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Background: To investigate the clinical features, kidney pathology, treatment regimens, and clinical outcomes of IgA vasculitis nephritis (IgAVN) with nephrotic-range proteinuria in children. Methods: A retrospective review of children diagnosed with IgAVN between January 2019 and December 2022 was conducted. Participants were divided into two groups based on their urine protein/creatinine (UPCR) levels. Biodata, clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, pathologic features, treatment regimens, and outcomes were abstracted from case records and analyzed. Results: A total of 255 children were identified, 94 with nephrotic-range proteinuria (UPCR ≥ 200 mg/mmol) and 161 with non-nephrotic proteinuria (UPCR < 200 mg/mmol). Patients in the nephrotic-range proteinuria group were significantly younger and had worse grades of glomerular and acute tubulointerstitial injury compared to those in the non-nephrotic proteinuria group. Higher levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), D-dimer (DD), and fibrin degradation products (FDP), and lower levels of total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), urine creatinine (Cr), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), IgG, CD3 + cells, and CD4 + cells were found in patients in the nephrotic-range proteinuria group. Clinical outcome of patients with nephrotic-range proteinuria was significantly associated with ISKDC grading, proportion of glomerular crescents and severity of acute tubulointerstitial injury. Conclusions: Children with nephrotic-range proteinuria exhibit more severe disordered immunologic function, hypercoagulability, glomerular and tubulointerstitial pathological damage, and have worse outcomes than those with lower proteinuria levels. Clinicians should pay great attention to the kidney injury and more extensive studies are required to identify optimal treatment regimens to improve outcomes in patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon fiber–reinforced plastic (CFRP) processed by laser acquires a large heat-affected zone (HAZ) accompanied by mechanical corrosion due to overmelting and vaporization of the resin matrix. To reduce the thermal effect of laser processing CFRP, this paper investigates the use of siphoned water mist to cool the material. This involves directing a water mist jet at the CFRP, which forms a flowing water film on the surface. The droplets in the mist evaporate and convectively remove excess laser heat, reducing thermal accumulation damage. The effect of process parameters such as water mist jet angle, air pressure, offset distance, laser power, and frequency on the groove morphology and dimensional characteristics is experimentally investigated. The results show that the atomized droplet layer in the flow field of the water mist affects the laser energy transfer, while the velocity of the wall flow field helps to remove the ablated substrate. However, short pulse laser cycles can have a negative effect on controlling the HAZ of the groove. Herein, a finite element model of a siphon water mist jet is developed to simulate the distribution of water film and droplet atomization layer in the wall flow field. The experimental and simulation results demonstrate the potential of water mist jet-assisted laser ablation in enhancing the quality of CFRP cutting, but also highlight the negative effect of the droplet atomization layer in the wall flow field. Furthermore, an analysis has been conducted on the multi-stage, multi-factor coupled removal mechanism in water mist jet-assisted laser grooving of CFRP. This study emphasizes the potential benefits of water mist jet-assisted laser processing for CFRP and provides useful information for selecting process parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In topology optimization of the microchannel heat sink, the minimum width of flow channels are constrained by the mesh size. To reduce the constraint of finite element mesh on the optimized structure, this paper proposes a mesh adaptive strategy which consists of finer ground mesh and coarser adaptive mesh for the heat sink design. The nodes of adaptive mesh are selected from ground mesh based on the structure of current iteration. The physical fields are solved on adaptive mesh, and design variables are updated on ground mesh. Besides, hyperparameters are introduced to control the adaptive degree, and their influence on optimized results is analysed in detail. Numerical experiments with simplified two-layer thermal-fluid model and parametric level set method show that the developed method outperforms traditional uniform mesh and is able to save large amounts of computing resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein biomarkers (e.g. thrombin) are of great significance for the biological process of the organism, and its aberrant expression is closely associated with the development of diseases. With thrombin, a serine protease that plays a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis and promoting blood clotting, as detection target, this study introduces a novel approach for sensitive and accurate measurement of protein biomarker expression by utilization of cyclic reverse transcription (CRT) in combination with the self-priming hairpin-triggered