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lncRNA ZNF593 antisense (ZNF593-AS) transcripts have been implicated in heart failure through the regulation of myocardial contractility. The decreased transcriptional activity of ZNF593-AS has also been detected in cardiac hypertrophy. However, the function of ZNF593-AS in cardiac hypertrophy remains unclear. Herein, we report that the expression of ZNF593-AS reduced in a mouse model of left ventricular hypertrophy and cardiomyocytes in response to treatment with the hypertrophic agonist phenylephrine (PE). In vivo, ZNF593-AS aggravated pressure overload–induced cardiac hypertrophy in knockout mice. By contrast, cardiomyocyte-specific transgenic mice (ZNF593-AS MHC-Tg) exhibited attenuated TAC-induced cardiac hypertrophy. In vitro, vector-based overexpression using murine or human ZNF593-AS alleviated PE-induced myocyte hypertrophy, whereas GapmeR-induced inhibition aggravated hypertrophic phenotypes. By using RNA-seq and gene set enrichment analyses, we identified a link between ZNF593-AS and oxidative phosphorylation and found that mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) is a direct target of ZNF593-AS. ZNF593-AS exerts an antihypertrophic effect by upregulating Mfn2 expression and improving mitochondrial function. Therefore, it represents a promising therapeutic target for combating pathological cardiac remodeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: The outcome of weight loss surgery is related to several factors, and for super-obese patients, the rate of weight loss failure and weight recovery after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is high. Relevant studies have shown that the weight loss effect also correlates with total small bowel length (TSBL) and biliopancreatic (BP) and Roux limbs. However, there are few studies on the relationship between TSBL and anthropometric parameters, the BP limb, the Roux limb, and weight loss effect, and no relevant reports have been reported in China. Objectives: The objective was to study the relationship between the total length of the small intestine and anthropometric parameters in the Chinese population. The effect of the Roux limb/biliopancreatic limb (RL/BPL) ratio on weight loss and diabetes remission in RYGB patients 1 year after surgery was evaluated to find the appropriate ratio relationship. Methods: In this prospective study, 148 patients between the ages of 19 and 68 years who underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass were enrolled. Height, weight, BMI, the BP limb, the Roux limb, fasting blood glucose (FBG), etc., were noted. To explore the correlation between the total length of the small intestine and these values. Subsequently, the 148 patients were followed up for 1 year after surgery. The patients diagnosed with T2DM before surgery were screened out, and 56 patients were finally identified according to the postoperative follow-up, in which BPL = 50 cm and RL = 150 cm, 175 cm, and 200 cm, respectively. RL/BPL was divided into 3, 3.5, and 4 groups according to the proportional relationship to explore the relationship between RL/BPL and diabetes remission and weight loss. Results: (1) The study included 148 patients (61 women and 87 men). The mean age was 35.68 ± 10.46 years, weight = 127.46 ± 34.51 kg, height = 167.83 ± 9.16 cm, BMI = 44.94 ± 10.58 kg/m2. The average TSBL value was 714.41 ± 101.08 cm. Linear regression analysis showed that TSBL was positively correlated with height, weight, neck circumference, chest circumference, waist circumference, and Roux limb. (2) Fifty-six patients with T2DM who were followed up 1 year after surgery were divided into three groups. Group 1: BPL = 50 cm, RL = 150 cm (n = 20); group 2: BPL = 50 cm, RL = 175 cm (n = 26); group 3: BPL = 50 cm, RL = 200 cm (n = 10); RL/BPL = 3 was associated with higher weight loss than the other groups. The remission rate of diabetes did not differ between the three groups. Conclusions: TSBL was positively correlated with height, weight, neck circumference, chest circumference, waist circumference, and Roux limb. The TSBL of males was significantly higher than that of females. Among patients with T2DM who participated in the follow-up 1 year after surgery, RL/BPL = 3 (n = 20) had greater weight loss than the other groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the collapse deformation problem of ultra-wide Al-alloy intermediate slabs on the finishing mill run-in table during the hot rolling process, the collapse deformation prediction model of ultra-wide 7075 Al-alloy intermediate slabs based on particle swarm optimization and support vector regression (PSO-SVR) was proposed. The 7075 Aluminum alloy (Al-alloy) constitutive relationship in a temperature range of 330-370 °C was established by the Gleeble thermal compression experiment. According to the actual transporting process, the thermomechanical coupling finite element model (FEM) of 7075 Al-alloy intermediate slabs was established. It was demonstrated that width, temperature, and transportation time were positively related to contact length, while thickness was negatively related to contact length. The PSO-SVR collapse deformation prediction model was proposed