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Objectives: Cervical disc herniation (CDH) leads to pain, numbness, and potential disability. Percutaneous endoscopic cervical discectomy (PECD) offers an anterior or posterior approach. This study aims to compare postoperative disc height and angle changes one year after PECD, considering both approaches. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data from patients with CDH who underwent PECD from October 2017 to July 2022. Cervical disc height was measured using the preoperative and one-year postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations. Lordotic angle (LA), global alignment angle (GAA), segmental alignment angle (SAA), and slippage distance (SD) at the surgical level were measured on radiographs in the neutral, flexion, and extension positions. Results: Thirty-eight patients who underwent posterior PECD (PPECD) and five patients who underwent anterior PECD (APECD) were included in the evaluation. The mean age of the patients was 47.4 years (range: 29–69 years). There was a significant difference in the preoperative and one-year postoperative GAA and SAA in extension in the PPECD group (p = 0.003 and 0.031, respectively). The mean decreased disc height one-year postoperative was 1.30 mm in the APECD group and 0.3 mm in the PPECD group by MRI. A significant disc height decrease was observed in the APECD group (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Treating CDH with PPECD or APECD is feasible, as it can relieve symptoms and reduce disability. Stability remained unaffected during the first year after surgery, even though there was an increase in angulation during extension. Despite a significant decrease in disc space following APECD, patients reported significant symptom improvement and no new symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of risk factors for future prediabetes in young men remains largely unexamined. This study enrolled 6247 young ethnic Chinese men with normal fasting plasma glucose at the baseline (FPGbase), and used machine learning (Mach-L) methods to predict prediabetes after 5.8 years. The study seeks to achieve the following: 1. Evaluate whether Mach-L outperformed traditional multiple linear regression (MLR). 2. Identify the most important risk factors. The baseline data included demographic, biochemistry, and lifestyle information. Two models were built, where Model 1 included all variables and Model 2 excluded FPGbase, since it had the most profound effect on prediction. Random forest, stochastic gradient boosting, eXtreme gradient boosting, and elastic net were used, and the model performance was compared using different error metrics. All the Mach-L errors were smaller than those for MLR, thus Mach-L provided the most accurate results. In descending order of importance, the key factors for Model 1 were FPGbase, body fat (BF), creatinine (Cr), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), WBC, and age, while those for Model 2 were BF, white blood cell, age, TSH, TG, and LDL-C. We concluded that FPGbase was the most important factor to predict future prediabetes. However, after removing FPGbase, WBC, TSH, BF, HDL-C, and age were the key factors after 5.8 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous study discovered that sucrose and other non-reducing sugars (e.g., trehalose and raffinose) could be used to improve the electrotransfer (ET) of molecular cargo, including DNA, mRNA, and ribonucleoprotein in various cell lines and primary human cells in vitro and in vivo. To understand the molecular mechanisms of this improvement, we used RNA sequencing technology to analyze changes in the cell transcriptome after sucrose treatment. The results from our analysis demonstrated that the sucrose treatment upregulated phospholipase A2 and V-ATPase gene families, which could potentially influence the acidity of intracellular vesicles through augmenting vesicle fusion and the influx of proton, respectively. To determine how this upregulation affects ET efficiency, we treated cells with pharmaceutical inhibitors of phospholipase A2 and V-ATPase. The data demonstrated that the treatment with the phospholipase A2 inhibitor could reverse the ET improvement elicited by the sucrose treatment. The V-ATPase inhibitor treatment either had little influence or further enhanced the effect of the sucrose treatment on the ET efficiency. These observations provide a molecular explanation for our previous findings, demonstrating that the sucrose treatment primarily enhanced the ET efficiency by promoting vesicle trafficking and fusion through the activation of phospholipase A2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the supplier–retailer–consumer system, the retailer's replenishment and pricing strategies impact the entire transaction process, forming a comprehensive trading market. Suppliers offer advance-cash-credit payments to retailers, while retailers provide customers with cash-credit payment options. In the current health-conscious consumer market, purchasing decisions are influenced not only by commodity prices but also by the freshness of products, particularly perishable goods. Growing awareness of climate change and the advent of carbon emission policies have raised concerns about the environmental costs of business transactions. This study focuses on perishable products whose demand is influenced by both price and freshness. It explores the adoption of various payment methods by suppliers and retailers, as well as the impact of carbon emission cap-and-trade policies or carbon tax policies on management and pricing strategies. Suitable inventory models are established to determine the optimal replenishment and pricing strategies for maximizing the current value of total profit. We illustrate that the current value of total profit demonstrates joint concavity concerning both the selling price and the replenishment time. Finally, we verify the proposed models using numerical examples and present the findings of sensitivity analyses. The findings of this study yield several valuable insights for inventory management of perishable goods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interleukin (IL)-8 plays a vital role in regulating inflammation and breast cancer formation by activating CXCR1/2. We previously designed an antagonist peptide, (RF16), to inhibits the activation of downstream signaling pathways by competing with IL-8 in binding to CXCR1/2, thereby inhibiting IL-8-induced chemoattractant monocyte binding. To evaluate the effect of the RF16 peptide on breast cancer progression, triple-negative MDA-MB-231 and ER-positive MCF-7 breast cancer cells were used to investigate whether RF16 can inhibit the IL-8-induced breast cancer metastasis. Using growth, proliferation, and invasiveness assays, the results revealed that RF16 reduced cell proliferation, migration, and invasiveness in MDA-MB-231 cells. The RF16 peptide also regulated the protein and mRNA expressions of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers in IL-8-stimulated MDA-MB-231 cells. It also inhibited downstream IL-8 signaling and the IL-8-induced inflammatory response via the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathways. In the xenograft tumor mouse model, RF16 synergistically reinforces the antitumor efficacy of docetaxel by improving mouse survival and retarding tumor growth. Our results indicate that RF16 significantly inhibited IL-8-stimulated cell growth, migration, and invasion in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells by blocking the activation of p38 and AKT cascades. It indicated that the RF16 peptide may serve as a new supplementary drug for breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive and fatal breast cancer subtype. Nowadays, chemotherapy remains the standard treatment of TNBC, and immunotherapy has emerged as an important alternative. However, the high rate of TNBC recurrence suggests that new treatment is desperately needed. Schisandrin B (Sch B) has recently revealed its anti-tumor effects in cancers such as cholangiocarcinoma, hepatoma, glioma, and multi-drug-resistant breast cancer. However, there is still a need to investigate using Sch B in TNBC treatment. Interleukin (IL)-1β, an inflammatory cytokine that can be expressed and produced by the cancer cell itself, has been suggested to promote BC proliferation and progression. In the current study, we present evidence that Sch B can significantly suppress the growth, migration, and invasion of TNBC cell lines and patient-derived TNBC cells. Through inhibition of inflammasome activation, Sch B inhibits interleukin (IL)-1β production of TNBC cells, hindering its progression. This was confirmed using an NLRP3 inhibitor, OLT1177, which revealed a similar beneficial effect in combating TNBC progression. Sch B treatment also inhibits IL-1β-induced EMT expression of TNBC cells, which may contribute to the anti-tumor response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to ascertain the efficacy of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS)—comprising repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)—for depression in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. Methods: Comprehensive searches were conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to 28 January 2023. Random-effects models assessed the treatment effects, and heterogeneity was evaluated through I2 statistics and funnel plot inspection. Results: From 10 trials (234 participants; 8 rTMS, 2 tDCS), NIBS was found significantly more effective than sham in alleviating depressive symptoms (SMD: 0.588, 95% CI: 0.264–0.912; p < 0.001). rTMS, specifically, showed higher efficacy (SMD: 0.707, 95% CI: 0.306–1.108; p = 0.001) compared to sham, whereas tDCS outcomes were inconclusive (SMD: 0.271, 95% CI: −0.230 to 0.771; p = 0.289). Meta-regression found no correlation with the number of sessions, treatment intensity, or total dose. Notably, while post-treatment effects were significant, they diminished 1–2 months post intervention. Adverse events associated with NIBS were minimal, with no severe outcomes like seizures and suicide reported. Conclusions: rTMS emerged as a potent short-term intervention for depression in TBI patients, while tDCS findings remained equivocal. The long-term efficacy of NIBS is yet to be established, warranting further studies. The low adverse event rate reaffirms NIBS's potential safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grade and positive surgical margins (PSMs) after radical prostatectomy (RP) may reflect the prognosis of prostate cancer (PCa) patients. This study aimed to investigate whether DCE-MRI parameters (i.e., Ktrans, kep, and IAUC) could predict ISUP grade and PSMs after RP. Method: Forty-five PCa patients underwent preoperative DCE-MRI. The clinical characteristics and DCE-MRI parameters of the 45 patients were compared between the low- and high-risk (i.e., ISUP grades III-V) groups and between patients with or without PSMs after RP. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the significant predictors of placement in the high-risk group and PSMs. Results: The DCE parameter Ktrans-max was significantly higher in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group (p = 0.028) and was also a significant predictor of placement in the high-risk group (odds ratio [OR] = 1.032, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.005–1.060, p = 0.021). Patients with PSMs had significantly higher prostate-specific antigen (PSA) titers, positive biopsy core percentages, Ktrans-max, kep-median, and kep-max than others (all p < 0.05). Of these, positive biopsy core percentage (OR = 1.035, 95% CI = 1.003–1.068, p = 0.032) and kep-max (OR = 1.078, 95% CI = 1.012–1.148, p = 0.020) were significant predictors of PSMs. Conclusion: Preoperative DCE-MRI parameters, specifically Ktrans-max and kep-max, could potentially serve as preoperative imaging biomarkers for postoperative PCa prognosis based on their predictability of PCa risk group and PSM on RP, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural analysis of proteins is a major domain of biomedical research. Such analysis requires resolved three-dimensional structures of proteins. Advancements in computer technology have led to progress in biomedical research. In silico prediction and modeling approaches have facilitated the construction of protein structures, with or without structural templates. In this study, we used three neural network-based de novo modeling approaches—AlphaFold2 (AF2), Robetta-RoseTTAFold (Robetta), and transform-restrained Rosetta (trRosetta)—and two template-based tools—the Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) and iterative threading assembly refinement (I-TASSER)—to construct the structure of a viral capsid protein, hepatitis C virus core protein (HCVcp), whose structure have not been fully resolved by laboratory techniques. Templates with sufficient sequence identity for the homology modeling of complete HCVcp are currently unavailable. Therefore, we performed domain-based homology modeling for MOE simulations. The templates for each domain were obtained through sequence-based searches on NCBI and the Protein Data Bank. Then, the modeled domains were assembled to construct the complete structure of HCVcp. The full-length structure and two truncated forms modeled using various computational tools were compared. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to refine the structures. The root mean square deviation of backbone atoms, root mean square fluctuation of Cα atoms, and radius of gyration were calculated to monitor structural changes and convergence in the simulations. The model quality was evaluated through ERRAT and phi–psi plot analysis. In terms of the initial prediction for protein modeling, Robetta and trRosetta outperformed AF2. Regarding template-based tools, MOE outperformed I-TASSER. MD simulations resulted in compactly folded protein structures, which were of good quality and theoretically accurate. Thus, the predicted structures of certain proteins must be refined to obtain reliable structural models. MD simulation is a promising tool for this purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coiled ice-storage-based air conditioning system plays a significant role in enhancing grid peak regulation and improving cooling economy. This paper presents theoretical and experimental studies conducted on the ice storage process of coiled ice storage air conditioning technology. The cooling of water is divided into two stages:10.0 °C to 4.0 °C and 4.0 °C to below 0.0 °C. Initially, the ice storage process forms an ice layer with a thickness of 2.50 mm on the lower surface of the coil, but eventually, the ice layer on the upper surface becomes 3.85 mm thicker than the lower surface as a result of the natural convection of water and density reversal at 4.0 °C. Furthermore, the impact of three coils with different thermal conductivity on the ice storage process was evaluated. It was observed that the thermal conductivity of R-HDPE (reinforced high-density polyethylene) was only 2.6 W/(m·K) higher than HDPE (high-density polyethylene), yet it reduced the freezing time by 34.85%, while the thermal conductivity of steel was 37.4 W/(m·K) higher than R-HDPE, but only decreased the freezing time by 9.40%. The results demonstrated that the rate of ice accumulation increased with thermal conductivity. However, when the coil material's thermal conductivity surpassed that of ice, the further increase of thermal conductivity gradually weakened its impact on the ice storage rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CMOS integrated circuits are vulnerable to electrostatic discharge (ESD); therefore, ESD protection circuits are needed. On-chip ESD protection is important for both component-level and system-level ESD protection. In this work, on-chip ESD protection circuits for multi-Gbps high-speed applications are studied. π-shaped ESD protection circuit structures realized by staked diodes with an embedded silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) and resistor-triggered SCR are proposed. These test circuits are fabricated in CMOS technology, and the proposed designs have been proven to have better ESD robustness and performance in high-speed applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After stepping into the pandemic, it has been entirely not bizarre to wear facial masks to diminish the spreading of viruses in human daily outings. Due to the low expense and stable protection capability, disposable masks are the most widely used types of medical masks. By functionalities and medical standards, disposable masks mainly consist of surgical masks and N95/KN95 respirators in the market. In the assembling scheme, there are typically three or more polymeric layers (i.e., mainly polypropylene) in disposable masks; in addition, the ear loops in masks are usually made from textile constituents, such as polyamides. Therefore, the vast utilization and rapid accumulation of disposal mask waste can directly bring an emerging crisis of foreseeable environmental pollution. To minimize and prevent such mask-led microplastic pollution, chemical pyrolysis of mask waste is one of the most feasible