CRISPR-Cas12a system. In this method, an elegantly designed sensing probe is utilized to specifically bind with the thrombin protein and convert the protein signals to nucleic acids signals, following by the CRT and CRISPR-Cas12a system-based signal amplification strategy. Taking the merit of the two-stage amplification, this assay has the capability to detect thrombin at the fM level. In addition, due to the aptamer sequence's strong selectivity to thrombin protein and the dual-check process in the signal amplification process (first in the CRT and second in the CRISPR system), the proposed test demonstrates exceptional specificity in detecting thrombin. By re-designing the sensing probe, the established method could be extended to various protein biomarker detection. Ultimately, this assay has successfully enabled the accurate evaluation of biomarker levels in constructed clinical samples, showing significant potential for application in the realm of clinical molecular diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a category of small molecules that possess significant regulatory capabilities, have been extensively employed as biomarkers in the domain of biosensing to facilitate the early detection of diverse ailments. However, sensitive and accurate miRNA detection remains a huge challenge due to the high similarity between the homologous sequences and low abundance. Therefore, it is essential to develop methods with high sensitivity and specificity for miRNA detection. In this study, we present the development of a signal cycle-based platform that utilizes cyclic reverse transcription (CRT) and CRISPR-Cas12a to enable the precise and sensitive detection of microRNAs. The CRT mechanism facilitates precise target recognition in the presence of target miRNA, thereby converting miRNA signals to DNA signals. The trans-cleavage activity of the Cas12a protein is triggered by the formation of complete hairpin-shaped CRT products; this results in the cleavage of the DNA section contained in the H probe, while the RNA section ("4"@MBs) remains loaded onto the surface of magnetic beads (MB). By binding with the "reporter" sensor, the "4" sequences create an RNA/DNA duplex that the duplex-specific nuclease (DSN) can recognize. The "reporter" probe is thus metabolized, leading to the reappearance of the fluorescence signal. By capitalizing on the exceptional fidelity and selectivity of CRISPR/Cas12a, as well as the substantial impact of triggered enzymatic cycle amplification, this approach demonstrated remarkable sensitivity and specificity in miRNA detection, even in a complex environment containing 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and a serum sample. In contrast, a detection limit of 3.2 fM is conceivable. Furthermore, this approach maintained a notable degree of stability, which was anticipated to result in the detection of miRNAs in an effective and sensitive manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water jet-guided laser is a novel machining technique. With the continuous emergence of high-hardness, high-strength materials and the increasing demand for efficient processing, the coupling of waterjet with high-power lasers has become an inevitable trend in developing water-guided lasers. However, the coupling and transmission of high-power laser energy with a water jet during the processing process introduce a series of issues, including transmission losses, which will emerge as crucial challenges limiting the development of this technology. Therefore, it is imperative to investigate the transmission losses of high-power laser energy guided by water jets. This study addresses this issue by employing the finite element method (FEM) to solve Maxwell's equations numerically, conducting wave optics simulations of the propagation of high-power lasers in water jets, and obtaining the electric field distribution of the laser beam within the water jet. Simultaneously, an investigation into the relationship between different laser beam diameters, waterjet diameters, lengths, and the energy loss of the laser is conducted to analyze the transmission losses of high-power lasers in waterjets. Finally, transmission efficiency measurements of laser coupled with a water jet are conducted utilizing a self-designed water-guided laser experimental platform. The effectiveness of the model is validated by comparing experimental results with simulations. The research findings will provide valuable insights into regulating the transmission efficiency of high-power lasers within water jets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exponential growth of urban data presents significant challenges in efficiently analyzing and gaining actionable insights for urban planning and design. This paper proposes a big data analytics framework using MapReduce-based parallel FP-growth (MP-PFP) algorithm leveraging tools like Hadoop, MapReduce, and distributed crawlers to uncover patterns and trends from large-scale, heterogeneous urban datasets. A key contribution is the integration of diverse data types, from socio-economic datasets to environmental parameters, into a consistent analysis framework. The methodology employs frequent pattern mining algorithms on a scalable analytics platform to process behavior data and derive planning