by combining simulation data and the PSO-SVR algorithm. The PSO-SVR prediction model constructed was applied and verified by production test in the "1 + 3" hot rolling production line of an Al-alloy production line. The results show that the prediction model can achieve 100% prediction accuracy to predict whether the slab can be produced normally, and the maximum error of the contact length was 10.5%, it can provide guidance for the high-quality and stable production of ultra-wide Al-alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most prevalent neurological movement diseases affecting the geriatric population globally is Parkinson's disease (PD). Recent studies have highlighted the potency of biomolecules in the generation of nanomaterials and also over their impact on neuroprotection. The objective of this research was to investigate the potential of iron oxide nanoparticles produced using ascorbic acid (AA-IONPs) against PD. Numerous analytical methods including UV–Vis analysis, Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and electron microscopy (SEM, TEM), were used to analyze the produced AA-IONPs. Nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2, and inflammatory cytokines analyses such as IL-6 and IL-1 were employed to assess the neuroprotective effect of synthesized AA-IONPs on inflammatory agent lipopolysaccharides driven murine microglial BV2 cells. And also Parkinson-induced C57BL/6 mice were given the nanoparticle treatment to confirm the in vivo effects of the produced nanoparticles. Our characterization findings had demonstrated that AA-IONPs have a significant role in acting as an ideal nano drug and may have the ability to reduce inflammation in in vitro murine microglial BV2. The outcomes of in vivo tests conclusively show that AA-IONPs had reduced neuroinflammation and enhanced motor coordination in Parkinson's disease-induced rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid backfilling in coal mining refers to filling the goaf with solid materials to form a support structure, ensuring safety in the ground and upper mining areas. This mining method maximizes coal production and addresses environmental requirements. However, in traditional backfill mining, challenges exist, such as limited perception variables, independent sensing devices, insufficient sensing data, and data isolation. These issues hinder the real-time monitoring of backfilling operations and limit intelligent process development. This paper proposes a perception network framework specifically designed for key data in solid backfilling operations to address these challenges. Specifically, it analyses critical perception objects in the backfilling process and proposes a perception network and functional framework for the coal mine backfilling Internet of Things (IoT). These frameworks facilitate rapidly concentrating key perception data into a unified data centre. Subsequently, the paper investigates the assurance of data validity in the perception system of the solid backfilling operation within this framework. Specifically, it considers potential data anomalies that may arise from the rapid data concentration in the perception network. To mitigate this issue, a transformer-based anomaly detection model is proposed, which filters out data that does not reflect the true state of perception objects in solid backfilling operations. Finally, experimental design and validation are conducted. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed anomaly detection model achieves an accuracy of 90%, indicating its effective detection capability. Moreover, the model exhibits good generalization ability, making it suitable for monitoring data validity in scenarios involving increased perception objects in solid backfilling perception systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of methods to prepare absorption materials for the cleanup of large area of oil spill from water has been attracting much attention. In this work, isotactic polypropylene (iPP) porous absorbents consisting of microfibrils-stacked three-dimensional (3D) interconnected microchannels were prepared by multistage stretching extrusion technology and solvent leaching method. The effect of microfibrillar morphology tailored by weight ratio on the oil absorption ability of iPP porous absorbents was investigated. The results shown that the surface wettability, porosity and oil absorption capacity of porous absorbents were remarkably dependent on the morphology of iPP fibrils. Compared with long iPP microfibrils, iPP porous absorbents with ellipsoids-stacking morphology exhibited the highest porosity (75.9%) and a typically superhydrophobic and superolephilic surface, leading to the subsequent excellent oil absorption capacity up to 720% toward silicone oil. Accordingly, this work provided a promising strategy for fabricating high-performance porous absorbents via conventional polymer molding method, which have great potential in the cleanup of large-scale oil spills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lysoglycerophospholipids (Lyso-GPLs) are an essential class of signaling lipids with potential roles in human diseases, such as cancer, central nervous system diseases, and