and promising strategies. Via the direct and selective pyrolysis of disposable masks, it can effectively convert the mask waste into high-value fuel-range chemicals, e.g., liquid hydrocarbon blends, aromatics, C1–5 gas alkanes/alkenes, hydrogen, etc. In this way, it can not only tackle environmental challenges from plastic waste but also afford sustainable fuels with low carbon emission and circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advertisements play an important role in communicating with target customers. A higher advertisement frequency increases costs but may increase the chances of acquiring new customers. Moreover, faced with a wide-ranging array of products that might fit specific needs, customers usually buy according to expectations about value and satisfaction. When customers are satisfied with a purchasing experience, they are more likely to buy again and share their experiences with others. Hence, companies are concerned about increasing customer value and service satisfaction to develop and manage customer relationships. This maintains a company's competitive edge and can improve its market share. In this article, we incorporate the frequency of advertisements and the cost of customer relationship management (CRM) into the demand function under a product life cycle (PLC). Customers can return products in the appreciation period offered by a retailer. A profit-maximizing model is developed to analyze the joint marketing and ordering policy of each stage of a product's life cycle with a product return guarantee. We construct an algorithm to identify the optimal decisions. Finally, numerical examples are presented to illustrate the proposed model, and managerial insights are obtained from a sensitivity analysis, followed by conclusions and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study found that biochar made from grapevines (GVC), an agricultural waste product, can be used as a nucleating agent to promote the crystallization of polylactic acid (PLA). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis of GVC/PLA composites showed that different particle sizes (200 and 100 mesh size) and amounts (1 wt%, 10 wt%) of biochar affect the re-crystallization of PLA, with 200 mesh GVC in the amount of 10 wt% being the most significant. In addition, it was found that there were two peaks related to imperfect and perfect crystals in the Tm part for GVC/PLA composites. TGA analysis showed that adding GVC tends to lower the maximum decomposition temperature of PLA, revealing that GVC may accelerate the degradation reaction of PLA. This research also studied the effects of GVC in various particle sizes and amounts on the mechanical properties and degradation of PLA. The results revealed that the tensile and impact strengths of GVC/PLA composite could reach 79.79 MPa and 22.67 J/m, respectively, and the increments were 41.4% and 32.1%, greater than those of pristine PLA. Moreover, the molecular weight of PLA decreased as the amount of GVC increased. Therefore, GVC particles can be used as reinforcing fillers for PLA to improve its mechanical properties and adjust its molecular weight. These agricultural-waste-reinforced biocomposites can reduce both greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the cost of biodegradable polymers and achieve the goals of a circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-infectious cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is an uncommon type of cerebrovascular disease that usually affects young patients. It occurs frequently in female patients, probably due to the association of sex-specific risk factors for coagulopathies. Currently, the prognostic factors of CVT remain unclear. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical characteristics among 260 CVT patients, including 147 females and 113 males. A favorable clinical outcome was defined by the scores of the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ≤ 2 at hospital discharge, while a poor clinical outcome was defined by an mRS score of 3 to 6. A headache (28.5%) was the most frequent presentation. The most commonly affected sinus was the transverse-sigmoid sinus (59.6%). Most of the cases (78.5%) were treated with anticoagulants. One hundred and fifty-seven patients (60.4%) were discharged with favorable clinical outcomes. Consciousness disturbance (odds ratio: 5.01, p < 0.001) was associated with a poor clinical outcome. Patients with poor clinical outcomes demonstrated higher D-dimer levels on admission (4137.76 ± 3317.07 vs. 2476.74 ± 2330.87 ng/mL FEU, p = 0.029) and longer hospitalization days (31.81 ± 26.29 vs. 13.96 ± 8.82 days, p < 0.001) compared with favorable clinical outcomes. These findings provide important information of clinical characteristics and prognosis for CVT. Aggressive monitoring and treatment should be considered in CVT patients with poor prognostic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with dysbiosis and intestinal barrier dysfunction, as indicated by epithelial hyperpermeability and high levels of mucosal-associated bacteria. Changes in gut microbiota may be correlated with IBD pathogenesis. Additionally, microbe-based treatments could mitigate clinical IBD symptoms. Plasmon-activated water (PAW) is known to have an anti-inflammatory potential. In this work, we studied the association between the anti-inflammatory ability of PAW and intestinal microbes, thereby improving IBD treatment. We examined the PAW-induced changes in the colonic immune activity and microbiota of mice by immunohistochemistry and next generation sequencing, determined whether drinking PAW can mitigate IBD induced by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) and dysbiosis through mice animal models. The effects of specific probiotic species on mice with TNBS-induced IBD were also investigated. Experimental results indicated that PAW could change the local inflammation in the intestinal microenvironment. Moreover, the abundance of Akkermansia spp. was degraded in the TNBS-treated mice but elevated in the PAW-drinking mice. Daily rectal injection of Akkermansia muciniphila, a potential probiotic species in Akkermansia spp., also improved the health of the mice. Correspondingly, both PAW consumption and increasing the intestinal abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila can mitigate IBD in mice. These findings indicate that increasing the abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila in the gut through PAW consumption or other methods may mitigate IBD in mice with clinically significant IBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, a nanocrystalline Ni-Fe matrix with reinforced TiO2 nanoparticles as a functional nanocomposite material was fabricated by pulsed current electroforming in UV-LIGA (lithography, electroplating, and molding). The influences of TiO2 nanoparticles on the Ni-Fe nanocomposite deposition were also investigated using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and in vitro cytotoxicity assay. It was found that the Ni-Fe nanocomposite with 5 wt.% TiO2 nanoparticles showed a smooth surface and better dispersion property. When the Ni-Fe nanocomposite is combined with 20 wt.% TiO2, it resulted in congeries of TiO2 nanoparticles. In addition, TiO2 nanoparticles possessed better dispersion properties as performed in pulse current electrodeposition. The microstructure of the electrodeposited Ni-Fe-TiO2 nanocomposite was a FeNi3 phase containing anatase nano-TiO2. Moreover, the electrodeposited Ni-Fe-5 wt.