directives. Additionally, data visualization and parametric analysis techniques transform raw statistics into interactive 3D landscape representations that expose environmental site attributes. Specifically, the MapReduce capabilities enable distributed parallel processing of vast urban data volumes, ensuring speed and efficiency. The data visualization module creates immersive VR representations of urban landscapes, allowing interactive modifications. Advanced simulation techniques are incorporated to model the impact of planning directives on multiple landscape attributes. The framework is designed as a scalable, customizable solution that can integrate diverse urban data sources with customizable analytics, modeling and visualization modules through APIs. Comparative evaluations demonstrate a classification accuracy improvement from 68 to 93% over prevailing approaches. The framework has proven superior in data integration, real-time responsiveness, and accurately modeling the dynamic complexities of urban landscapes. The quantifiable simulations empower designers to make more informed planning decisions aligned with community needs. Despite ongoing data accuracy and privacy concerns, the methodology shows promising capabilities in harnessing urban big data to drive intelligent, sustainable urban development through its integration of data-driven insights, computational analysis, and interactive visualization. It brings impactful innovations to the future of urban informatics and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Locusta migratoria is a serious agricultural pest in China. Beauveria bassiana is one of the most important pathogens of grasshoppers and locusts. The effects of ultraviolet light were evaluated on the B. bassiana strain BbZJ1. The results showed that 253.7 and 360 nm wavelength UV (Ultra Violet) did not affect the germination of B. bassiana after its recovery from UV treatments. Nevertheless, the virulence of B. bassiana BbZJ1 after its recovery from radiation of UV (253.7 nm) increased. The mortality rates were 85.00% for the BbZJ1 control, was 96.67% for BbZJ1 recovered from radiation of UV (253.7 nm) for 60 min. After treatment with 253.7 nm UV radiation for 60 min, the expression levels of stress-resistant genes BbAlg9 and Bbadh2 in BbZJ1 strain were 2.68 and 2.29 times higher than those in the control group, respectively. Meanwhile, the B. bassiana prepared in 5% groundnut oil showed highest tolerance levels to the ultraviolet radiation. The 5% groundnut oil was the most suitable potential UV-protectant for B. bassiana in terms of cost and availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the unprecedented single-cell sequencing and spatial multiomics era of biology, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technologies with higher sensitivity and robustness, especially for detecting short RNAs and other biomolecules, are greatly desired. Here, we develop the robust multiplex π-FISH rainbow method to detect diverse biomolecules (DNA, RNA, proteins, and neurotransmitters) individually or simultaneously with high efficiency. This versatile method is successfully applied to detect gene expression in different species, from microorganisms to plants and animals. Furthermore, we delineate the landscape of diverse neuron subclusters by decoding the spatial distribution of 21 marker genes via only two rounds of hybridization. Significantly, we combine π-FISH rainbow with hybridization chain reaction to develop π-FISH+ technology for short nucleic acid fragments, such as microRNA and prostate cancer anti-androgen therapy-resistant marker ARV7 splicing variant in circulating tumour cells from patients. Our study provides a robust biomolecule in situ detection technology for spatial multiomics investigation and clinical diagnosis. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) methods with high sensitivity are needed. Here the authors develop multiplex πFISH rainbow to detect a range of biomolecules; they also combine this with the hybridization chain reaction to develop πFISH+ technology for short nucleic acid fragment detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to develop a soybean protein isolate (SPI)-based oleogel to enhance the quality of surimi products. In this study, SPI-based oleogel was formulated by mixing SPI and κ-carrageenan (κ-CG) using an emulsion-template approach optimized by adjusting the SPI/κ-CG ratio. The results demonstrated that the intramolecular and intermolecular hydrogen bonds between SPI and κ-CG reinforced the three-dimensional lattice structure of the oleogels. As the increase in κ-CG content, the oil droplets were more uniformly dispersed in the continuous SPI-κ-CG rigid network, which formed a dense network structure and enhanced the storage modules, loss modules, recovery rate, and gel strength of the resulting oleogels. Notably, when the SPI/κ-CG ratio was 9/1, the oleogel was dense and smooth with no oil leakage, and it exhibited the highest oil binding capacity (OBC, 94.52%) and thermal stability (412.91 °C). Cryo-scanning electron microscopy revealed that the oleo-surimi gel had a dense network structure, with oil droplets stably encapsulated within the surimi gel matrix by the polysaccharide-protein interfacial membrane. Compared with surimi gel made with the