atherosclerosis. Current methods for the quantification of Lyso-GPLs involve complex sample pretreatment, long analysis times, and insufficient validation, which hinder the research of Lyso-GPLs in human studies, especially for Lyso-GPLs with low abundance in human plasma such as lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI), lysophosphatidylglycerol (LPG), lysophosphatidylserine (LysoPS), lyso-platelet-activating factor (LysoPAF), and cyclic phosphatidic acid (cPA). Herein, we report the development and validation of a simple and rapid liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method for the quantification of Lyso-GPLs with low abundance in plasma. Protein precipitation using MeOH for Lyso-GPL extraction, quick separation (within 18 min) based on hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC), and sensitive MS detection under dynamic multiple reaction monitoring (dMRM) mode enabled efficient quantification of 22 Lyso-GPLs including 2 cPA, 4 LPG, 11 LPA, 2 LysoPS, and 3 LysoPAF in 50 μL of human plasma. The present method showed good linearity (goodness of fit, 0.99823–0.99995), sensitivity (lower limit of quantification, 0.03–14.06 ng/mL), accuracy (73–117%), precision (coefficient of variation ≤ 28%), carryover (≤ 17%), recovery (80–110%), and stability (83–123%). We applied the method in an epidemiological study and report concentrations of 18 Lyso-GPLs in 567 human plasma samples comparable to those of previous studies. Significant negative associations of LysoPAF C18, LysoPAF C18:1, and LysoPAF C16 with homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) level were observed; this indicates possible roles of LysoPAF in glucose homeostasis. The application of the present method will improve understanding of the roles of circulating low-abundant Lyso-GPLs in health and diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The H5N8 avian influenza viruses have been widely circulating in wild birds and are responsible for the loss of over 33 million domestic poultry in Europe, Russia, Middle East, and Asia since January 2020. To monitor the invasion and spread of the H5N8 virus in China, we performed active surveillance by analyzing 317 wild bird samples and swab samples collected from 41,172 poultry all over the country. We isolated 22 H5N8 viruses from wild birds and 14 H5N8 viruses from waterfowls. Genetic analysis indicated that the 36 viruses formed two different genotypes: one genotype viruses were widely detected from different wild birds and domestic waterfowls; the other genotype was isolated from a whopper swan. We further revealed the origin and spatiotemporal spread of these two distinct H5N8 virus genotypes in 2020 and 2021. Animal studies indicated that the H5N8 isolates are highly pathogenic to chickens, mildly pathogenic in ducks, but have distinct pathotypes in mice. Moreover, we found that vaccinated poultry in China could be completely protected against H5N8 virus challenge. Given that the H5N8 viruses are likely to continue to spread in wild birds, vaccination of poultry is highly recommended in high-risk countries to prevent H5N8 avian influenza. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sphingolipids are a class of lipids with high structural diversity and biological pleiotropy. Mounting evidence supports a role for sphingolipids in regulating pathophysiology of cardiometabolic diseases, and they have been proposed as potential cardiometabolic biomarkers. Current methods for quantifying sphingolipids require laborious pretreatment and relatively large sample volumes, and cover limited species, hindering their application in epidemiological studies. Herein, we applied a time-, labor-, and sample-saving protocol simply using methanol for plasma sphingolipid extraction. It was compared with classical liquid–liquid extraction methods and showed significant advantages in terms of simplicity, sphingolipid coverage, and sample volume. By coupling the protocol with liquid chromatography using a wide-span mobile phase polarity parameter and tandem mass spectrometry operated in dynamic multiple reaction monitoring mode, 37 sphingolipids from 8 classes (sphingoid base, sphingoid base phosphate, ceramide-1-phosphate, lactosylceramide, hexosylceramide, sphingomyelin, ceramide, and dihydroceramide) were quantified within 16 min, using only 10 μL of human plasma. The current method showed good performance in terms of linearity (R2 > 0.99), intra- and interbatch accuracy (70–123%) and precision (RSD < 12%), matrix effect (91–121%), recovery (96–101%), analyte chemical stability (deviation < 19%), and carryover (< 16%). We successfully applied this method to quantify 33 detectable sphingolipids from 579 plasma samples of an epidemiological study within 10 days. The quantified sphingolipid concentrations were comparable with previous studies. Positive associations of ceramide C22:0/C24:0 and their precursors with homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance suggested that the synthesis of the ceramides might be involved in insulin resistance. This novel method constitutes a simple and rapid approach to quantify circulating sphingolipids for epidemiological studies using targeted lipidomic analysis, which will help elucidate the sphingolipid-regulated pathways underlying cardiometabolic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Correlation of T2DM and Anthropometric Measures with Total Small Bowel Length and Its Effects on Diabetes Remission After Bariatric Surgery" published in the journal Obesity Surgery. The correction involves replacing the Graphical Abstract online. The publisher, Springer Nature, maintains a neutral stance on jurisdictional claims and institutional affiliations. The authors of the original article are Zhiya Liu, Zhilian Huang, Yu Zhang, Lilian Gao, Ying Yang, Xiaomei Chen, Wane Zhao, Linlin Ma, Yanwen Wang, Zhiyong Dong, Cunchuan Wang, Yuxiu Qian, and Wah Yang. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: By discussing the corresponding situation of PIM criteria and labels, it provides a reference for the formulation and update of the criteria and the content of the section of "medications for the elderly" in the labels, so as to realize rational drug use for the elderly. Methods: Extract the four indicators of Beers criteria, STOPP criteria, and the EU(7)-PIM list that involve dosage, duration, age, and mortality, and compare them with the latest labels for drugs marketed in the USA and the EU. Results: There are 148 drugs involving four indicators in the criteria, and 85.14% of the drugs are found in at least one region. In terms of dose, there are 28 drugs with inconsistent descriptions in the labels of the two regions, accounting for 47.46% of the 59 drugs found in both regions. A total of 42.37% of the drugs are consistent in both regions with the criteria (25/59), 28.81% of the drugs are inconsistent in both regions with the criteria (17/59), and 28.81% of the drugs are inconsistent in only one region with the criteria (17/59). The doses of 50 drugs found in F/D labels are consistent with the criteria, accounting for 54.35% of the 92 drugs found in F/D labels, and of 41 drugs found in E/H SmPC are consistent with the criteria, accounting for 60.29% of the 68 drugs found in E/H SmPC. Only the duration of omeprazole in the labels in both regions is consistent with the criteria, and only the age of prasugrel in both regions is consistent with the criteria. Five drugs whose labels mentioned increased mortality, accounting for 38.46% of the 13 drugs found in both regions. Conclusion: There are certain differences between PIM criteria and PIM criteria, labels and labels, and PIM criteria and labels, which will affect the use of drugs in the elderly. Therefore, the unity between the criteria and labels should be strengthened to provide more instructive guidance for the elderly, so as to jointly realize rational drug use in the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiological systems vary in a day-night manner anticipating increased demand at a particular time. Heart is no exception. Cardiac output is primarily determined by heart rate and unsurprisingly this varies in a day-night manner and is higher during the day in the human (anticipating increased day-time demand). Although this is attributed to a day-night rhythm in post-translational ion channel regulation in the heart's pacemaker, the sinus node, by the autonomic nervous system, we investigated whether there is a day-night rhythm in transcription. RNAseq revealed that ~ 44% of the sinus node transcriptome (7134 of 16,387 transcripts) has a significant day-night rhythm. The data revealed the oscillating components of an intrinsic circadian clock. Presumably this clock (or perhaps the master circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus) is responsible for the rhythm observed in the transcriptional machinery, which in turn is responsible for the rhythm observed in the transcriptome. For example, there is a rhythm in transcripts responsible for the two principal pacemaker mechanisms (membrane and Ca2+ clocks), transcripts responsible for receptors and signalling pathways known to control pacemaking, transcripts from genes identified by GWAS as determinants of resting heart rate, and transcripts from genes responsible for familial and acquired sick sinus syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The elderly are not only threatened by bad medicines (overtreatment) but also by undertreatment with "good" medicines. Symmetry is required in any patient-centred approach to properly treat older people. The purpose of this study was to perfect the development of an EML and criteria according to the advantages of each and promote the appropriate use of essential medicines in the elderly. Method: We compared the EML with four PIM criteria and calculated the proportion of essential medicines included in the criteria. We also summarized the rationale for including medicines in each criterion and analysed higher risk drugs and drug risks. Results: Of essential medicines, 26% are included in at least one criterion as PIM. In 11 drug categories of the EML, more than 50% of drugs of each category are included in at least one criterion, and in four categories, all drugs are included. The potentially inappropriate essential medicines (PIEMs) for the elderly focus on cardiovascular drugs and central nervous system drugs. Fifty-nine