% TiO2 nanocomposite exhibited a smooth surface and structural integrity. Cytotoxicity assay results also proved that the Ni-Fe nanocomposite with different concentrations of TiO2 nanoparticles had good biocompatibility. Therefore, the optimization of pulse current electroforming parameters was successfully applied to fabricate the Ni-Fe-TiO2 nanocomposite, and thus could be used as an endodontic file material for dental applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft rubbery materials are capable of withstanding large deformation, and stretched rubber contracts when heated. Additionally, rubber balloons exhibit non-monotonic pressure–volume curves. These unique properties have inspired numerous ingenious inventions based on rubber balloons. To the authors' knowledge, however, it is surprising that these properties have not inspired any study that exploits the elasticity of rubber balloons for energy storage. Motivated by these, this study examines the performance of water balloons as energy storage media. In each experiment, a single water balloon is implemented using a flat membrane, and it is subject to repeated inflation, heating, deflation, and cooling. Inflating the balloon deposits energy into it. The heating simulates the recycling of waste heat. The balloon delivers work during its deflation. Finally, the cooling completes the energy-storage cycle. The performance is evaluated in terms of the balloon's transferred energies, efficiencies, and service life. Simple as it is, a water balloon is actually an impressively efficient energy storage medium. The efficiency is 85–90% when a water balloon stores and releases energy at room temperature. Recycling waste heat can boost a balloon's efficiency beyond 100%, provided that the cost of the heat is negligible so that the heat is not taken as part of the input energy. However, heating shortens the service life of a balloon and reduces the total energy it can accommodate. By running fatigue tests on balloons, this study reveals the trade-off between a water balloon's efficiency and its longevity. These results shall serve as a useful guide for implementing balloon-based mechanical devices not limited to energy-storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, a microfluid-based extended gate field-effect transistor (EGFET) biosensor with an on-chip sensing window (OCSW) was fabricated. The detection window was composed of six metal layers, and a ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) film was spattered on the surface and functionalized with lactase to detect lactic acid (LA). To detect LA in a more diversified way, a microfluidic system was integrated with the biosensor. Moreover, a special package was used to seal the sensing window and microfluidic tube and insulate it from other parts to prevent water molecule invasion and chip damage. The sensitivity analysis of the EGFET biosensor was studied by a semiconductor parameter analyzer (SPA). The static and dynamic measurements of the EGFET with sensing windows on a chip were analyzed. The sensing characteristics of the EGFET biosensor were verified by the experimental results. The proposed biosensor is suitable for wearable applications due to the advantages of its low weight, low voltage, and simple manufacturing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we report a novel per-6-substituted β-cyclodextrin (4) featuring seven phosphoramidate moieties as an innovative host for inclusion. This structurally well-defined host has remarkable water solubility and was isolated in pure form. Analytical techniques such as NMR and ITC were used to probe the molecular interactions with different drug molecules. Our investigations revealed that host 4 can form 2:1 inclusion complexes with various drugs. Further studies showed that the inclusions of drugs by β-CD host (4) are mostly enthalpy driven, highlighting the potential roles played by the phosphoramidate functionalities of the host. Comparatively, a per-O2, O3-acetylated analog (6) of compound 4 was also obtained, which also shows unusual water solubility but diminished inclusion capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advancements of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies have enabled the implementation of smart and wearable sensors, which can be employed to provide older adults with affordable and accessible continuous biophysiological status monitoring. The quality of such monitoring data, however, is unsatisfactory due to excessive noise induced by various disturbances, such as motion artifacts. Existing methods take advantage of summary statistics, such as mean or median values, for denoising, without taking into account the biophysiological patterns embedded in data. In this research, a functional data analysis modeling method was proposed to enhance the data quality by learning individual subjects' diurnal heart rate (HR) patterns from historical data, which were further improved by fusing newly collected data. This proposed data-fusion approach was developed based on a Bayesian inference framework. Its effectiveness was demonstrated in an HR analysis from a prospective study involving older adults residing in assisted living or home settings. The results indicate that it is imperative to conduct personalized healthcare by estimating individualized HR patterns. Furthermore, the proposed calibration method provides a more accurate (smaller mean errors) and more precise (smaller error standard deviations) HR estimation than raw HR and conventional methods, such as the mean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaic power generation is rapidly developing as a kind of renewable energy that can protect the ecological environment. The establishment of photovoltaic power stations in desertification areas can play a very important role in desert windbreaks and sand fixation as well as improve the ecological environment. The realization of the effective integration of photovoltaics and deserts can have multiple benefits for the economy, society, and ecology. However, the deposition of sand and dust caused by environmental factors in desertification areas can seriously affect the power generation efficiency of PV modules. In this study, the output characteristics of photovoltaic modules were tested under three wind speed conditions (5 m/s, 10 m/s, and 15 m/s), with different sand densities, sand particle sizes, and inclination angles. The experimental study showed that the module's output power gradually decreased with an increase in the density of accumulated sand; the sand accumulation density on the surface of the photovoltaic module increased from 0 to 40 g/m2, and the maximum output power decreased by 32.2%. As the sand particle size increased, the maximum output power of the module rose and was gradually stabilized in the three wind speed groups. As the sand particle size increased, the maximum output power of the module increased and gradually stabilized in the three wind speed groups. When the wind speed was 15 m/s, the component output power of the angle had the largest drop; the tilt angle was 60° when the relative output power rate reached the minimum (i.e., 86.5%); that is, there was electrical energy loss of approximately 13.7%. The sand particle size and accumulated sand density were the control variables related to the module temperature and the transmittance of the proportion of the impact of the module filling factor differences. According to the curve analysis of the filling factor in different sand accumulation densities, the filling factor first increased and then decreased. In this test, the filling factor at the sand accumulation density of 35 g/m2 (module temperature valley) reached the peak value. The change trend for the component filling factor under different sand particle sizes fluctuated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrode material for low-temperature co-fired diopside glass-ceramic used for microwave dielectrics was investigated in the present work. Diffusion of silver from the electrode to diopside glass-ceramics degrades the performance of the microwave dielectrics. Two approaches were adopted to resolve the problem of silver diffusion. Firstly, silicon-oxide (SiO2) powder was employed and secondly crystalline phases were chosen to modify the sintering behavior and inhibit silver ions diffusion. Nanoscale amorphous SiO2 powder turns to the quartz phase uniformly in dielectric material during the sintering process, and prevents the silver from diffusion. The chosen crystalline phase mixing into the glass-ceramics enhances crystallinity of the material and inhibits silver diffusion as well. The result provides a method to decrease the diffusivity of silver ions by adding the appropriate amount of SiO2 and appropriate crystalline ceramics in diopside glass-ceramic dielectric materials. Finally, we used IEEE 802.11a 5.8 GHz as target specification to manufacture LTCC antenna and the results show that a good broadband antenna was made using CaMgSi2O6 with 4 wt % silicon oxide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microbump (μ-bump) reliability of 3D integrated circuit (3D-IC) packaging must be enhanced, in consideration of the multi-chip assembly, during temperature cycling tests (TCT). This research proposes vehicle fabrications, experimental implements, and a nonlinear finite element analysis to systematically investigate the assembled packaging architecture that stacks four thin chips through the wafer level underfill (WLUF) process. The assembly of μ-bump interconnects by daisy chain design shows good quality. Results of both TCT data and the simulation indicate that μ-bumps with residual SnAg solders can reach more than 1200 fatigue life cycles. Moreover, several