should be taken on environmental issues resulting from widespread transmission of quinolone resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems on aquaculture ponds can reduce demand for land use and affects food and solar energy production. This study investigated the water quality of aquaculture ponds with and without simulated FPV systems (40% surface area shading) at three sites: Chupei, Lukang and Cigu. Results indicated the FPV‐covered ponds exhibited lower mean values in biochemical oxygen demand and plankton biomass but higher oxidation–reduction potential relative to the control ponds. The FPV‐covered ponds exhibited lower pH, water temperature and level of dissolved oxygen relative to the control ponds in Chupei and Lukang. The results suggested that the FPV shading effect potentially reduced phytoplankton growth. All FPV‐covered ponds exhibited 1.1, 1.2 and 1.4 times greater yields in giant freshwater prawn, tilapia and milkfish without any effect on the growth of cultured species. These results demonstrate the potential benefits and defects of combining aquaculture with FPV systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kamaboko is an important fish product that is consumed in high volumes across the globe. This study investigated whether the amount of sorghum distillers grains (SDGs) contained in kamaboko affected its quality. Kamaboko containing SDG had significantly higher cohesiveness and chewiness, but reduced springiness and gumminess. However, the SDG addition ratio had no significant effect on hardness. The pH value (range, pH 4.98–5.87) and cooking loss (range, 2.54–2.71%) were significantly lower than the control group (5.99 and 5.27%, respectively). The kamaboko's emulsification stability and water loss (range, 1.22–1.59%) decreased with increasing SDG; however, the differences were not significant. The fat loss (range, 0.02–0.10%) and water‐holding capacity (WHC) (range, 91.56–95.91%) at high SDG addition ratios (100%) were significantly lower than those in the control group (0.07 and 96.12%, respectively). Practical applications: The results of this study demonstrate the practical application of sorghum distillers grains (SDG), a byproduct of brewing a famous Taiwanese alcoholic drink, kaoliang liquor. Sorghum distillers grains can replace starch in emulsified seafood products, such as kamaboko, to create products with favorable qualities (texture profile analysis, pH value, cooking loss, and emulsification stability). Ultimately, our findings should serve as a reference for exploring the diverse roles of SDG in food processing, provide a basis for adding value to SDG, and help reduce the waste and the environmental problems caused by leftover distillers grains generated during the alcohol brewing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuke Qianjin Capsule (FKQJ) is a common TCM compound formula in the treatment of gynecological inflammation-related diseases. This study intends to explore and establish a bioassay method to further improve its quality control. The bioassay method for the determination of anti-inflammatory biopotency was established based on its inhibitory activity on recombinant human cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), an active target of FKQJ in the treatment of female pelvic inflammatory disease. We firstly established chemical fingerprint of 20 batches of FKQJ by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography to identify the components and analyze the chemical similarities. The similarity within different batches of FKQJ was relatively high. The values of similarity of the 19 batches were between 0.973 and 0.995, while one batch's similarity value was 0.813. Celecoxib, a selective inhibitor of COX-2, was chosen as the positive control drug in COX-2 activity assay to establish an anti-inflammatory biopotency detection method based on parallel line test of qualitative response. The methodological investigation showed that the method possessed good repeatability and precision. Secondly, the anti-inflammatory biopotency of 20 batches of FKQJ for inhibiting COX-2 was determined. The results showed that the biopotency of different batches of FKQJ ranged from 676 U/μg to 1310 U/μg, with average value of 918 U/μg and RSD of 16.7%. Based on multiple linear regression analysis, we found that three contents were highly correlated with the anti-inflammatory biopotency, while chlorogenic acid was validated of the strongest anti-inflammatory activity in vitro. Compared with chemical detection, bioassay can better reflect the quality fluctuation of different batches of products and correlate the known pharmacodynamic targets. The supplement of the bioassay method based on chemical evaluation is helpful to improve the quality control ability of Chinese patent medicine and ensure its clinical efficacy is stable and controllable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In this study, the strain transfer rate from an axially loaded, inelastic concrete tube to a glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) packaged optical fiber with Bragg gratings is derived when the radial deformation of an "equivalent elastic" concrete tube is constrained by the packaged fiber. The concrete strains, both undisturbed and disturbed by the presence of the fiber Bragg gratings sensor, are analytically evaluated, and their difference (up to over 30%) is related to the development length at two free ends of the GFRP package. The mechanism of strain transfer is dominated by a ratio of average fiber and concrete strains in elastic range and by the averaging effect and a ratio of disturbed and undisturbed concrete strains in inelastic range. The analytical strain transfer rate was significantly reduced from 0.95, when concrete behaved elastically, to less than 0.4, when concrete damaged severely. This result was experimentally validated with less than 10% difference prior to concrete fracture. The validated