drugs have been explicitly identified as increasing the risk of falls, increasing mortality and/or having inappropriate long-term use, and the main risk of PIEMs is falls (30.3% of PIEMs). Additionally, 17.9% of essential medicines are labelled as positive drugs in START and/or FORTA (A/B). Conclusion: Improving medication information for the elderly in the EML and establishing an essential medicines list for the elderly will promote appropriate drug use in older people worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioral science and machine learning have rapidly progressed in recent years. As there is growing interest among behavioral scholars to leverage machine learning, we present strategies for how these methods that can be of value to behavioral scientists using examples centered on behavioral research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxylipins are highly bioactive lipid mediators derived from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and have fundamental roles in a diverse set of homeostatic and inflammatory processes. Current targeted methods of analyzing oxylipins require long runtimes and laborious sample preparation, limiting their application to epidemiological studies. Here, we report the development of an online solid-phase extraction-liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (online SPE-LC-MS/MS) method to quantify 49 non-esterified oxylipins and PUFAs, including prostanoids, leukotrienes, lipoxins, resolvins, hydroxy PUFAs, epoxy PUFAs, and their PUFA precursors, in 50-μL samples of human serum. The new method was validated in terms of linearity, lower limits of quantification, recovery, precision, and matrix effects. The limits of quantification were in the range of 0.18 to 9 pg for oxylipins. A single 11.5-min analysis enabled the accurate (80–120% recovery), precise, and reproducible (RSD < 15%) quantification of 32 analytes at three spiked concentrations (0.1, 1, 5 ng/mL), demonstrating the suitability of this method for large-scale epidemiological studies. We successfully applied it to rapidly analyze a total of 565 serum samples from prediabetic and healthy individuals in a nested case-control panel study. Oxylipin concentrations were quantified within a range similar to those of previously published articles. Application of this approach to both healthy and prediabetic subjects found that several circulating hydroxy PUFAs, including LTB4, 12-HEPE, 15(S)-HETE, and 17-HDHA, were negatively associated with fasting glucose levels, indicating decreased anti-inflammatory activity and impaired glucose tolerance in diabetes progression. This new approach provides a means for high-throughput analyses of non-esterified oxylipins for epidemiological studies and will help unravel the intricate interactions of the oxylipin cascade and accelerate our understanding of the biological regulation of these important lipid mediators in human disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bradyarrhythmias are an important cause of mortality in heart failure and previous studies indicate a mechanistic role for electrical remodelling of the key pacemaking ion channel HCN4 in this process. Here we show that, in a mouse model of heart failure in which there is sinus bradycardia, there is upregulation of a microRNA (miR-370-3p), downregulation of the pacemaker ion channel, HCN4, and downregulation of the corresponding ionic current, If, in the sinus node. In vitro, exogenous miR-370-3p inhibits HCN4 mRNA and causes downregulation of HCN4 protein, downregulation of If, and bradycardia in the isolated sinus node. In vivo, intraperitoneal injection of an antimiR to miR-370-3p into heart failure mice silences miR-370-3p and restores HCN4 mRNA and protein and If in the sinus node and blunts the sinus bradycardia. In addition, it partially restores ventricular function and reduces mortality. This represents a novel approach to heart failure treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A review of energy subsidy research from a bibliometric perspective was conducted. Based on the bibliometric method, a statistical analysis of energy subsidy–related publications from 1997 to 2016 was undertaken using the Science Citation Index (SCI) and Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) databases. A total of 1182 publications were retrieved, with a significant increase in the number of publications observed after 2006. The majority of these publications were within the disciplines of Energy & Fuels and Environmental Science & Ecology. Although the USA and China contributed the most papers, authors from 96 countries were involved in the various studies. The USA was the center of global collaborations, while other countries/territories mainly conducted bilateral or regional collaborations in their research activities. Five of the top 11 most productive institutes were from China, followed by the USA. The frequency of collaborations among institutes was relatively low. However, the institute–keyword 2-mode network showed that institutes had great potential to cooperate on a number of common topics. Five major themes were identified from the co-keywords analysis: general renewable energy