important design factors in the present 3D-IC package influence μ-bump reliability. Analytical results show that the μ-bump's thermo-mechanical reliability can be improved by setting proper chip thickness, along with a WLUF that has a low elastic modulus and a small coefficient of thermal expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) and plasmon-activated water (PAW) against IFN-γ/TNF-α induced inflammation in human colon Caco-2 cells were investigated. Cells were divided into the control, induction, LBP treatment (100–500 μg/mL), and combination groups with PAW. Inflammation was induced 24 h with 10 ng/mL IFN-γ when cell confluency reached >90%, and various doses of LBP with or without PAW were treated for 3 h, and subsequently 50 ng/mL TNF-α was added for another 24 h to provoke inflammation. Combination of LBP with PAW significantly decreased the secretion of IL-6 and IL-8. Cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible NO synthase expression was attenuated in all LBP-treated groups with or without PAW. NLRP3 inflammasome and related protein PYCARD expression were inhibited by LBP at the highest dose (500 μg/mL). All doses of LBP alone significantly decreased p-ERK expression, but combination with PAW increased p-ERK expression compared to those without PAW. Additionally, 250 and 500 μg/mL of LBP with or without PAW inhibited procaspase-3/caspase-3 expression. Therefore, LBP possesses anti-inflammation and anti-apoptosis by inhibiting the secretion of inflammatory cytokines and the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome-related protein. The combination with PAW exerts additive or synergistic effect on anti-inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the computational characterization of electrochemical C-C bond formation through the CO and CHO coupling process utilizing a dioxo-coordinated Cu single atom site ([CuO2]*) supported on a Pd(111) surface. The stable intermediate, [CuO2]*(CO)2, was identified as a tetradentate-and-tetrahedral species formed upon exposure to CO gaseous molecules. Electrochemically, the hydrogenation of the carbonyl group to CHO was found to be 0.87 eV, conceivably lower than the corresponding step for conventional Cu surfaces. This study observed a considerable charge transfer effect from the top layer of Pd atoms to the adsorbate moiety, especially at the TS structure. This phenomenon resulted in an accessible C-C bond formation barrier at 0.67 eV. Furthermore, the reaction energy of C-C bond formation was found to be exothermic at −0.21 eV, indicating a favorable chemical equilibrium condition. Considering the temperature effect and pressure of the gaseous molecules (CO, CO2, O2), the [CuO2]*(CO)2 intermediate was substantially populated at room temperature and was found to be chemically resilient under dry ambient conditions, as suggested by the kinetic modeling results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanozymes and cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway, as powerful organons, can remodel the tumor microenvironment (TME) to increase efficacy and overcome drug resistance in cancer immunotherapy. Nanozymes have the potential to manipulate the TME by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS), which lead to positive oxidative stress in tumor cells. Cyclic dinucleotide (2′,3′-cGAMP), as a second messenger, exists in the TME and can regulate it to achieve antitumor activity. In this work, Co,N-doped carbon dots (CoNCDs) were used as a model nanozyme to evaluate the properties of the anti-tumor mechanism, and effective inhibition of S180 tumor was achieved. Based on CoNCDs' good biocompatibility and therapeutic effect on the tumor, we then introduced the cGAS–STING agonist, and the combination of the CoNCDs and STING agonist significantly inhibited tumor growth, and no significant systemic toxicity was observed. The combined system achieved the enhanced tumor synergistic immunotherapy through TME reprogramming via the peroxidase-like activity of the CoNCDs and cGAS–STING signaling pathway agonist synergistically. Our work provides not only a new effective way to reprogram TME in vivo, but also a promising synergic antitumor therapy strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pardosa pseudoannulata is one of the most common wandering spiders in agricultural fields and a potentially good bioindicator for heavy metal contamination. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which spiders respond to heavy metals at the molecular level. In the present study, high-throughput transcriptome sequencing was employed to characterize the de novo transcriptome of the spiders and to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) after cadmium exposure. We obtained 60,489 assembled unigenes, 18,773 of which were annotated in the public databases. A total of 2939 and 2491 DEGs were detected between the libraries of two Cd-treated groups and the control. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that metabolism processes and digestive system function were predominately enriched in response to Cd stress. At the cellular and molecular levels, significantly enriched pathways in lysosomes and phagosomes as well as replication, recombination and repair demonstrated that oxidative damage resulted from Cd exposure. Based on the selected DEGs, certain critical genes involved in defence and detoxification were analysed. These results may elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying spiders' responses to heavy metal stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The suitability of stacked thin films for next-generation display technology was analyzed based on their properties and geometrical designs to evaluate the mechanical reliability of transparent conducting thin films utilized in flexural displays. In general, the high bending stress induced by various operation conditions is a major concern regarding the mechanical reliability of indium-tin-oxide (ITO) films deposited on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates; mechanical reliability is commonly used to estimate the flexibility of displays. However, the pattern effect is rarely investigated to estimate the mechanical reliability of ITO/PET films. Thus, this study examined the flexible content of patterned ITO/PET films with two different line widths by conducting bending tests and sheet resistance measurements. Moreover, a stress-strain simulation enabled by finite element analysis was performed on the patterned ITO/PET to explore the stress impact of stacked film structures under various levels of flexural load. Results show that the design of the ITO/PET film can be applied in developing mechanically reliable flexible electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The greenhouse's energy consumption is a major limiting factor for output and development. To address this, it is necessary to adopt green and low-carbon heating technologies to replace traditional fuels. This will not only help conserve energy but will also reduce emissions, thereby improving the thermal environmental conditions for agriculture. This paper aims to research and develop a vertical heat exchange tube array device specifically designed for greenhouses. The focus is on enhancing the passive heat absorption and heat storage efficiency of the device and its influence on the thermal environment of the greenhouse. In order to improve the heat absorption and storage efficiency of the heat exchanger device and its impact on the greenhouse thermal environment, experimental comparative analysis was conducted using air, water, and phase-change materials as working fluids inside the pipes. Through a combination of experiments and simulations, it was verified that the heat exchanger device is capable of actively regulating the greenhouse thermal environment. The results show that heat exchangers of all three types of working fluids can effectively improve the stability of soil temperature and play a "shifting the peak and filling the valley" role in regulating the indoor air temperature while positively regulating the relative humidity of the air. Notably, when the working fluid is a phase-change material, it has the most significant impact on the thermal environment of the greenhouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-dimensional integrated circuit (3D-IC) structure with a significant scale mismatch causes difficulty in analytic model construction. This paper proposes a simulation technique to introduce an equivalent material composed of microbumps and their surrounding wafer level underfill (WLUF). The mechanical properties