direct addition of liquid oil, the water-holding capacity and textural properties of oleo-surimi gel demonstrated improved. The surimi gel containing 10% oleogel exhibited the highest overall preference. This approach of making oleo-surimi gel could lead to innovation in the development of novel surimi products.Graphical Abstract: The purpose of this study was to develop a soybean protein isolate (SPI)-based oleogel to enhance the quality of surimi products. In this study, SPI-based oleogel was formulated by mixing SPI and κ-carrageenan (κ-CG) using an emulsion-template approach optimized by adjusting the SPI/κ-CG ratio. The results demonstrated that the intramolecular and intermolecular hydrogen bonds between SPI and κ-CG reinforced the three-dimensional lattice structure of the oleogels. As the increase in κ-CG content, the oil droplets were more uniformly dispersed in the continuous SPI-κ-CG rigid network, which formed a dense network structure and enhanced the storage modules, loss modules, recovery rate, and gel strength of the resulting oleogels. Notably, when the SPI/κ-CG ratio was 9/1, the oleogel was dense and smooth with no oil leakage, and it exhibited the highest oil binding capacity (OBC, 94.52%) and thermal stability (412.91 °C). Cryo-scanning electron microscopy revealed that the oleo-surimi gel had a dense network structure, with oil droplets stably encapsulated within the surimi gel matrix by the polysaccharide-protein interfacial membrane. Compared with surimi gel made with the direct addition of liquid oil, the water-holding capacity and textural properties of oleo-surimi gel demonstrated improved. The surimi gel containing 10% oleogel exhibited the highest overall preference. This approach of making oleo-surimi gel could lead to innovation in the development of novel surimi products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper designs a water-cooled pseudo 3D heat sink structure using two-layer heat sink model applying the topology optimization method (TOM) based on rational approximation of material properties (RAMP) functions. The governing equations consist of the continuity, Navier–Stokes, and energy balance equations with forced convection and the optimization design problem is formulated as the minimization of power dissipation and thermal resistance. Compared with the one-layer heat sink model in terms of optimized design, temperature distribution and velocity distribution, the two-layer heat sink model was proved to have better heat transfer capability because it does not ignore the resistance in fluid channel regions. The optimized heat sink structure is manufactured, and measured about temperature distributions on the upper surface of the heat sink and pressure drop between inlet and outlet. Through the comparison of temperature distribution and pressure drop between numerical results and experimental tests under different spacial position and Reynolds numbers, the physical validity of the developed model is verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim was to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of urinary protein/creatinine ratio (UPCR) and factors influencing its substitutability of 24-h urine protein (24hUP) in children with proteinuria. Methods: A total of 356 children were recruited, including 149 with non-nephrotic-range proteinuria and 207 with nephrotic-range proteinuria which were further divided into Henoch–Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN), lupus nephritis (LN), and primary nephrotic syndrome (PNS). The urine protein and creatinine were measured by routine methods. Bland–Altman analysis was used to test the agreement. Spearman correlation was performed to evaluate the relevance. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of UPCR. Results: Bland–Altman analysis showed there was an excellent agreement between UPCR and 24hUP in each group. Correlations between UPCR and 24hUP were strong in 356 children (r = 0.869) and in the non-nephrotic-range proteinuria group (r = 0.806), but moderate in nephrotic-range proteinuria group (r = 0.586). With the increase of nephrotic-range proteinuria, the correlations between UPCR and 24hUP were decreased further, however, after UPCR was adjusted by 24-h urine creatinine (24hUCr), the correlation coefficient was improved (r = 0.682). In three subgroups with nephrotic-range proteinuria, high correlation coefficient (r = 0.731) was observed in HSPN, but not in LN (r = 0.552) and PNS (r = 0.563). The sensitivity and specificity of UPCR for diagnosing nephrotic-range proteinuria were 89.9 % and 92.2%. Conclusions: UPCR is competent in evaluating proteinuria. The degree of proteinuria, 24hUCr and the underlying pathological types of renal disease may be the important influencing factors in the correlation between UPCR and 24hUP in children with nephrotic-range proteinuria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Fremantle back awareness questionnaire (FreBAQ) was recently developed as simple and quick tool to assess back-specific body perception in Low back pain (LBP) patients. The aim of the present study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the Fremantle back awareness questionnaire (FreBAQ) into a Simplified Chinese version (FreBAQ-C), and evaluate the reliability and validity of the FreBAQ-C