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The bacterial strain HT11 isolated from broad bean (Vicia faba L.) exhibited strong antifungal activity against Botrytis fabiopsis, the causative agent of red spot disease in broad bean. To gain insights into the secondary metabolites produced by HT11,its entire genome was sequenced and subjected to comprehensive analysis. The genome comprised a single circular chromosome of 6,335,588 base pairs (bp) in length. Comparative analysis of the 16 S rRNA gene and the average nucleotide identity (ANI) confirmed the HT11 strain as a new Pseudomonas strain. The complete genome encoded 5,366 predicted open reading frames (ORFs), 66 tRNA genes and 16 rRNA genes. The total length of the annotated genes accounted for 82.93% (5,254,103/6,335,588 bp) of the complete genome. Functional categorization of the predicted ORFs revealed 24 Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COG). Fourteen gene clusters were identified with in the genome, associated with the biosynthesis of pyochelin, pyocyanin, viscosin, and tolaasin I/tolaasin F. Additionally, three gene clusters were implicated in the biosynthesis of unknown metabolites. These findings establish a foundational basis for further investigations into the interactions between Pseudomonas sp. HT11 and the pathogenic fungus Botrytis fabiopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper delves into the potential of Large Language Model (LLM) agents for industrial robotics, with an emphasis on autonomous design, decision-making, and task execution within manufacturing contexts. We propose a comprehensive framework that includes three core components: (1) matches manufacturing tasks with process parameters, emphasizing the challenges in LLM agents' understanding of human-imposed constraints; (2) autonomously designs tool paths, highlighting the LLM agents' proficiency in planar tasks and challenges in 3D spatial tasks; and (3) integrates embodied intelligence within industrial robotics simulations, showcasing the adaptability of LLM agents like GPT-4. Our experimental results underscore the distinctive performance of the GPT-4 agent, especially in Component 3, where it is outstanding in task planning and achieved a success rate of 81.88% across 10 samples in task completion. In conclusion, our study accentuates the transformative potential of LLM agents in industrial robotics and suggests specific avenues, such as visual semantic control and real-time feedback loops, for their enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ordered mesoporous materials have received great attention due to their well-defined pore structures and potential applications in catalysis, adsorption, separation, drug delivery, etc. Although various compositions of mesoporous solids have been successfully prepared, the preparation of crystalline non-metallic oxyacid salts with ordered mesoporosity remains a major challenge. Herein, we report the synthesis of a mesoporous solid acid crystalline boron phosphate (BPO4) catalyst with a bicontinuous shifted double diamond (SDD) hyperbolic surface structure. The BPO4 scaffold was obtained by synergistic self-assembly in a mixed solvent of water and tetrahydrofuran using the diblock copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)-block-polystyrene as template and phosphoric acid and orthoboric acid as inorganic sources. The structure consists of two sets of diamond networks adjacent to each other with a mesostructural scale tetragonal symmetry (space group I41/amd) with unit cell parameters of a = 80 nm and c = 113 nm, which affords the scaffold a specific surface area of 44 m2/g. As a solid acid catalytic material, the SDD BPO4 scaffold exhibited excellent catalytic activity at room temperature with a conversion of furfural to 2-(dimethoxymethyl) furan over 70% and can be reused after recovery without serious loss of activity. In the propane oxidative dehydrogenation reaction, SDD BPO4 demonstrated high olefin productivity and selectivity while maintaining high reaction rate. This study provides ideas for the preparation of ordered mesoporous crystalline catalytic materials and demonstrates their potential for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature is a key factor regulating the survival, reproduction and population growth of insects. We studied performance traits of Chilo infuscatellus Snellen (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), a serious sugarcane borer in Asia, at constant rearing temperatures (19, 23, 27, 31, and 35℃). Our results revealed that the developmental time of immature stages and adult lifespans decreased and fecundity increased at higher temperatures. Extreme temperature treatments (19 and 35 °C) reduced the survival rate of C. infuscatellus. The survival rate and fecundity of C. infuscatellus were high at 27 °C, suggesting it being a favourable temperature, at which we further explored their reproductive traits. We found that eclosion, mating, and oviposition all occurred during the scotophase, and the duration of the mating behaviour of most pairs lasted for 20–50 min. The results will provide important information of this sugarcane borer in relation to seasonal and global climate changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Levels of biological thiols, or "biothiols," in mitochondria can be used to assess environmental and biological oxidative stress, which can cause health issues such as malignant tumors and neurological diseases. Here, we review fluorescent probes for detecting biothiols, targeting mitochondria, and emitting red and near-infrared light, with focus on nitrogen cation and oxonium ion units as mitochondrial biomarkers. Red-emitting and near-infrared fluorescent probes for detecting biothiols are classified according to the way they target mitochondria. We present the structure, fluorescence behavior, and biological imaging of the probes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how economic globalization, innovations in environment-related technology, shifts in industrial structure, and GDP collectively influence the ecological footprint of the top 10 Asian countries known for technological innovation from 1999 to 2018. Results show that economic globalization, industrial structure change, and GDP are important determinants of ecological footprint. Greater economic globalization and GDP growth harm the environment and require more resources. However, industrial structure change toward services ameliorates environment pressure. Uni-directional causality was established from globalization to ecological footprint, from ecological footprint to industrial structure change, and from GDP to industrial structure change. In addition, bidirectional causalities were also confirmed: between GDP and ecological footprint, between GDP and environment-related technology innovation, between economic globalization and GDP, and between environment-related technology innovation and ecological footprint. Finally, this study recommends that governments should enhance technological innovation, encourage industrial structure change towards high-value-added service industries, and use low-carbon energy in the pursuit of globalization. These results have notable implications for energy policy and economic sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decision-making quality is a concern for the public sector because its decisions may involve more dimensions than those faced by the private sector. However, past studies on public sector efficiency have ignored the uncertainty of data estimation. This study addresses this shortcoming by proposing a chance-constrained network DEA approach based on an enhanced Russell-based directional distance measure that evaluates public sector performance. The proposed approach uses stochastic inputs and outputs to enhance decision-making quality and capacity in the public sector. The usefulness of this approach is demonstrated through an empirical case of the OECD. Our approach also provides practical suggestions