research, bio-energies, sustainability, subsidies, and welfare. The findings, as a complement to previous conventional reviews, will be useful in future energy subsidy research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central Asia currently plays an important role on the global stage due to its geographical position and the region has been receiving increased research attention. We conducted a bibliometric analysis for the years 1900–2016 to evaluate differences in global research on Central Asia before and after the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), based on the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) and Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) databases. This paper adopted a comparative analysis approach and summarized publication outputs, subject categories, country productivity, collaborations, title keywords and institution productivity on Central Asia before and after the collapse of the USSR. We analyzed the relationship between global research outputs on Central Asia and relevant impact factors, including the number of tourists, exports of fuel oil and gross domestic product (GDP). Comparing results before and after the collapse of the USSR, our bibliometric analysis revealed the following: (1) publications on Central Asia experienced a meteoric growth and publications in the SCIE played a dominant role after the collapse of the USSR; (2) Geology, Environmental Sciences & Ecology and Paleontology increased the most while Science & Technology—Other Topics, Geography and Anthropology decreased dramatically; (3) research countries became increasingly diversified and publications were produced by increasing numbers of international collaborations with a diversification of major collaborators; (4) the focus of title keywords differed before and after the collapse of the USSR; (5) institutions became more diversified and most of them focused on natural sciences; (6) there were high correlations between publications on Central Asia and the number of tourists, exports of fuel oil and GDP. These results reflect the close relationship between scholarly outputs on Central Asia and relevant factors, including the number of tourists, export of fuel oil and GDP. Increasing scholarly outputs on Central Asia therefore had a positive impact on global Central Asia research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, ambient backscatter attracts much attention since it can utilize ambient radio frequency signals to enable battery-free devices to communicate with others. Most existing studies about ambient backscatter assume that the reader is equipped with one receiving antenna. In practice, the reader can utilize multiple antennas to overcome channel fading. In this paper, we investigate the problem of signal detection for ambient backscatter systems with multiple receiving antennas. Specifically, we formulate a new transmission model where the reader is equipped with at least two antennas and propose a ratio detector that exploits the ratio of the signal strength received at each antenna. It is shown that the closed-form expression of the optimal detection threshold for this detector is difficult to derive. Therefore, we derive a reasonable approximate expression for the optimal detection threshold. Moreover, we obtain the closed-form expression for approximate bit error rate (BER). Furthermore, we propose an antenna selection scheme if the reader is equipped with more than two antennas. The selection scheme is investigated through the BER performance. It is found that the largest gain in BER can be achieved when the antenna number increases from two to three, and that much less gain is obtained from enlarging the antenna number when the reader already has four antennas. Finally, simulation results are provided to corroborate our theoretical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clock-drawing test (CDT) is widely used but lack of a suitable scoring method.Aims: To compare the validity of six common CDT scoring methods and to find out the best one.Methods: The drawing CDT was administered in a Chinese nursing-home inhabitants living on the mainland including 110 dementia, 118 MCI (mild cognitive impairment), and 133 random normal. We calculated the sensitivity and specificity of six scoring methods and applied the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve statistic, including determining the area under the curve (AUC).Results: (1) All six CDT scoring methods had a value of sensitivity higher than 80% and a specificity of 60% except Jouk and Tuokko. Freund got the highest sensitivity (92.73%) of that five for the testing of dementia and high sensitivity (82.20%) for MCI with an acceptable specificity (70.68%). (2) The AUC (area under the ROC curve) of all six CDT methods was over 0.8 for dementia, and for MCI, only Jouk and Tuokko were lower than 0.8. Mendez had the largest AUC of 0.872 for MCI, which closely followed by Freund with 0.859. (3) Freund predicted dementia best but had no significant difference (p > 0.05); it only had significant difference with Jouk and Tuokko (p < 0.001) and the method in MoCA (p < 0.05) for both MCI and cognitive impairment.Conclusions: Our study suggests that Freund