in patients with non-specific Chronic Low back pain (CLBP). Methods: The FreBAQ was translated into Chinese according to established methods. Internal consistency was assessed according to Cronbach's alpha. Test–retest reliability was estimated by Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Construct validity was evaluated by correlations between the FreBAQ-C and Visual analogue scale (VAS), Roland-Morris disability questionnaire (RDQ), Pain catastrophizing scale (PCS), Tampa scale for kinesiophobia (TSK) as well as Hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS). Results: A total of 105 participants (38 males and 67 females) were included in this study with the mean age of 54.1 ± 15.6 years, mean duration of LBP of 6.8 ± 4.6 years. The FreBAQ-C total scores were well distributed, with no floor or ceiling effects. Internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach's alpha = 0.833). ICC of test–retest reliability was good (0.897, 95% confidence interval: 0.852–0.929). The limits of agreement (LOA) ranged from − 5.8 to 6.3. The Standard error of measurement (SEM) and Minimum detectable change (MDC) were 2.16 and 5.99. Construct validity was confirmed by significant correlation of The FreBAQ-C and VAS during motion (r = 0.274, p = 0.005) and rest (r = 0.243, p = 0.012), RDQ (r = 0.377, p < 0.001), PCS (r = 0.439, p < 0.001), and TSK(r = 0.311, p = 0.001). Conclusions: The FreBAQ-C was demonstrated to have acceptable reliability and validity for patients with non-specific CLBP in Chinese mainland. It will allow evaluating body preception of the back in the Chinese population with CLBP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 22-year-old female with SDHB-positive who presented with palpitation and hypertension after adrenalectomy was performed 18F-FDG PET/CT to detect the primary ectopic pheochromocytoma (PCC) and rule out metastasis. PET/CT is useful for detecting and localizing the primary ectopic PCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain decoding based on functional magnetic resonance imaging has recently enabled the identification of visual perception and mental states. However, due to the limitations of sample size and the lack of an effective reconstruction model, accurate reconstruction of natural images is still a major challenge. The current, rapid development of deep learning models provides the possibility of overcoming these obstacles. Here, we propose a deep learning-based framework that includes a latent feature extractor, a latent feature decoder, and a natural image generator, to achieve the accurate reconstruction of natural images from brain activity. The latent feature extractor is used to extract the latent features of natural images. The latent feature decoder predicts the latent features of natural images based on the response signals from the higher visual cortex. The natural image generator is applied to generate reconstructed images from the predicted latent features of natural images and the response signals from the visual cortex. Quantitative and qualitative evaluations were conducted with test images. The results showed that the reconstructed image achieved comparable, accurate reproduction of the presented image in both high-level semantic category information and low-level pixel information. The framework we propose shows promise for decoding the brain activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glypican-3 (GPC3) is a cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan that is being evaluated as an emerging therapeutic target in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). GPC3 has been shown to interact with several extracellular signaling molecules, including Wnt, HGF, and Hedgehog. Here, we reported a cell surface transmembrane protein (FAT1) as a new GPC3 interacting protein. The GPC3 binding region on FAT1 was initially mapped to the C-terminal region (Q14517, residues 3662-4181), which covered a putative receptor tyrosine phosphatase (RTP)-like domain, a Laminin G-like domain, and five EGF-like domains. Fine mapping by ELISA and flow cytometry showed that the last four EGF-like domains (residues 4013-4181) contained a specific GPC3 binding site, whereas the RTP domain (residues 3662-3788) and the downstream Laminin G-2nd EGF-like region (residues 3829-4050) had non-specific GPC3 binding. In support of their interaction, GPC3 and FAT1 behaved concomitantly or at a similar pattern, e.g. having elevated expression in HCC cells, being up-regulated under hypoxia conditions, and being able to regulate the expression of EMT-related genes Snail, Vimentin, and E-Cadherin and promoting HCC cell migration. Taken together, our study provides the initial evidence for the novel mechanism of GPC3 and FAT1 in promoting HCC cell migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The failure of autologous arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) occurs primarily due to stenosis in the anastomotic site, which is mainly related to the development of neointimal hyperplasia (NIH). Therefore, we conducted a study to establish a novel approach to create aortocaval fistulas (ACFs) in adenine-induced (AD) chronic kidney disease (CKD) rats to study the NIH in the inferior vena cava. Methods: Ten adult female rats received a 0.75% adenine-rich diet