for promoting a green economic transformation and serves as a reference for government policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the life cycle of the oriental fruit fly where larvae reside within fruits and adults exhibit high activity, the pupal stage occurs in the soil, closely tied to agricultural soil management. This study investigates the impact of four variables (body orientation, burial depth, soil particle size, and pH) on Bactrocera dorsalis’ physiological preferences, eclosion rates, and pupal stage duration. Notably, body orientation, burial depth, soil texture (particle size), and pH affect eclosion rates. The fruit fly demonstrates a preference for a supine position during eclosion, with average eclosion rates of 97.33%, contrasting with decreases to 78.00% in a head-down position. Soil with mixed particle sizes is detrimental to pupal eclosion, reducing the eclosion rate to 56.67%. And at a pH of 9.98, eclosion rates decrease to 16.67%. These factors significantly influence eclosion rates However, these factors do not significantly alter the duration of the pupal stage, with mean changes not exceeding one day when experimental conditions are modified. These findings suggests that soil manipulations affecting these variables could reduce eclosion rates without compromising the uniformity of adult emergence. This study provides a foundation for environmentally friendly pest control practices and addresses gaps in the pupal stage research of the oriental fruit fly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have had a long-standing interest in developing organic prodrugs for controlled delivery of CO for various therapeutic applications. Based on an earlier approach of taking advantage of a cheletropic extrusion reaction of norbornadienone to release CO, a new structural scaffold of CO prodrugs has been designed using an adamantane moiety instead of aryl groups for stabilizing a critical precursor structure, cyclopentadienone. This approach allows for elimination of multiple aromatic groups on the previous scaffolds and offers a handle for installing additional moieties for improving solubility. Specifically, prodrugs with different solubilizing groups have been synthesized and assessed for their water solubility and potency in inhibiting inflammation using TNF-α as a marker. In cell-culture studies, varying potency was observed in a fashion consistent with the polarity of a prodrug being a key factor affecting membrane permeability and thus the local concentration of CO intracellularly. However, these prodrugs all offer systemic availability of CO in animal models even if the prodrug does not appear to have the ability to traverse cellular membrane. Such results suggest that member permeability is not a major factor in determining the ability to deliver CO systemically. Further, caution is needed in directly extrapolating results from cell culture to animal models, especially for such a gaseous active principal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Die Radiologie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study integrated multiple objective decision-making approaches including data envelopment analysis (DEA), rough set theory and TOPSIS method for exploring the competitiveness of pharmaceutical multinational enterprises. Firstly, this study applied an advanced two-stage network DEA to measure the R&D efficiency and business performance of pharmaceutical multinational enterprises (PMNEs) listed in the Forbes Global 2000 and ranked these PMNEs by using rough set theory, DEA and TOPSIS method. In addition, differences in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance across three continents were investigated. Findings show that North America is significantly the best (worst) region in terms of business performance (R&D efficiency) while Europe is significantly the best (worst) region in terms of R&D efficiency (business performance). Alfresa Holdings Corporation, a PMNE from Japan, is the only PMNE that is efficient from both an R&D and business performance perspective. European PMNEs have significantly better environmental and social performance than other regions, however, they have the worst governance performance. Overall, this study provides insights to managers and investors into the application of various methods for accurately measuring performance and ranking multinational enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of CO's known endogenous signaling roles and its demonstrated pharmacological activity at low and safe concentrations, there is considerable interest in chemical strategies that allows for generation of carbon monoxide from organic molecules under near-physiological conditions. Along this line, we report our work on studying the ability of iron porphyrin to catalyze CO generation from phenylpyruvic acid (PPA). To utilize this system for potential CO therapeutics and diagnostic applications, an activated charcoal formulation was designed, optimized, and assessed. Among the various iron porphyrin analogs studied, tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin iron (III) (TPFP) immobilized on activated charcoal was found to produce up to 60% CO from PPA. This chemistry could also be utilized in PKU diagnostics for quantification of PPA accumulation in urine. This catalytic conversion allows for the use of CO generation to rapidly quantify PPA concentration in urine samples. Another potential relevance of this CO generation pathway is the extent to which it could undergo in vivo as an endogenous source of CO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The separation and purification of chemical raw materials, particularly neutral compounds with similar physical and chemical properties, represents an ongoing challenge. In this study, we introduce a class of water-soluble macrocycle compound, calix[2]azolium[2]benzimidazolone (H), comprising two azolium and two benzimidazolone subunits. The heterocycle subunits form a hydrophobic binding pocket that enables H1 to encapsulate a series of neutral guests in water with 1:1 or 2:1 stoichiometry, including aldehydes, ketones, and nitrile compounds. The host-guest complexation in the solid state was further confirmed through X-ray crystallography. Remarkably, H1 was shown to be a nonporous adaptive crystal material to separate valeraldehyde from the mixture of valeraldehyde/2-methylbutanal/pentanol with high selectivity and recyclability in the solid states. This work not only demonstrates that azolium-based macrocycles are promising candidates for the encapsulation of organic molecules but also shows the potential application in separation science. The separation and purification of particularly neutral compounds with similar physical and chemical properties remains challenging. Here, the authors introduce a water-soluble macrocyclic calixarene compound as nonporous adaptive crystalline material to separate valeraldehyde from the mixture of valeraldehyde/2-methylbutanal/pentanol with high selectivity and recyclability in the solid state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detonation spraying is a technique that uses the high-temperature, high-velocity detonation waves to deposit the molten metal particles onto the target surface. The effect of the detonation spraying is influenced by the structure of the gun significantly. A series of detonation spraying gun two-dimensional (2-D) numerical models with various spray gun structures (slope lengths from 5 to 45 mm with a step of 10 mm) were established in this work, to investigate the spray performance. During the process of gas detonation, the interaction between the detonation wave and obstacles results in the generation of reflected waves, which exerts an accelerating effect on flame. Simultaneously, collisions between the flame front and obstacles introduce energy losses. Based on the above factors, the following results can be obtained: when the slope length at the nozzle diameter change point is 5 mm, the maximum flow velocity is achieved at the spray gun outlet. When the slope length at the transition point of the spray gun is 25 mm, the maximum temperature is reached at the spray gun outlet. When the slope length at the transition point of the spray gun is 45 mm, the maximum pressure is reached at the spray gun outlet. This work can contribute to the design of the detonation gun. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the related factors of turnover intention in clinical research coordinators (CRCs) and assess the mediating effects of professional identity on the association between job burnout and turnover intention. In China, CRC has become increasingly common among clinical trial teams in recent years. However, limited published research focused on the status of turnover intention in CRCs. We invited all the 220 CRCs currently working at Hunan Cancer Hospital located in Changsha city in the central south of China from March to June 2018. Participants were asked to complete structured questionnaires regarding basic demographic information, job burnout, professional identity and turnover intention. A total of 202 participants were included in this study, with a response rate of 91.82%. The main reason for turnover intention among CRCs was human resources, followed by communications, management and material resources (per item score in each dimension: 2.14 vs. 2.43 vs. 2.65 vs. 2.83). All the correlations among job burnout, professional identity and turnover intention were statistically significant, with coefficients ranging from −0.197 to 0.615. Multiple liner regression analysis showed that older age, longer workhours per week, and lower level of professional identity were associated with the prevalence of turnover intention among CRCs. Besides, the association between job burnout and turnover intention was fully mediated by professional identity. This study revealed the status and causes of turnover intention among Chinese CRCs. Effective measures on decreasing working time and improving professional identity should be taken in order to reduce CRCs' turnover intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Psychological distress is a prevalent unpleasant experience faced by many cancer patients. However, the psychological distress among gastrointestinal (GI) cancer patients is scarcely explored. Moreover, the association between psychological distress and quality of life in different genders has yet to be explored. Aims: To explore the psychological distress among GI cancer patients and examine its association with quality of life among different genders. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study. A total of 237 gastrointestinal cancer patients completed the distress thermometer and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-General. Results: The mean score of psychological distress of the participants was 3.04 (SD = 2.90). A greater proportion of female gastrointestinal cancer patients (52.8%) had clinically relevant psychological distress compared to males (35.9%). The quality of life was negatively associated with their psychological distress (B = − 1.502, 95%CI: − 2.759 to − 0.245, p = 0.019) among gastrointestinal cancer patients. Such association was stronger among males compared to females in gastrointestinal cancer patients (Interaction term, B = − 1.713, 95%CI: − 3.123 to − 0.303, p = 0.017). Conclusions: These findings suggest that healthcare providers should attach their attention to gastrointestinal cancer patients’ psychological distress, especially females. Longitudinal studies could adopted to track the changes in psychological distress and its association with quality of life over time among different genders. In future intervention studies, the focus of psychological interventions needs to be gender-specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary trans 10, cis 12-conjugated linoleic acid (t10c12-CLA) is a potential candidate in anti-obesity trials. A transgenic mouse was previously successfully established to determine the anti-obesity properties of t10c12-CLA in male mice that could produce endogenous t10c12-CLA. To test whether there is a different impact of t10c12-CLA on lipid metabolism in both sexes, this study investigated the adiposity and metabolic profiles of female Pai mice that exhibited a dose-dependent expression of foreign Pai gene and a shift of t10c12-CLA content in tested tissues. Compared to their gender-match wild-type littermates, Pai mice had no fat reduction but exhibited enhanced lipolysis and thermogenesis by phosphorylated hormone-sensitive lipase and up-regulating uncoupling proteins in brown adipose tissue. Simultaneously, Pai mice showed hepatic steatosis and hypertriglyceridemia by decreasing gene expression involved in lipid and glucose metabolism. Further investigations revealed that t10c10-CLA induced excessive prostaglandin E2, adrenaline, corticosterone, glucagon and inflammatory factors in a dose-dependent manner, resulting in less heat release and oxygen consumption in Pai mice. Moreover, fibroblast growth factor 21 overproduction only in monoallelic Pai/wt mice indicates that it was sensitive to low doses of t10c12-CLA. These results suggest that chronic t10c12-CLA has system-wide effects on female health via synergistic actions of various hormones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To develop a contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) clinic-radiomics nomogram for individualized assessment of Ki-67 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: A retrospective cohort comprising 310 HCC individuals who underwent preoperative CEUS (using SonoVue) at three different centers was partitioned into a training set, a validation set, and an external test set. Radiomics signatures indicating the phenotypes of the Ki-67 were extracted from multiphase CEUS images. The radiomics score (Rad-score) was calculated accordingly after feature selection and the radiomics model was constructed. A clinic-radiomics nomogram was established utilizing multiphase CEUS Rad-score and clinical risk factors. A clinical model only incorporated clinical factors was also developed for comparison. Regarding clinical utility, calibration, and discrimination, the predictive efficiency of the clinic-radiomics nomogram was evaluated. Results: Seven radiomics signatures from multiphase CEUS images were selected to calculate the Rad-score. The clinic-radiomics nomogram, comprising the Rad-score and clinical risk factors, indicated a good calibration and demonstrated a better discriminatory capacity compared to the clinical model (AUCs: 0.870 vs 0.797, 0.872 vs 0.755, 0.856 vs 0.749 in the training, validation, and external test set, respectively) and the radiomics model (AUCs: 0.870 vs 0.752, 0.872 vs 0.733, 0.856 vs 0.729 in the training, validation, and external test set, respectively). Furthermore, both the clinical impact curve and the decision curve analysis displayed good clinical application of the nomogram. Conclusion: The clinic-radiomics nomogram constructed from multiphase CEUS images and clinical risk parameters can distinguish Ki-67 expression in HCC patients and offer useful insights to guide subsequent personalized treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: The clinical manifestations of nonclassical 11beta-hydroxylase deficiency are very similar to those of non-classical 21-hydroxylase deficiency. For this study, we investigated the relationship between the clinical and molecular features of congenital adrenal hyperplasia caused by 11beta-hydroxylase deficiency and reviewed the related literature, which are expected to provide assistance for the clinical diagnosis and analysis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Methods: Clinical data for 10 Chinese patients diagnosed with congenital adrenal hyperplasia in our hospital from 2018 to 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. We examined the effects of gene mutations on protease activity and constructed three-dimensional structure prediction models of