model is applicable to fiber optic sensors that are embedded into concrete structures by a concrete cover of at least 10 times of the radius of the optic fiber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, water and fertilizer irrigation system of tea plantation was developed to ensure stable yield, quality of tea, and appropriate irrigation and fertilization. Wireless sensor network node and gateway node are designed and deployed in the tea plantation for collecting soil moisture in real time. Each of the sensor nodes was composed of a STM32F103ZET6 microprocessor and a CC2420 transceiver module. Microcontroller S3C2410X is the kernel of hardware platform in the gateway nodes. All data were transmitted by wireless sensor network. The images of the tea leaves are collected by the high-speed camera loaded onto the unmanned aerial vehicle for analysis of the tea deficiency. The monitoring system is mainly used to display the humidity information about each node, the switch status of the water pump, the battery valve, and so on. It is convenient for user to manage the tea plantation. System configuration and parameter modification can be configured through the monitoring system. The dynamic time warping algorithm is used to judge the abnormal situation of the system. Diamond deployment is used in the network, and the networking experiments were conducted comparing with random deployment. Result showed that both time delay and congestion of network increased as the network scale varied from 5, 10, and 15 to 20 nodes. The topology stabilization time gets prolonged simultaneously. Packet loss rate decreased while data transmission interval varied from 10, 20, and 30 to 40 s. Packet loss rate values in diamond deployment are lower than those in random deployment. In order to improve the accuracy of tea deficiency detection, data fusion technology was adopted. A block-based histogram is employed and similarity distance is adopted to confirm the diagnosis of absence of one or more nutrients of tea. The image information and the spectral information are acquired. The principal component factor is extracted and input into the back propagation neural network to judge the quality of the tea. The number of principal component factors of image information and spectral information is set to six and three; the overall recognition rate reached 97.8%. Therefore, the level of the system abnormality can be determined by the dynamic time warping distance. Test results indicate that it is possible to accurately determine whether tea is deficient and accurately determine whether the system data acquisition is abnormal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To explore whether acupuncture and moxibustion can prevent disease progression of advanced gastric cancer patients completing second-line chemotherapy and, if so, the related mechanism. Method. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were main outcome measures. The real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of genes including T-bet, IFN-γ, GATA3, and IL-4 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). IL-4, IL-6, Ca199, CRP, and IFN-γ in plasma levels were checked. Results. 170 patients were randomly assigned in a 3 : 2 ratio to receive either acupuncture and moxibustion or sham acupuncture until progression. 135 patients were included in the primary analysis. Both PFS and OS in treatment group were proven to be better than control group. Acupuncture and moxibustion promoted typical Th1 cells drifting, as confirmed by increased T-bet/IFN-γ and decreased GATA3/IL-4 in mRNA levels from PBMCs, as well as upregulating IFN-γ and downregulating IL-4 in plasma levels. IL-6, Ca199, and CRP in plasma levels were also reduced by acupuncture and moxibustion. Conclusions. Acupuncture and moxibustion can prolong PFS and OS of advanced gastric cancer patients completing second-line chemotherapy by reversing Th1/Th2 shift and attenuating inflammatory responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. This study is aimed at formulating and authenticating a pioneering nomogram integrating noncontrast computed tomography (NCCT) mean CT densities (m-CTD) of hematoma, morphological indicators from NCCT hematoma, and clinical manifestations to foresee hematoma expansion (HE) in patients suffering from spontaneous basal ganglia hemorrhage (BGH). Methods. A predictive model was constructed by retrospectively evaluating the data from 406 patients. This model was externally validated using an independent dataset of 174 patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was deployed to discern independent prognostic indicators and to generate a nomogram for HE prediction. Model calibration was examined using 1000 bootstrap samples for internal validation. Results. Multivariate logistic regression disclosed that m-CTD (odds ratio (OR) 0.846, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.782-0.909), baseline hematoma volume (BHV) (OR 1.055, 95% CI 1.017-1.095), NCCT blend sign (BS) (OR 3.320, 95% CI 1.704-6.534), NCCT black hole sign (BHS) (OR 2.468, 95% CI 1.293-4.729), systolic blood pressure (SBP) (OR 1.027, 95% CI 1.014-1.040), and homocysteine (Hcy) (OR 1.075, 95% CI 1.038-1.114) were independent predictors of HE. The area under the curve (AUC) for the training and validation datasets yielded 0.874 and 0.883, respectively. The calibration curve for the nomogram closely approximated the optimal diagonal. The decision curve analysis (DCA) indicated that the prediction model offers substantial net benefits. Conclusions. The innovative predictive nomogram, leveraging radiomics and clinical traits of hematoma, presents a potent and noninvasive tool for HE risk stratification. The method of quantifying mean hematoma density holds significant prognostic value in forecasting HE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To explore whether acupuncture and moxibustion can prevent disease progression of advanced gastric cancer patients completing second-line chemotherapy and, if so, the related mechanism. Method. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were main outcome measures. The real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of genes including T-bet, IFN-γ, GATA3, and IL-4 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). IL-4, IL-6, Ca199, CRP, and IFN-γ in plasma levels were checked. Results. 170 patients were randomly assigned in a 3 : 2 ratio to receive either acupuncture and moxibustion or sham acupuncture until progression. 135 patients were included in the primary analysis. Both PFS and OS in treatment group were proven to be better than control group. Acupuncture and moxibustion promoted typical Th1 cells drifting, as confirmed by increased T-bet/IFN-γ and decreased GATA3/IL-4 in mRNA levels from PBMCs, as well as upregulating IFN-γ and downregulating IL-4 in plasma levels. IL-6, Ca199, and CRP in plasma levels were also reduced by acupuncture and moxibustion. Conclusions. Acupuncture and moxibustion can prolong PFS and OS of advanced gastric cancer patients completing second-line chemotherapy by reversing Th1/Th2 shift and attenuating inflammatory responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To explore whether acupuncture and moxibustion can prevent disease progression of advanced gastric cancer patients completing second-line chemotherapy and, if so, the related mechanism. Method. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were main outcome measures. The real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of genes including T-bet, IFN-γ, GATA3, and IL-4 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). IL-4, IL-6, Ca199, CRP, and IFN-γ in plasma levels were checked. Results. 170 patients were randomly assigned in a 3 : 2 ratio to receive either acupuncture and moxibustion or sham acupuncture until progression. 135 patients were included in the primary analysis. Both PFS and OS in treatment group were proven to be better than control group. Acupuncture and moxibustion promoted typical Th1 cells drifting, as confirmed by increased T-bet/IFN-γ and decreased GATA3/IL-4 in mRNA levels from PBMCs, as well as upregulating IFN-γ and downregulating IL-4 in plasma levels. IL-6, Ca199, and CRP in plasma levels were also reduced by acupuncture and moxibustion. Conclusions. Acupuncture and moxibustion can prolong PFS and OS of advanced gastric cancer patients completing second-line chemotherapy by reversing Th1/Th2 shift and attenuating inflammatory responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To explore whether acupuncture and moxibustion can prevent disease progression of advanced gastric cancer patients completing second-line chemotherapy and, if so, the related mechanism. Method. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were main outcome measures. The real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of genes including T-bet, IFN-γ, GATA3, and IL-4 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). IL-4, IL-6, Ca199, CRP, and IFN-γ in plasma levels were checked. Results. 170 patients were randomly assigned in a 3 : 2 ratio to receive either acupuncture and moxibustion or sham acupuncture until progression. 135 patients were included in the primary analysis. Both PFS and OS in treatment group were proven to be better than control group. Acupuncture and moxibustion promoted typical Th1 cells drifting, as confirmed by increased T-bet/IFN-γ and decreased GATA3/IL-4 in mRNA levels from PBMCs, as well as upregulating IFN-γ and downregulating IL-4 in plasma levels. IL-6, Ca199, and CRP in plasma levels were also reduced by acupuncture and moxibustion. Conclusions. Acupuncture and moxibustion can prolong PFS and OS of advanced gastric cancer patients completing second-line chemotherapy by reversing Th1/Th2 shift and attenuating inflammatory responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder affecting 7–10 million individuals. The pathologic hallmark of PD is nigrostriatal dopaminergic neuron loss, leading to several motor and nonmotor disturbances, such as akinesia, gait disturbance, depression, and anxiety. Recent animal studies have demonstrated that physical exercise improves behavioral and neuropathological deficits in PD. However, the exact underlying mechanism underlying this effect remains unclear. In this study, we investigated whether long-term exercise has neuroprotective effects on dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons and whether it further alleviates impairment of the gait pattern, locomotor activity, akinesia, and anxiety-like behavior in PD rats. Methods. A hemiparkinsonian rat model, generated by unilateral injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the medial forebrain bundle, was applied to evaluate neuroprotective effects and motor behaviors. Comprehensive spatiotemporal gait analysis, open-field locomotor activity, akinesia, apomorphine-induced rotational analysis, and dopaminergic neuron degeneration level were assessed every week and up to 8 weeks after daily voluntary running wheel exercise. Results. Compared with the sham-treated group, we found that 10 weeks of voluntary exercise (i.e., 2-week exercise before PD lesion and 8-week exercise post-PD lesion) significantly reduced 6-OHDA-induced motor deficits in the gait pattern, akinesia, and rotational behavior in the exercise group. Immunohistochemically, a tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neuron in the substantia nigra was significantly preserved in the exercise group. Conclusions. Our results demonstrated that long-term exercise training is effective for neuroprotection and further attenuates motor declines induced by 6-OHDA in an experimental model of PD. Our data further highlighted potential therapeutic effects of long-term physical exercise relevant to clinical effects for further potential application on human PD subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]