of this equivalent material, including Young's modulus (E), Poisson's ratio, shear modulus, and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), are directly obtained by applying either a tensile load or a constant displacement, and by increasing the temperature during simulations, respectively. Analytic results indicate that at least eight microbumps at the outermost region of the chip stacking structure need to be considered as an accurate stress/strain contour in the concerned region. In addition, a factorial experimental design with analysis of variance is proposed to optimize chip stacking structure reliability with four factors: chip thickness, substrate thickness, CTE, and E-value. Analytic results show that the most significant factor is CTE of WLUF. This factor affects microbump reliability and structural warpage under a temperature cycling load and high-temperature bonding process. WLUF with low CTE and high E-value are recommended to enhance the assembly reliability of the 3D-IC architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image recognition and neuroimaging are increasingly being used to understand the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, image data from single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) are limited. Medical image analysis requires large, labeled training datasets. Therefore, studies have focused on overcoming this problem. In this study, the detection performance of five convolutional neural network (CNN) models (MobileNet V2 and NASNetMobile (lightweight models); VGG16, Inception V3, and ResNet (heavier weight models)) on medical images was compared to establish a classification model for epidemiological research. Brain scan image data were collected from 99 subjects, and 4711 images were used. Demographic data were compared using the chi-squared test and one-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni's post hoc test. Accuracy and loss functions were used to evaluate the performance of CNN models. The cognitive abilities screening instrument and mini mental state exam scores of subjects with a clinical dementia rating (CDR) of 2 were considerably lower than those of subjects with a CDR of 1 or 0.5. This study analyzed the classification performance of various CNN models for medical images and proved the effectiveness of transfer learning in identifying the mild cognitive impairment, mild AD, and moderate AD scoring based on SPECT images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we developed a glucose fiber sensor incorporating heterodyne interferometry to measure the phase difference produced by the chemical reaction between glucose and glucose oxidase (GOx). Both theoretical and experimental results showed that the amount of phase variation is inversely proportional to glucose concentration. The proposed method provided a linear measurement range of the glucose concentration from 10 mg/dL to 550 mg/dL. The experimental results indicated that the sensitivity is proportional to the length of the enzymatic glucose sensor, and the optimum resolution can be obtained at a sensor length of 3 cm. The optimum resolution of the proposed method is better than 0.6 mg/dL. Moreover, the proposed sensor demonstrates good repeatability and reliability. The average relative standard deviation (RSD) is better than 10% and satisfied the minimum requirement for point-of-care devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease affect motor symptoms with abnormally increased or reduced movements. Symptoms such as tremor and hand movement disorders can be subtle and vary daily such that the actual condition of the disease may not fully present in clinical sessions. Health examination and monitoring, if available in the living space, can capture comprehensive and quantitative information about a patient's motor symptoms, allowing physicians to make a precise diagnosis and devise a more personalized treatment. WiFi-based sensing is a potential solution for passively detecting human motion in a contactless way that collects no personally identifiable information. This study proposed an approach for human micromotion detection using the WiFi channel state information, which can be realized in a regular-sized room for home health monitoring and examination. Three types of motion were tested to evaluate the proposed method in quantifying micromotion using single and multiple WiFi links. The results show that micromotion could be captured at all distributed locations in the experimental environment (4.2 m × 7.9 m). Our computer algorithm computed the frequency and duration of simulated hand tremors with an average accuracy of 90.9% (single WiFi link)—95.7% (multiple WiFi links). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Betel nut chewing injures bodily health. Although, the relationship between betel nut chewing and kidney stone disease (KSD) is unknown. (2) Methods: We analyzed 43,636 men from Taiwan Biobank. We divided them into two groups on the status of betel nut chewing, the never-chewer and ever-chewer groups. Self-reported diagnosed KSD was defined as the subject's medical history of KSD in the questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to analyze the association of betel nut chewing and the risk of KSD. (3) Results: The mean age of subjects in the present study was 50 years, and 16% were ever-chewers. KSD was observed in 3759 (10.3%) and 894 (12.6%) participants in the group of never-chewer and ever-chewer groups, respectively. Higher risk of KSD was found in participants with betel nut chewing compared with to without betel nut chewing (odds ratio (OR), 1.094; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.001 to 1.196). Furthermore, the daily amounts of betel nut chewing >30 quids was associated with a more than 1.5-fold increase (OR, 1.571; 95% CI, 1.186 to 2.079) in the odds of KSD; (4) Conclusions: Our study suggests that betel nut chewing is associated with the risk of KSD and warrants further attention to this problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastric subepithelial lesions are common. However, their diagnosis and management can pose a challenge. Herein, we present the case of a 49-year-old man who was incidentally discovered to have a gastric subepithelial lesion that increased in size during follow-up. Submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection was performed, and the tumor was successfully removed en bloc. The pathological and immunohistochemical findings were consistent with a gastric globus tumor. Although rare, glomus tumors should be considered when gastric subepithelial lesions are discovered. Resection with an endoscopic technique can be used to preserve the stomach and can be considered an alternative to surgical removal. However, such procedures should only be performed by experienced therapeutic endoscopists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Sleep disturbances are prevalent problems among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons. The recognition of comorbid sleep disorders in patients with HIV is currently hampered by limited knowledge of sleep-related symptoms, sleep architecture, and types of sleep disorders in this population. We aimed to compare the differences in sleep-related symptoms and polysomnography-based sleep disorders between HIV-infected persons and controls. Methods: The study evaluated 170 men with a Pittsburgh sleep quality index scores greater than 5, including 44 HIV-infected men and 126 male controls who were frequency-matched by sex, age (±3.0 years) and BMI (±3.0 kg/m2). For all participants, an overnight sleep study using a Somte V1 monitor was conducted. Differences in sleep-related symptoms and sleep disorders between HIV-infected patients and controls were examined using t-tests or chi-square tests. Results: HIV-infected persons with sleep disturbances more often had psychological disturbances (72.7% vs. 40.5%, p < 0.001) and suspected rapid eye movement behavior disorder (25.0% vs. 4.8%, p < 0.01) than controls. Sleep-disordered breathing was less common in HIV-infected persons than in controls (56.8% vs. 87.3%, p < 0.001). The mean percentage of rapid eye movement sleep was higher among HIV-infected patients than among controls (20.6% vs. 16.6%, p < 0.001). Nocturia was more common in HIV-infected persons than in controls (40.9% vs. 22.2%, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Psychological disturbances and sleep-disordered breathing can be possible explanations of sleep disturbances in HIV-infected persons in whom sleep-disordered breathing is notable. Further studies are warranted to examine the