proteins. Results: We describe 10 patients with 11beta-hydroxylase gene mutations (n = 5, 46,XY; n = 5, 46,XX), with 10 novel mutations were reported. Female patients received treatment at an early stage, with an average age of 2.08 ± 1.66 years, whereas male patients received treatment significantly later, at an average age of 9.77 ± 3.62 years. The most common CYP11B1 pathogenic variant in the Chinese population was found to be c.1360C > T. All mutations lead to spatial conformational changes that affect protein stability. Conclusions: Our study found that there was no significant correlation between each specific mutation and the severity of clinical manifestations. Different patients with the same gene pathogenic variant may have mild or severe clinical manifestations. The correlation between genotype and phenotype needs further study. Three-dimensional protein simulations may provide additional support for the physiopathological mechanism of genetic mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study an abstract linear viscoelastic equation in Hilbert space. It fits some convolution type of integro-differential equations which govern dynamics in viscoelastic or thermoviscoelastic materials. A new semigroup approach is proposed which is adapted from a semigroup approach designed originally to a second-order abstract linear integro-differential equation. As compared with the existing semigroup approach, the system contraction can be obtained readily. Sufficient conditions for the system exponential stability are also established. An illustrative example is given, and numerical simulations are provided. They are in good agreement with the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate prediction of lake water level is of great significance for flood prevention, reservoir scheduling, and ecological protection. However, the change in lake water level is influenced by multiple factors, and water level data as a time series also have the characteristics of complexity, which leads to difficulty in water level prediction. In view of this, a hybrid CEEMDAN–BiGRU–SVR–MWOA (CBSM) framework is proposed here for lake water level prediction based on multiple sources of environmental, hydrological and meteorological factors. Firstly, the lake water level is decomposed into modal data with different frequencies using complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (CEEMDAN). Then, the modal data are divided into internally and externally controlled items using the maximum information coefficient (MIC). Then, multivariate prediction is performed by combining the external data using bi-directional gated recurrent unit (BiGRU). The prediction results are combined using support vector regression (SVR) for prediction with higher accuracy. A modified whale optimization algorithm (MWOA) is used to optimize the parameters of CEEMDAN and the hyperparameters of BiGRU based on permutation entropy and mean square error, respectively. The proposed CBSM was applied to Dongting Lake, China, and the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency of the prediction results reached 0.997, which was better than those of other benchmark models or frameworks, and the Diebold Mariano (DM) test further demonstrated the superiority of the proposed CBSM. Thus, this research provides a new and effective method for accurately simulating and predicting lake water levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integral imaging (II) display, one of the most critical true-3D display technologies, has received increasing research recently. Significantly, an achromatic metalens array has realized a broadband metalens-array-based II (meta-II). However, the past micro-scale metalens arrays were incompatible with commercial micro-displays; furthermore, the elemental image array (EIA) rendering is always slow. The two hinders in device and algorithm prevent meta-II from being used for practical video-rate near-eye displays (NEDs). This research demonstrates a meta-II NED combining a commercial micro-display and a metalens array. The large-area nanoimprint technology fabricates the metalens array, and a novel real-time rendering algorithm is proposed to generate the EIA. The hardware and software efforts solve the bottlenecks of video-rate meta-II displays. We also build a see-through prototype based on our meta-II NED, demonstrating the feasibility of augmented reality. Our work explores the potential of video-rate meta-II displays, which we expect can be valuable for future virtual and augmented reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central concept of strategic benchmarking is resource management efficiency, which ultimately results in profitability. However, little is known about performance measurement from resource-based perspectives. This study uses the data envelopment analysis (DEA) model with a dynamic network structure to measure the resource management and profitability efficiencies of 287 US commercial banks from 2010 to 2020. Furthermore, we provide frontier projections and incorporate five variables, namely capital adequacy, asset quality, management quality, earning ability, and liquidity (i.e., the CAMEL ratings). The results revealed that the room for improvement in bank performance is 55.4%. In addition, we found that the CAMEL ratings of efficient banks are generally higher than those of inefficient banks, and management quality, earnings quality, and liquidity ratios positively contribute to bank performance. Moreover, big banks are generally more efficient than small banks. Overall, this study continues the current heated debate on performance measurement in the banking industry, with a particular focus on the DEA application to answer the fundamental question of why resource management efficiency reflects benchmark firms and provides insights into how efficient management of CAMEL ratings would help in improving their performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzing the influence of the bed allocation and utilization efficiency in healthcare institutions on the isolation proportion of Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) to provide data to support prevention and control of MDROs. In this study, the provincial panel data from 2014 to 2020 in China on health resource indicators, including the number of beds per 1,000 population, hospital bed utilization rate, and average hospital stay from 2014 to 2020 in China were used to analyze the relationship between bed allocation or utilization efficiency and MDROs by the panel data quantile regression model. It was shown that the number of beds per 1,000 population had a negative effect on the isolation proportion of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae, methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, and cefotaxime or ceftriaxone resistant Escherichia coli (regression coefficient < 0, P < 0.05). The utilization rate of hospital bed had a positive effect on the isolation proportion of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae, cefotaxime or ceftriaxone resistant Escherichia coli, carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli, cefotaxime or ceftriaxone resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (regression coefficient > 0, P < 0.05). The average hospital stay had a positive effect on the isolation proportion for several antibiotic-resistant organisms, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae, cefotaxime or ceftriaxone resistant Escherichia coli, carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli, quinolone-resistant Escherichia coli, cefotaxime or ceftriaxone resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (regression coefficient > 0, P < 0.05). Bed allocation and utilization efficiency in healthcare institutions may affect the isolation proportion of MDROs in varying degrees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparative study on the mineralization of antibiotic trimethoprim (TMP) in neutral medium was investigated by applying irradiation