for 4 weeks to induce CKD and underwent ACF surgery. Ten healthy rats served as controls. A 5–10-mm segment of a vein immediately adjacent to that the portion of the vein used for creating the fistula was surgically removed at the time of creating the fistula, and reconstruction of the failed fistula from the same patient was used as controls. ACF was assessed using duplex scans and histopathological analyses. Results: At the end of the experiment, AD rats showed higher serum creatinine and urea nitrogen than those of vehicle-treated rats. Remarkable histological changes in kidney tissues demonstrated successful CKD models. Sections of the ACF in AD rats and veins removed at the time of the reconstruction of the failed fistula of the patient demonstrated that the eccentric neointima formation is irregularly thickened, with several small vessels within a more cellular region of the neointima. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated the presence of myofibroblasts, contractile smooth muscle cells and macrophages within the neointima. Conclusions: Our rat models with ACFs showed typical features of NIH in the formation of fistula stenosis, which can resemble clinical findings in uremic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CeVO4/Fe3O4 compound is successfully obtained by combining hydrothermal treatment and water bath process. The final product has been characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. The electrochemical properties of the expected compound were tested by a battery test system. The obtained CeVO4/Fe3O4 composite shows higher specific capacity and better cyclability than pure CeVO4 prepared under the same conditions. The initial discharge specific capacities of CeVO4 and CeVO4/Fe3O4 are 671.7 and 964.0 mAh·g−1, respectively. After 100 cycles, CeVO4 and CeVO4/Fe3O4 still maintained their discharge capacities at 416.4 and 875.9 mAh·g−1, representing capacity retention rates of 62.0% and 91.0%, respectively. The possible reaction mechanism for the CeVO4/Fe3O4 composite is also discussed. The CeVO4/Fe3O4 composite may be a prospective anode material for the lithium-ion battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have designed a polarization conversion coding metasurface (CM) for broadband radar cross-section reduction. The CM is made up of a kind of deformed bowtie-shaped particle and its mirror, named "0" and "1", respectively, which can realize cross-polarization conversion under the vertical incidence of a linearly polarized wave. According to the coding sequence optimized by the genetic algorithm, the two kinds of unit are arranged to form a design, called a 1-bit CM, which can scatter electromagnetic waves in various directions. The simulation results demonstrate that the two kinds of unit can achieve more than a 90% polarization conversion ratio, and the whole CM can realize more than a 10-dB reduction of monostatic radar cross-section (RCS) from 8.8 GHz to 20.9 GHz, while the maximum RCS reduction of 32.5 dB can be obtained at 14 GHz under the normal incidence of x- and y-polarized waves. The experimental results are almost identical to the simulation. Thus, we believe that the designed 1-bit CM can be well applied for the stealth business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a design method of reconfigurable broadband bandpass filter, with the advantage of adjustable bandwidth, is proposed by fabricating a hybrid sharing waveguide which is consist of half mode substrate integrated waveguide (HMSIW) and spoof surface plasmon polarization (SSPP). By adding a U-shaped resonant unit and a container structure to the bandpass filter, then through the movement of the slide on U-shaped groove and the alteration of the medium parameters in the container, the lower cut-off frequency of HMSIW and upper cut-off frequency of SSPP can be independently controlled by the fine tuning of the structures easily without changing the filter parameters. A prototype sample is fabricated to demonstrate and confirm the validity of the proposed method. The measured largest passband ranges from 11.5 to 14.5 GHz with the relative bandwidth of 23% which can be adjusted within a certain scope. The design of reconfigurable filter is realizing by the combination of HMSIW–SSPP structure and the concept of tunable filter. The proposed method can be used to develop different broadband bandpass filters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation and consistency between urine protein/creatinine ratio (UPCR) and 24-h urine protein (24HUPr) in children, and to determine cutoff values of UPCR relative to 24HUPr at 100 mg/m2/d (≥ 100 mg/m2/d as pathological proteinuria) and 1000 mg/m2/d (≥ 1000 mg/m2/d as nephrotic-range proteinuria). Methods: Three hundred sixty-six children were enrolled, including 81 controls, 109 with Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis, 167 with nephrotic syndrome, 5 with IgA nephropathy, and 4 with lupus nephritis. Patients were divided into three groups: normal group; non-nephrotic-range proteinuria group; nephrotic-range proteinuria group. The cutoff values of UPCR in predicting the different levels of proteinuria were determined using ROC curve analysis. Results: UPCR was positively correlated with 24HUPr (r = 0.915, p < 0.01). Bland-Altman diagrams