underlying factors of rapid eye movement behavior disorder among HIV-infected persons with sleep disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new saponin, malonylginsenoside Ra3, was isolated from the fresh root of Panax ginseng, along with four known ginsenosides. The new compound was identified as (20S)-protopanaxadiol-3-O-(6-O-malonyl-β-D-glucopyranosyl(1→2)-β-D-glucopyranoside -20-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl(1→3)-β-D-glucopyranosyl(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside on the basis of extensive 1D and 2D NMR as well as HRESI-MS spectroscopic data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Aspergillus niger strain was isolated from the soil around ginseng fruit. In vitro enzyme assays showed that this strain had the ability to transform total ginsenosides (TGS) into several new products. In a further biochemical study, a β-glucosidase gene isolated from this strain, bgl1, was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. His-tagged BGL1 protein (~170 kD) showed the ability to transform ginsenoside Rf into Rh1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complications of diabetes mellitus (DM) range from acute to chronic conditions, leading to multiorgan disorders such as nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy. However, little is known about the influence of DM on intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). Moreover, traditional surgical outcomes in DM patients have been found poor, and to date, no definitive alternative treatment exists for DM-induced IVDD. Recently, among various novel approaches in regenerative medicine, the concentrated platelet-derived biomaterials (PDB), which is comprised of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), etc., have been reported as safe, biocompatible, and efficacious alternatives for various disorders. Therefore, we initially investigated the correlations between DM and IVDD, through establishing in vitro and in vivo DM models, and further evaluated the therapeutic effects of PDB in this comorbid pathology. In vitro model was established by culturing immortalized human nucleus pulposus cells (ihNPs) in high-glucose medium, whereas in vivo DM model was developed by administering streptozotocin, nicotinamide and high-fat diet to the mice. Our results revealed that DM deteriorates both ihNPs and IVD tissues, by elevating reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced oxidative stress, inhibiting chondrogenic markers and disc height. Contrarily, PDB ameliorated IVDD by restoring cellular growth, chondrogenic markers and disc height, possibly through suppressing ROS levels. These data imply that PDB may serve as a potential chondroprotective and chondroregenerative candidate for DM-induced IVDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress-induced performance change in electron packaging architecture is a major concern when the keep-out zone (KOZ) and corresponding integration density of interconnect systems and transistor devices are considered. In this study, a finite element analysis (FEA)-based submodeling approach is demonstrated to analyze the stress-affected zone of through-silicon via (TSV) and its influences on a planar metal oxide semiconductor field transistor (MOSFET) device. The feasibility of the widely adopted analytical solution for TSV stress-affected zone estimation, Lamé radial stress solution, is investigated and compared with the FEA-based submodeling approach. Analytic results reveal that the Lamé stress solution overestimates the TSV-induced stress in the concerned device by over 50%, and the difference in the estimated results of device performance between Lamé stress solution and FEA simulation can reach 22%. Moreover, a silicon–germanium-based lattice mismatch stressor is designed in a silicon p-type MOSFET, and its effects are analyzed and compared with those of TSV residual stress. The S/D stressor dominates the stress status of the device channel. The demonstrated FEA-based submodeling approach is effective in analyzing the stress impact from packaging and device-level components and estimating the KOZ issue in advanced electronic packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation therapy (RT) recruits myeloid cells, leading to an immunosuppressive microenvironment that impedes its efficacy against tumors. Combination of immunotherapy with RT is a potential approach to reversing the immunosuppressive condition and enhancing tumor control after RT. This study aimed to assess the effects of local interleukin-12 (IL-12) therapy on improving the efficacy of RT in a murine prostate cancer model. Combined treatment effectively shrunk the radioresistant tumors by inducing a T helper-1 immune response and influx of CD8+ T cells. It also delayed the radiation-induced vascular damage accompanied by increased α-smooth muscle actin-positive pericyte coverage and blood perfusion. Moreover, RT significantly reduced the IL-12-induced levels of alanine aminotransferase in blood. However, it did not further improve the IL-12-induced anti-tumor effect on distant tumors. Upregulated expression of T-cell exhaustion-associated genes was found in tumors treated with IL-12 only and combined treatment, suggesting that T-cell exhaustion is potentially correlated with tumor relapse in combined treatment. In conclusion, this study illustrated that combination of radiation and local IL-12 therapy enhanced the host immune response and promoted vascular maturation and function. Furthermore, combination treatment was associated with less systemic toxicity than IL-12 alone, providing a potential option for tumor therapy in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: A chest CT via central vein enhancement not only eliminates peripheral vein regurgitation but also provides better image quality that facilitates precise clinical staging. A chest CT via central vein enhancement may be considered after tissue proof in order to better discriminate disease severity. The differences in chest computed tomography (CT) image quality may affect the tumor stage. The aim of this study was to compare the image quality and accuracy of chest CT via central vein and peripheral vein enhancement. Fifty consecutive patients were enrolled from a tertiary medical center in Taiwan from May 2016 to March 2019. All the patients received a chest CT via central vein enhancement prior to neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation in order to compare the chest CT that was obtained via the peripheral vein. In addition, blind independent central reviews of chest CT via central vein and peripheral vein enhancement were conducted. For T and N stage, chest CT via central vein enhancement had a greater consistency with endoscopic ultrasonography and positron-emission tomography-computed tomography findings (kappa coefficients 0.4471 and 0.5564, respectively). In addition, chest CT via central vein enhancement also showed excellent agreement in the blind independent central review (kappa coefficient 0.9157). The changes in the T and N stage resulted in stage migration in 16 patients. Chest CT via central vein enhancement eliminated peripheral vein regurgitation and also provided more precise clinical staging. This study is registered under the registered NCT number 02887261. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lost circulation is a pervasive problem in geothermal wells that can create prohibitive costs during drilling. The main issue with treatment is that the mechanism of plug formation is poorly understood. Here we applied two experimental approaches to characterize the clogging effectiveness of different materials. Fracture flow tests with different geometries were conducted with various individual materials and mixtures at relevant conditions. A high-temperature flow loop system was also developed to inject single- and mixed-material plugs into a gravel pack with a non-uniform geometry to compare with the fracture tests. The fracture tests revealed that single materials tended to form no plug or an unstable plug, while mixtures of materials were uniformly better at sealing fractures. Gravel pack tests at high temperatures show most of the materials are intact but degraded. The fibrous materials can create partial or unstable plugs in the gravel pack, but mixed-material plugs are far more effective at clogging. Both test types suggest that (1) mixed materials are more effective at blocking fluid flow and (2) fibrous materials seal fracture openings better, while granular materials seal inside fractures or pore throats better. Further research is needed to