with five types of ultraviolet lamps. Among these lamps, the whole envelope of one lamp contained ordinary quartz, which could only transmit ultraviolet-C (UVC) light. For the other four lamps, approximately one tenth, a quarter, a half, and full of envelopes were comprised of high-purity synthetic quartz, which can transmit both vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and UVC light. TMP decay was well fitted to pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics and occurred more quickly as the VUV intensity increased. Poor mineralization was achieved in the absence of VUV light, whereas the mineralization efficiency was also enhanced with increasing VUV intensity. The presence of hydroxyl radicals (•OH), superoxide radicals (O2•−) and singlet oxygen (1O2) during VUV photolysis of water was confirmed by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis. Appropriate radical quenching experiments and fluorescent molecular probe detection provided the evidence that •OH played a significant role in TMP mineralization. Higher VUV intensity favored the generation of H2O2 and •OH. The evolution of NH4+ and NO3− as well as carboxylic acids (formic, acetic, oxalic, and oxamic acids) released in the treated solution were quantified. Ten aromatic intermediates were also identified by UPLC-QTOF-MS. Thereby, a plausible reaction sequence for TMP mineralization in VUV/UVC photolysis was finally proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic investigation of spin injection behavior in Au/FM (FM = Fe and Ni) multilayers is performed using the superdiffusive spin transport theory. By exciting the nonmagnetic layer, the laser-induced hot electrons may transfer spin angular momentum into the adjacent ferromagnetic (FM) metals resulting in ultrafast demagnetization or enhancement. We find that these experimental phenomena sensitively depend on the particular interface reflectivity of hot electrons and may reconcile the different observations in the experiment. Stimulated by the ultrafast spin currents carried by the hot electrons, we propose the multilayer structures to generate highly spin-polarized currents for the development of future ultrafast spintronics devices. The spin polarization of the electric currents carried by the hot electrons can be significantly enhanced by the joint effects of bulk and interfacial spin filtering. Meanwhile, the intensity of the generated spin current can be optimized by varying the number of repeated stacking units and the thickness of each metallic layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with the traditional wind turbine of a single rotor, dual-rotor wind turbines (DRWTs) have higher wind energy capture efficiency and a more complex structure. Therefore, the aerodynamic performance of the DRWT installed on the floating platform will be greatly affected by the motion caused by wind and wave loads. In this paper, 5 MW and 750 kW single rotor wind turbines (SRWTs) are combined into a 5 MW-5 MW DRWT and a 5 MW-750 kW DRWT, and their power output and wake field characteristics in different motions are studied. The flow field is obtained by solving the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equation (RANS). The overset grid technique is employed to achieve the large-amplitude multiple-degree-of-freedom motion of the DRWT. The overall performance of the 5 MW single rotor wind turbine is determined by a numerical method. For the DRWTs, numerical results show that the surge motion and heave motion both have a negative effect on the power output of the DRWT. The surge motion is a critical factor that causes the power output of the DRWT to periodically change with motion. The average power output of the DRWT influenced by motion is lower than that of a DRWT with a fixed bottom. The surge motion significantly disturbs the wake of the DRWT due to the mutual interference between the upstream and downstream rotors. Under the influence of heave motion, low-velocity regions downstream of the blade tip are enhanced. This study indicates that attenuating the surge and heave motion of offshore DRWT is very significant for improving its efficiency and should be taken into consideration during the design procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: We determined the association of vegetarian type and status with bone mineral density (BMD) Z-scores at the spine, hip, and femoral neck. Compared to non-vegetarians, current vegetarians, especially vegans, lacto-vegetarians, and lacto-ovo-vegetarians had lower Z-scores at multiple sites. Sole reliance on a vegetarian diet might be detrimental to the bone. Purpose: The impact of vegetarian diets on BMD is contentious. We determined the association of vegetarian type and status with the spine, hip, and femoral neck BMD Z-scores. Methods: We analyzed data from 20,110 Taiwan Biobank volunteers. BMD was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The vegetarian status (non-, former, and current vegetarians) and type (non-vegetarians, ovo-vegetarians, lacto-vegetarians, lacto-ovo-vegetarians, and vegans) were determined using questionnaires. Results: The participants consisted of 12,910 women and 7200 men, with a mean age of 55.5 years. Based on vegetarian status (reference: non-vegetarians), current vegetarians had significantly lower BMD Z-scores at the spine (unstandardized regression coefficient, B = − 0.195, p = 0.006), left hip (B = − 0.125, p = 0.008), and right hip (B = − 0.100, p = 0.027), respectively. Based on vegetarian status and type (reference: non-vegetarians), current vegans and non-vegans had notably lower BMD Z-scores at specific skeletal sites. For non-vegans, the BMD Z-scores were significant at the spine (B = -0.184, p = 0.010), left hip (B = − 0.124, p = 0.010), and left femoral neck (B = − 0.125, p = 0.012). For current vegans, however, the BMD Z-scores were significant only at the right hip (B = − 0.232; p = 0.028). Nonetheless, after stratifying vegetarian diet into more subgroups, current vegans exhibited a significant reduction in BMD Z-scores at the spine and right hip, with B-coefficients of − 0.326 and − 0.238, respectively. Current lacto-vegetarians also had significantly lower Z-scores (p < 0.05) at the spine (B = − 0.459), left hip (B = − 0.313), and right hip (B = − 0.214). Moreover, current lacto-ovo-vegetarians had significantly lower Z-scores at the spine (B = − 0.175) and left hip (B = − 0.115). Conclusion: Current vegetarians, particularly vegans, lacto-vegetarians, and lacto-ovo-vegetarians, demonstrated significantly lower BMD Z-scores at various skeletal sites compared to non-vegetarians. Sole reliance on a vegetarian diet might be detrimental to the bone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine whether dual-energy CT (DECT) can be used to accurately and reliably detect anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. Materials and methods: Participants with unilateral ACL rupture were prospectively enrolled, and the bilateral knees were scanned by DECT. A tissue-specific mapping algorithm was applied to improve the visualization of the ACLs. The 80-keV CT value, mixed-keV CT value, electron density (Rho), and effective atomic number (Zeff) were measured to quantitatively differentiate torn ACLs from normal ACLs. MRI and arthroscopy served as the reference standards. Results: Fifty-one participants (mean age, 27.0 ± 8.7 years; 31 men) were enrolled. Intact and torn ACLs were explicitly differentiated on color-coded DECT images. The 80-keV CT value, mixed-keV CT value, and Rho were significantly lower for the torn ACLs than for the intact ACLs (p < 0.001). The optimal cutoff values were an 80-keV CT value of 61.8 HU, a mixed-keV CT value of 60.9 HU, and a Rho of 51.8 HU, with AUCs of 98.0% (95% CI: 97.0–98.9%), 99.2% (95% CI: 98.6–99.7%), and 99.8% (95% CI: 99.6–100.0%), respectively. Overall, DECT had almost perfect reliability and validity in detecting ACL integrity (sensitivity = 97.1% [95% CI: 88.1–99.8%]; specificity = 98.0% [95% CI: 89.5–99.9%]; PPV = 98.0% [95% CI: 