scoring method could be the best one among the six evaluated scoring methods within our setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution is known to be a major risk factor for cardiopulmonary disease, but this is unclear for cardiometabolic disease (e.g. diabetes). This is of considerable public health importance, given the nationwide epidemic of diabetes, accompanied by severe air pollution, in China. The evidence so far remained inadequate to answer questions of whether individuals with cardiometabolic dysfunctions are susceptible to air pollution and whether air pollution exacerbates diabetes development via certain biological pathways. In this manuscript, we summarize the results and limitations of studies exploring these two topics and elaborate our design of a prospective panel study (SCOPE) as a solution. We assessed and compared the health effect of air pollution among pre-diabetic individuals and matched healthy controls through four repeated clinical visits over 1 year. Comprehensive evaluation was made to both health endpoints and exposure. The primary biomarkers were assessed to reveal the impact on multiple biological pathways, including glycolipid metabolism and insulin resistance, endothelial function, and inflammation. Detailed chemical and size fractional components of particulate matter were measured in this study, along with the application of personal monitors. The work should increase our understanding of how air pollution affects individuals with cardiometabolic dysfunction and the underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycling of sewage sludge compost to soil via turfgrass substrate is receiving increasing attention. When compared with heavy metals, weeds receive little attention in studies of hazards associated with sludge compost being reused as substrate. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the total concomitant weed germination density and major weed species during application of sludge compost to substrate. A field study revealed that the primary concomitant weed is goose grass ( Eleusine indica), and its germination density is inversely proportional to compost amended depth. Survey results indicated that the increased goose grass germination might be associated with bulking agent present during the composting process rather than the substrate or sludge itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WSNs (Wireless Sensor Networks) are widely applied in environment monitoring. Especially, in large scale environment monitoring, its flexibility in deployment and self-organization are strong points. However for distribution detection of continuous objects in large scale environment monitoring, there are two primary constraints: energy consumption and the accuracy of the detection which relies on the density of the WSNs. Currently, almost all of the continuous object monitoring are based on the boundary detection, and all the energy efficiency solutions only focus on the WSNs itself. Unfortunately, with the boundary detection method, the accuracy of the continuous objects detection highly relies on the density of the sensor nodes. What is worse, it is even impossible to make sure of the density of the sensor nodes in real situation. In order to deal with these issues, we proposed the Optimal Fusion Set based Clustering algorithm based on the continuous characteristics of the targets to enhance the energy efficiency and Global Distribution Status Monitoring (GDSM) algorithm to implement the monitoring with finite sensor nodes. Firstly, a dynamic diffusion model based on the Gaussian Puff model is proposed, and then the characteristics of continuous objects are analyzed. According to the theoretic analysis and simulation results, the GDSM algorithm can achieve stable accuracy with limited sensor nodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given a graph G, we study the problem of finding the minimum number of colors required for a proper edge coloring of G such that any pair of vertices at distance 2 have distinct sets consisting of colors of their incident edges. This minimum number is called the 2-distance vertex-distinguishing index, denoted by $$\chi '_{d2}(G)$$ . Using the breadth first search method, this paper provides a polynomial-time algorithm producing nearly-optimal solution in outerplanar graphs. More precisely, if G is an outerplanar graph with maximum degree $$\varDelta $$ , then the produced solution uses colors at most $$\varDelta +8$$ . Since $$\chi '_{d2}(G)\ge \varDelta $$ for any graph G, our solution is within eight colors from optimal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quercetin, a major flavonol, present abundantly in apples and onions, is widely studied for ameliorating metabolic syndrome abnormalities. However, quercetin is mainly present in plant food in the form of quercetin glycosides and has been reported for poor gastrointestinal absorption. The present study was designed with the purpose of imparting a lipophilic property to quercetin-3- O-glucoside (QG) by its acylation with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and to study the influence of eicosapentaenoic acid ester of quercetin-3- O-glucoside (QE) on hyperlipidemia