study the long-term stability of different plug configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oxytocin system plays a role in stress responses and behavior modulation. However, the effects of oxytocin signaling on stress adaptation remain unclear. Here, we demonstrated the roles of oxytocin signaling as a biomarker under stress conditions in the peripheral tissues (the gills) and central nervous system (the brain). All the environmental stressors downregulated the expression of oxytocin receptors in the gills, and the alteration of the expression of oxytocin receptors was also found in the brain after the acidic (AC) and high-ammonia (HA) treatments. The number of oxytocin neurons was increased after double-deionized (DI) treatment. By transgenic line, Tg(oxtl:EGFP), we also investigated the projections of oxytocin neurons and found oxytocin axon innervations in various nuclei that might regulate the anxiety levels and aggressiveness of adult zebrafish under different environmental stresses. The oxytocin system integrates physiological responses and behavioral outcomes to ensure environmental adaptation in adult zebrafish. Our study provides insight into oxytocin signaling as a stress indicator upon environmental stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five new compounds, eupatodibenzofuran A (1), eupatodibenzofuran B (2), 6-acetyl-8-methoxy-2,2-dimethylchroman-4-one (3), eupatofortunone (4), and eupatodithiecine (5), have been isolated from the aerial part of Eupatorium fortunei, together with 11 known compounds (6‒16). Compounds 1 and 2 featured a new carbon skeleton with an unprecedented 1-(9-(4-methylphenyl)-6-methyldibe nzo[b,d]furan-2-yl)ethenone. Among the isolates, compound 1 exhibited potent inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 5.95 ± 0.89 and 5.55 ± 0.23 μM, respectively, against A549 and MCF-7 cells. The colony-formation assay demonstrated that compound 1 (5 μM) obviously decreased A549 and MCF-7 cell proliferation, and Western blot test confirmed that compound 1 markedly induced apoptosis of A549 and MCF-7 cells through mitochondrial- and caspase-3-dependent pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex and severe neurodegenerative disease that still lacks effective methods of diagnosis. The current diagnostic methods of AD rely on cognitive tests, imaging techniques and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of amyloid-β1-42 (Aβ42), total tau protein and hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau). However, the available methods are expensive and relatively invasive. Artificial intelligence techniques like machine learning tools have being increasingly used in precision diagnosis. Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the machine learning and novel biomarkers for the diagnosis of AD. Methods: We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for reviews and trials that investigated the machine learning and novel biomarkers in diagnosis of AD. Results: In additional to Aβ and tau-related biomarkers, biomarkers according to other mechanisms of AD pathology have been investigated. Neuronal injury biomarker includes neurofiliament light (NFL). Biomarkers about synaptic dysfunction and/or loss includes neurogranin, BACE1, synaptotagmin, SNAP-25, GAP-43, synaptophysin. Biomarkers about neuroinflammation includes sTREM2, and YKL-40. Besides, d-glutamate is one of coagonists at the NMDARs. Several machine learning algorithms including support vector machine, logistic regression, random forest, and naïve Bayes) to build an optimal predictive model to distinguish patients with AD from healthy controls. Conclusions: Our results revealed machine learning with novel biomarkers and multiple variables may increase the sensitivity and specificity in diagnosis of AD. Rapid and cost-effective HPLC for biomarkers and machine learning algorithms may assist physicians in diagnosing AD in outpatient clinics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fracture theory of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites is complicated compared to that of homogeneous materials. Textile FRPs need to consider crimp, fiber off-axis and various weaving parameters in a two-dimensional scale, which makes research of failure and fracture difficult. The objective and main contribution of the present research lie in taking textile bamboo FRP as an example and using tools such as toughness, load and deflection curves analysis, energy analysis, and first-order derivative signals to establish the preliminary information needed for fracture theory. This is followed by observing the fracture characteristics of the material under bending. The identification of fracture modes, corresponding energy, and energy dissipation are all prerequisites for developing fracture models in the future. Differences in the direction of force, weaving method, and number of laminates will cause the amount and direction of fibers to vary, which makes the type and progression of fracture different. Combining signal analysis, fracture images and energy dissipation curves, there are different modes of fracture between various groups due to different energy storage forms and crack types, which ultimately lead to different energy dissipation behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this study, we aim to present a single institution's 25-year experience of employing a comprehensive multidisciplinary team-based surgical approach for treating patients with NF-1. Summary Background Data: All patients (n = 106) with a confirmed diagnosis of NF-1 who were treated using a multidisciplinary surgical treatment algorithm at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital between 1994 and 2019 were retrospectively enrolled. Patients were categorized into groups according to the anatomy involved (craniofacial and noncraniofacial groups) and the type of clinical presentation (plexiform and cutaneous neurofibromas groups) for comparative analysis. Methods: The number of surgical interventions and number of specialists involved in surgical care were assessed. Results: Most of the patients exhibited craniofacial involvement (69.8%) and a plexiform type of NF-1 (58.5%), as confirmed through histology. A total of 332 surgical interventions (3.1 ± 3.1 procedures per patient) were performed. The number of specialists involved in surgical care of the included patients was 11 (1.6 ± 0.8 specialists per patient). Most of the patients (62.3%) underwent two or more surgical interventions, and 40.6% of the patients received treatment from two or more specialists. No significant differences were observed between the craniofacial and noncraniofacial groups in terms of the average number of surgical interventions (3.3 ± 3.2 vs. 2.7 ± 2.7, respectively) and number of specialists involved (1.7 ± 0.9 vs. 1.4 ± 0.6). Patients with plexiform craniofacial involvement underwent a significantly higher average number of surgical interventions (4.3 ± 3.6 vs. 1.6 ± 1.1; p < 0.001) and received treatment by more specialists (1.9 ± 0.9 vs. 1.2 ± 0.5; p < 0.001) compared with those having cutaneous craniofacial involvement. Conclusions: In light of the potential benefits of employing the multidisciplinary team-based surgical approach demonstrated in this study, such an approach should be adopted to provide comprehensive individualized care to patients with NF-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is a primary generalized epilepsy which is closely related to the sleep-wake cycle. This study aimed to investigate whether sleep disturbance is more common among patients with JME and the impact this may have on their quality of life (QOL). Thirty-four patients with JME and age- and gender-matched controls were recruited into this case control study, and assessed using validated sleep questionnaires including the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS). QOL was assessed using the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-31). The patients had a significantly higher PSQI score and higher proportion of abnormal PSQI scores than the controls. They also had higher ESS and SSS scores, but without statistical significance. The patients with poor sleep quality had significantly lower overall QOL, emotional well-being, and energy/fatigue subscale scores. The use of a higher number of antiseizure medications, dosage of levetiracetam, and usage of antiseizure medication polytherapy were associated with sleep disorders. Our results showed that sleep disturbance is common in patients with JME, and also that it has an impact on their QOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]