93.0–99.8%]; NPV = 97.1% [95% CI: 91.7–99.4%]; accuracy = 97.5% [95% CI: 94.3–99.2%]). There was no evidence of a difference between MRI and DECT in the diagnostic performance (p > 0.99). Conclusion: DECT has excellent diagnostic accuracy and reliability in qualitatively and quantitatively diagnosing ACL rupture. Clinical relevance statement: DECT could validly and reliably diagnose ACL rupture using both qualitative and quantitative methods, which may become a promising substitute for MRI to evaluate the integrity of injured ACLs and the maturity of postoperative ACL autografts. Key Points: • On color-coded DECT images, an uncolored ACL was a reliable sign for qualitatively diagnosing ACL rupture. • The 80-keV CT value, mixed-keV CT value, and Rho were significantly lower for the torn ACLs than for the intact ACLs, which contributed to the quantitative diagnosis of ACL rupture. • DECT had an almost perfect diagnostic performance for ACL rupture, and diagnostic capability was comparable between MRI and DECT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing interest in understanding exercise as a potential treatment for cancer-related fatigue (CRF); however, rarely research has been conducted on more aggressive cancers with short survival, such as liver cancer. The purpose of this study was to provide educational ideas for insufficient exercise and provide clues for the design of effective and safe exercise intervention programs with high compliance in patients of advanced liver cancer in the future. Participants were recruited from a tertiary cancer hospital using convenience sampling. All participants were asked to complete self-report questionnaires that assessed their medical and demographic variables, exercise habits and CRF during their hospitalization in the interventional department. Spearman's correlation analysis and Nonparametric test was used to explore correlations between exercise subgroups and CRF. The Baron and Kenny's Approach was used to investigate the mediating effect of exercise index between P-EX and CRF. 207 out of 255 participants were enrolled in this study, with an average age of 55.4 years. The CRF score was 33 (28, 36), and 93.2% had insufficient exercise. Exercise frequency (≥ 3 Times/week) (Z = 4.34, p = 0.037) and maintaining exercise trend (Z = 15.85, p = 0.001) had a positive effect on CRF. P-EX had a great impact on exercise index and affecting CRF directly. Participants in the study showed serious fatigue and insufficient exercise. Exercise education can be initiated earlier, particularly those without regular exercise experience. Sustained light exercise, compliant with exercise habits and interests, three times a week may be a practical way to reduce the risk of CRF in advanced liver cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines (1) how corporate social responsibility (CSR) or the three pillars of sustainable investing, viz., the environmental (E), social (S), and governance (G) pillars, individually affect innovation performance (IP) and business performance (BP) and (2) how power distance (PD) moderates the impact of the ESG pillars on IP and BP. Our findings of studying 116 multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the technology industry from 2013 to 2018 suggest that not all indicators significantly affect the performance of the MNEs. That is, the G pillar has a positive influence on IP, whereas the E and S pillars are negatively related to BP. Moreover, we find that PD significantly moderates the relationship between two pillars of ESG (E and S) and BP. Specifically, the E and S pillars are negatively related to BP when PD is low, but the relationship is significantly and statistically positive when PD is high. The results can provide technology MNE managers with references for their CSR implementation strategy choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal fibrosis is the most common manifestation of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), including diabetic kidney disease (DKD), but there is no effective treatment in renal fibrosis. Natural products are a rich source of clinical drug research and have been used in the clinical research of various diseases. In this study, we searched for traditional Chinese medicine monomers that attenuate fibrosis and assessed their effect on the fibrosis marker connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in cells which we found ecliptasaponin A. Subsequently, we evaluated the effect of ecliptasaponin A on renal fibrosis in the classic renal fibrosis unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) mouse model and found that ecliptasaponin A could reduce the renal collagen fiber deposition and renal extracellular matrix (ECM) protein expression in UUO mice. In vitro, ecliptasaponin A can inhibit ECM protein expression in human kidney-2 (HK-2) cells induced by transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGFβ1). To further clarify the mechanism of ecliptasaponin A in attenuating renal fibrosis, we performed transcriptome sequencing of HK-2 cells treated with TGFβ1 and ecliptasaponin A. The functions and pathways were mainly enriched in the extracellular matrix and TGFβ signalling pathway. Matrix metalloproteinase 10 (MMP10) and matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) are the main differentially expressed genes in extracellular matrix regulation. Then, we measured MMP10 and MMP13 in the cells and found that ecliptasaponin A had a significant inhibitory effect on MMP13 expression but not on MMP10 expression. Furthermore, we overexpressed MMP13 in HK-2 cells treated with TGFβ1 and found that MMP13 promoted HK-2 cell injury. Our findings suggest that ecliptasaponin A can attenuate renal fibrosis, which may provide a new method for treating renal fibrosis clinically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transglutaminase (TGase) of microbial origin catalyzes the transamide reaction with a glutamine residue in proteins, which correlates with the surimi setting (suwari) process and plays a vital role in manufacturing fish surimi products. This study investigates the effect of TGase-assisted agglutination at different incubation temperatures (20, 30, 40, and 50 °C) in setting the stage to characterize its microstructural influence on agglutination strength and tilapia surimi. Results showed that the preparation of combined heat and TGase treatments significantly increased the hardness, elasticity, gel strength, and water-holding capacity of tilapia surimi gels (P < 0.05). G′ and G″ values were increased, whereas Tan δ was decreased, with significant differences among conditions (P < 0.05). In addition, SDS–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that myosin heavy chain (MHC) was cross-linked into aggregated macromolecules by TGase. In general, the good performance of tilapia surimi was obtained by heating with minimum addition TGase (0.147 U/g surimi) at 40–50 °C for 1 h. Hence, this study could provide a theoretical basis for developing surimi products with good structure, quality, and high nutritional value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem water use efficiency (WUE) is an integrated physiological metric for the coupling cycle between terrestrial carbon, water, and energy. How WUE responds to vegetation phenology (e.g., SOS, EOS-start, end of growing season, and GSL-growing season length) shifting in temperate semi-arid regions is a hot spot in relative research fields. Based on remote-sensing products and in-situ measured climate data, this study discussed how gross primary productivity (GPP), evapotranspiration (ET), and WUE (quantified by GPP/ET) would change with the altering vegetation phenology and climate in the untouched semi-arid forests and grasslands of the Chinese Loess Plateau during 2001–2020. Our results show that vegetation tended to green-up earlier and brown-down later from 2001 to 2020, causing an extended GSL. The forests had an earlier SOS, later EOS, and longer GSL than the grasslands, but the latter