and inflammation in vivo and in vitro. QE was more effective in reducing the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), prostaglandin 2 (PGE), cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-2 levels and nuclear expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-кB) compared to the parent compounds (QG and EPA) and commercial drugs, after lipopolysaccharides (LPS) induced inflammation in THP-1 derived macrophages. Serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol was significantly higher and hepatic total cholesterol concentration was lower in the rats fed high-fat diet supplemented with QE, compared to the high-fat diet with inflammation (HFL). The serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-6, and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) were significantly lower in QE treatment group than HFL group. EPA conjugated flavonol, QE, had significant anti-inflammatory and hypolipidemic properties and may be effective for the treatment of obesity-related disorders. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A non-destructive method to analyze the freshness of raw milk was developed using a FT-NIR spectrometer and a fiber optic probe. Diffuse transmittance spectra were acquired in the spectral range 833 ~ 2,500 nm from raw milk samples collected from Northwest A&F University Animal Husbandry Station. After each spectral acquisition, quality parameters such as acidity, pH, and lactose content were measured by traditional detection methods. For all milk samples, PLS (partial least square regression), MLR (multiple linear regression), and ANN (artificial neural networks) analyses were carried out in order to develop models to predict parameters that were indicative of freshness. Predictive models showed R values up to 0.9647, 0.9876 and 0.8772 for acidity, pH, and lactose content, respectively (validation set validations). The similarity analysis and classification between raw milk freshness during storage was also conducted by means of hierarchical cluster analysis. Over an 8 day storage period, the highest heterogeneity was evident between days 1 and 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aimed to evaluate present and potential phosphorous pollution due to high sedimentary phosphorus load and release from sediment, when external phosphorus was reduced in downstream Nansi Lake. Pollution load of the sediment and overlying water was investigated. Kinetics and isotherms of adsorption/release of sedimentary phosphorus were studied to determine equilibrium phosphate concentration (EPC) and release potential. Kinetics of phosphorus adsorption on sediment and release from sediment were well described by both the pseudo-first-order rate equation and the pseudo-second-order rate equation, but more appropriate to the pseudo-second-order rate equation with the adsorption/release capacity more close to the measured values, suggesting that the processes were chemically rate controlled and dependent on adsorption capacity. Soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) sorption isotherms on sediment were best fitted by the modified Langmuir model indicating a monolayer adsorption. By comparing EPC and SRP of water, the status (adsorption, releasing or in equilibrium) of sediment phosphorus could be determined. The sediments at site S1, S3, S4, S5, and S7 where the EPCs were greater than the SRPs, had a potential to release phosphorus into the water column. However, those sediments at S9, S10, and S12, where the EPCs were approximately equal to the SRPs, were in impermanent equilibrium with overlying water in status of phosphorus, the sediments can be likely to release phosphorus to the water column once the equilibrium was broken. Therefore, sedimentary phosphorus can be a secondary pollution source in downstream Nansi Lake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, channelrhodopsin 2 (ChR2) was specifically introduced into murine cells expressing the Phenylethanolamine n-methyltransferase (Pnmt) gene, which encodes for the enzyme responsible for conversion of noradrenaline to adrenaline. The new murine model enabled the identification of a distinctive class of Pnmt-expressing neuroendocrine cells and their descendants (i.e. Pnmt+ cell derived cells) within the heart. Here, we show that Pnmt+ cells predominantly localized to the left side of the adult heart. Remarkably, many of the Pnmt+ cells in the left atrium and ventricle appeared to be working cardiomyocytes based on their morphological appearance and functional properties. These Pnmt+ cell derived cardiomyocytes (PdCMs) are similar to conventional myocytes in morphological, electrical and contractile properties. By stimulating PdCMs selectively with blue light, we were able to control cardiac rhythm in the whole heart, isolated tissue preparations and single cardiomyocytes. Our new murine model effectively demonstrates functional dissection of cardiomyocyte subpopulations using optogenetics, and opens new frontiers of exploration into their physiological roles in normal heart function as well as their potential application for selective cardiac repair and regeneration strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]