had a bigger variation amplitude. The WUE in the study area decreased significantly during spring and summer, while the grassland WUE increased in autumn; the annual mean reduction rate in grassland WUE was approximately twice that of woodland. Earlier SOS could increase forest WUE but reduce grassland WUE in spring, mainly because leaf unfolding has a more pronounced limitation on soil evaporation beneath the forest canopy. EOS had less impact on WUE, and no apparent difference existed between these two ecosystems. Climate change could affect WUE directly by changing GPP and ET and indirectly by regulating vegetation phenology. Warming can increase GPP and ET, causing an earlier SOS, further promoting GPP and ET (except forest ET). Precipitation significantly affected forest GPP and ET in spring, grassland GPP and ET in summer, and grassland ET in autumn; precipitation affects spring grassland WUE mainly via regulating SOS. Enhanced solar radiation could suppress grassland GPP in spring, promote forest ET in autumn, and regulate grassland WUE by affecting phenology. This study is meaningful for improving the process-based vegetation model and studying arid and semi-arid ecosystems' responses to a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The O2 levels in food packaging systems play an essential role in the deterioration of food quality and shelf life. Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) supports the storage of fresh and processed foods by inhibiting chemical and physical changes while reducing the deterioration caused by microorganisms. Materials and methods: This study established and validated the equations for the relationship between MAP formulation reagents, asparagus respiration, permeability of packaging film, and rates of O2 and CO2 mass transfer in which different interactions occur and affect each other. Results: The resulting atmosphere of packaging was determined to be the key to achieving the MAP benefits. The active MAP formulations developed in this study were combined with very-low-density polyethylene films to store green asparagus spears. During storage, the combined films effectively maintained the firmness of green asparagus spears, fiber, and vitamin C content, and outperformed the passive MAP and control groups. The above results confirm all the equations in the passive and active MAP systems established in this study. Conclusions: Hence, maintaining the asparagus quality with an active MAP treatment will reduce economic loss and possibly provide new insights into applying active MAP retail packages to preserve fruits and vegetables in post-harvest shelf life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR) is one of the most common congenital digestive tract malformations and can cause stubborn constipation or gastrointestinal obstruction after birth, causing great physical and mental pain to patients and their families. Studies have shown that more than 20 genes are involved in HSCR, and most cases of HSCR are sporadic. However, the overall rate of familial recurrence in 4331 cases of HSCR is about 7.6%. Furthermore, familial HSCR patients show incomplete dominance. We still do not know the penetrance and genetic characteristics of these known risk genes due to the rarity of HSCR families. Methods: To find published references, we used the title/abstract terms "Hirschsprung" and "familial" in the PubMed database and the MeSH terms "Hirschsprung" and "familial" in Web of Science. Finally, we summarized 129 HSCR families over the last 40 years. Results: The male-to-female ratio and the percentage of short segment-HSCR in familial HSCR are much lower than in sporadic HSCR. The primary gene factors in the syndromic families are ret proto-oncogene (RET) and endothelin B receptor gene (EDNRB). Most families show incomplete dominance and are relevant to RET, and the RET mutation has 56% penetrance in familial HSCR. When one of the parents is a RET mutation carrier in an HSCR family, the offspring's recurrence risk is 28%, and the incidence of the offspring does not depend on whether the parent suffers from HSCR. Conclusion: Our findings will help HSCR patients obtain better genetic counseling, calculate the risk of recurrence, and provide new insights for future pedigree studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the extent of tunnel widening after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) using the all-inside technique and to establish its correlation with patient-reported clinical outcomes and femoral graft bending angle (GBA). Methods: Tunnel widening was evaluated using computed tomography (CT)-based three-dimensional (3D) models, and the femoral GBA was directly measured on CT images using the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) software. Clinical follow-up was routine procedure, and patient-reported clinical outcomes mainly included International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Lysholm, and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores (KOOS) scores, and subjective knee stability assessment. Results: Fifty-two patients received standard all-inside ACLR, with a median follow-up of 6 months. Reconstructed anterior cruciate ligaments (ACLs) were scanned during the first 3 days and 6 months after surgery. On both the femoral and tibial sides, bone tunnels were most significantly enlarged at the articular aperture segment; the femoral tunnel was 9.2 ± 1.3 mm postoperatively and was significantly enlarged by 32% to a mean tunnel diameter of 12.1 ± 2.0 mm at 6 months after surgery. Moreover, the extent of tunnel enlargement gradually decreased as the measured levels approached those of the bone cortex. The femoral tunnel center was shifted into the anterior and distal direction, and the tibial tunnel center was shifted into the posterior and lateral direction. Additionally, the mean femoral GBA was 105.9° ± 8.1° at the 6-month follow-up. Tunnel enlargement and GBA were not significantly correlated with patient-reported outcomes. Conclusions: Femoral and tibial tunnels were significantly greater and eccentrically shifted at the 6-month follow-up after all-side ACLR. However, the extent of tunnel widening does not markedly affect the short-term clinical outcomes. Meanwhile, the femoral GBA was not significantly correlated with femoral tunnel widening or patient-reported outcomes. Although the tunnel widening following all-inside ACLR was not associated with clinical outcomes, it potentially caused difficulties in revision ACLR. Level of evidence: Level IV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Spiritual well-being is a critical element of individuals’ quality of life and is overestimated by healthcare providers. A body of evidence is conducted on the spiritual well-being of cancer patients, but few on gastrointestinal (GI) cancer patients, which constitute a great proportion of the cancer burden. This study aimed to investigate the spiritual well-being of GI cancer patients and its association with hope and meaning in life. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 237 GI cancer patients were recruited in this study by convenience sampling in 2022. All the participants completed the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Wellbeing, Herth Hope Index, and Meaning in Life Questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to explore the associated factors with spiritual well-being. Results: The GI cancer patients experience a relatively low level of spiritual well-being (mean = 31.54, SD = 9.84). The presence of meaning (B = 0.847, 95% CI [0.640, 1.054], p < 0.001), inner positive readiness and expectancy (B = 1.033, 95% CI [0.548, 1.518], p < 0.001), residence (B = 2.828, 95% CI [1.045, 4.612], p = 0.002), and search for meaning (B = 0.247, 95% CI [0.072, 0.422], p = 0.006) were associated with the spiritual well-being of GI cancer patients. These four associated variables accounted for 57.8% of the variance in spiritual well-being (F = 81.969, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The spiritual well-being of GI cancer patients was relatively low and associated with the presence of meaning, inner positive readiness and expectancy, residence, and search for meaning. Healthcare professionals may consider improving GI patients’ spiritual well-being by enhancing their sense of meaning in life and inner positive readiness and expectancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along with the rapid development of flexible and wearable electronic devices, there have been a strong demand for flexible power sources, which has in turn triggered considerable efforts on the research and development of flexible batteries. An ideal flexible battery would have not only just high electrochemical performance but also excellent mechanical deformabilities. Therefore, battery constituent components, chemistry systems, device configurations, and practical applications are all pivotal aspects that should be thoroughly considered. Herein, we systematically and comprehensively review the fundamentals and recent progresses of flexible batteries in terms of these important aspects. Specifically, we first discuss the requirements for constituent components, including the current collector, electrolyte, and separator, in flexible batteries. We then elucidate battery chemistry systems that have been studied for various flexible batteries, including lithium-ion batteries, non-lithium-ion batteries, and high-energy metal batteries. This is followed by discussions on the device configurations for flexible batteries, including one-dimensional fiber-shaped, two-dimensional film-shaped, and three-dimensional structural batteries. Finally, we summarize recent efforts in exploring practical applications for flexible batteries. Current challenges and future opportunities for the research and development of flexible batteries are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial, especially for tumors larger than 5 cm. We compared the short- and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic and open liver resection (OLR) for large HCC. Methods: Patients with large HCC after curative hepatectomy were enrolled. To compare the short-term outcomes, propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) were performed to reduce the effect of confounding factors, respectively. Subsequently, Cox-regression analyses were conducted to identify the independent risk factors associated with decreased recurrence-free survival (RFS) and poor overall survival (OS). Result: There were 265 patients enrolled in the final analysis: 146 who underwent OLR and 119 who underwent LLR. There was no significant difference between the OLR and LLR groups according to PSM and IPTW analysis (all P > 0.05). Multivariable analysis revealed that LLR was not independently associated with poorer OS (HR 1.15, 95% CI 0.80–1.67, P = 0.448) or RFS (HR 1.22, 95% CI 0.88–1.70, P = 0.238). Conclusion: There were no significant differences in perioperative complications or long-term prognosis between LLR and OLR for large HCC, which provides evidence for standard laparoscopic surgical practice with adequate surgeon experience and careful patient selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eggshells offer many advantages as adsorbents, such as affordability without special preparations other than pulverization and calcination. However, the manufacturing industry generally has a severe problem with high concentrations of heavy metals in wastewater. The purpose of this study was to use eggshell byproducts and calcined eggshell treatment for the adsorption of copper in an aqueous solution. The reaction time, metal concentration, adsorbent dose, temperature, and pH were evaluated using primary factors followed by the response surface method (RSM) to investigate the optimum conditions for eggshell byproducts and calcined eggshell adsorption treatment. The results of the one-factor-at-a-time experiment showed that the optimal adsorption rate was obtained from treatment at 24 h, 25 mg/L, 10 mg, and 25 °C. In addition, the effect of pH on the adsorption rates of eggshells and eggshells with membrane were detected at pH values of 5 and 5.9 and found to be 95.2, 90.5, and 73.3%. The reaction surface experiment showed that the best adsorption rate reached 99.3% after calcination at 900 °C for 2 h and a 20 min reaction. The results showed that eggshells, eggshell membranes, eggshells with membrane, and calcined eggshells could be applied to remove copper ions from industrial wastewater. The adsorption capacity of the calcined eggshell is better than that of the non-calcined eggshell and has good neutrality in acidic industrial wastewater. Therefore, it is convenient and practical for practical production and application. Likewise, this study conveys promising findings in the context of improving wastewater treatment based on a circular economy approach to waste reuse in the food industry and represents a valuable direction for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Penghu cactus (Opuntia dillenii [Ker.] Haw) is a cactus plant that commonly grows in Penghu Island, Taiwan, Republic of China (ROC). However, still lack of scientific study on the Opuntia dillenii [Ker.] Haw extract on skin-whitening-associated tyrosinase activity and melanin production. The activities of its extract in melanogenesis were investigated in this article. In this experiment, we used an extract from the Penghu cactus (Opuntia dillenii [Ker.] Haw) to study its tyrosinase inhibition, anti-melanin generation, UV-protection effects and wound healing capacity in B16-F10 melanocytes. Without reducing cell growth greatly or causing cell death, 20 g/L cactus extract effectively inhibited the melanin production of B16-F10 cells, and melanogenesis was induced by 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine. The cactus extract could also promote cell proliferation. Cactus extract treatment decreased the mRNA expression of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and increased that of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β). Thus, it could reduce cell melanin production and promote cell growth but by also reducing IGF-1 and VEGF mRNA expression, may reduce wound scarring and prevent tumor proliferation and swelling. Increasing TGF-β mRNA expression can help increase collagen to remove wrinkles and help in wound healing. Skin patch test results agreed with in vitro results with B16-F10 melanoma cells. The cactus extract significantly inhibited tyrosinase activity and reduced melanin production, showing a whitening effect on skin tests. Cactus may be a good natural candidate for inhibiting melanin production and promoting cell proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of alkane over boron nitride (BN) catalyst exhibits high olefin selectivity as well as a small ecological carbon footprint. Here we report an unusual phenomenon that the in-situ formed olefins under reactions are in turn actively accelerating parent alkane conversion over BN by interacting with hydroperoxyl and alkoxyl radicals and generating reactive species which promote oxidation of alkane and olefin formation, through feeding a mixture of alkane and olefin and DFT calculations. The isotope tracer studies reveal the cleavage of C-C bond in propylene when co-existing with propane, directly evidencing the deep-oxidation of olefins occur in the ODH reaction over BN. Furthermore, enhancing the activation of ethane by the in-situ formed olefins from propane is successfully realized at lower temperature by co-feeding alkane mixture strategy. This work unveils the realistic ODH reaction pathway over BN and provides an insight into efficiently producing olefins. Oxidative dehydrogenation of alkanes over boron nitride catalysts provides a new opportunity for efficient olefin production. Here, the authors discover in situ formed olefins can promote parent alkane conversion, and achieve activation of ethane by propane-derived olefins at a lower temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]