showed that UPCR and 24HUPr had good consistency, and > 95% spots of UPCR and 24HUPr were within 95% confidence intervals. Relative to 24HUPr at 100 mg/m2/d, the cutoff value of UPCR (0.18 g/g Cr) had the highest sensitivity (94%) and specificity (98.8%) which is close to 0.2 g/g Cr as proposed by the American College of Rheumatology. Relative to 24HUPr at 1000 mg/m2/d, the cutoff value of UPCR (2.09 g/g Cr) had the highest sensitivity (92.1%) and specificity (92.1%) which is close to the 2.0 g/g Cr proposed in KDIGO guidelines. Conclusions: UPCR showed strong correlation and consistency with 24HUPr for evaluating levels of proteinuria in children. UPCR < 0.2 g/g Cr can be considered a criterion for normal-range proteinuria. Instead of 24HUPr ≥ 1000 mg/m2/d, UPCR ≥ 2.0 g/g Cr can be considered a criterion for nephrotic-range proteinuria or nephrotic syndrome in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tunable polarization-insensitive absorber based on an active frequency-selective surface is proposed for electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption in the L and S bands. The frequency-selective surface consists of a diamond-shaped loop that is interconnected by varactor diodes. The proposed design is significant because of its inclusion of wideband tuning and its ability to easily change from single-band tunable absorption to dual-band absorption. The simulation results demonstrate that the absorption response (> 80%) can vary from 1.62 GHz to 3.66 GHz under the reverse bias voltage, thus creating a tunable range of 125.9%. The absorption region (> 90%) spans from 1.86 GHz to 3.31 GHz and generates a 78% tunable range. The single-band tunable absorber is characterised by an equivalent circuit model to obtain the circuit parameters and predict the absorption frequency. Furthermore, a dual-band absorbing structure is obtained by adding a metasurface directly to the single-layer structure, which can easily be changed from single-band absorption to dual-band absorption by separately controlling the bias voltages of the upper and lower unit cells. The two fabricated prototypes were measured using free-space technology, and the experimental results closely mirror the simulation results. Results show that the proposed structure achieves the dynamic control of EM wave absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β-Galactosidases have a wide application in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Recently, β-galactosidase was also found to participate in agar degradation. In this study, the second reported agarolytic β-galactosidase was found in the marine bacterium Agarivorans gilvus WH0801 and characterized. The β-galactosidase named AgWH2A (83 kDa) exhibited good activities under optimal hydrolysis conditions of pH 8.0 and 40 °C. AgWH2A could cleave the first D-galactose of agarooligosaccharides from its nonreducing end to produce neoagarooligosaccharides, but could not act on the neoagarooligosaccharides. AgWH2A has great potential in the comprehensive utilization of marine red algae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most challenging issues that restrict the biomass/waste-based nanocarbons in supercapacitor application is the poor structural inheritability during the activating process. Herein, we prepare a class of activated carbon fibers by carefully selecting waste cotton glove (CG) as the precursor, which mainly consists of cellulose fibers that can be transformed to carbon along with good inheritability of their fiber morphology upon activation. As prepared, the CG-based activated carbon fiber (CGACF) demonstrates a surface area of 1435 m g contributed by micropores of 1.3 nm and small mesopores of 2.7 nm, while the fiber morphology can be well inherited from the CG with 3D interconnected frameworks created on the fiber surface. This hierarchically porous structure and well-retained fiber-like skeleton can simultaneously minimize the diffusion/transfer resistance of the electrolyte and electron, respectively, and maximize the surface area utilization for charge accumulation. Consequently, CGACF presents a higher specific capacitance of 218 F g and an excellent high-rate performance as compared to commercial activated carbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mass spectrometry (MS) is the most powerful tool in phosphoproteomics research. However, phosphopeptides usually are present in low concentrations and their preconcentration therefore is highly desired. We describe a two-step method for the synthesis of a metal organic framework of the type MIL-101(Cr) that is modified with urea (then designated as MIL-101(Cr)-UR). It possesses large surface area, good solvent stability and high affinity for some phosphates. Due to the presence of modified urea functions, this material allows for selective and effective enrichment of phosphorylated peptides. It was successfully applied to the enrichment of phosphopeptides from non-fat-milk. The method was applied to the detection of phosphopeptides in a tryptic digest of β-casein where is showed a detection sensitivity as low as 10 M. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For carbon-based anode materials of lithium-ion batteries, guaranteeing high surface area while maintaining developed mesoporosity remains a formidable challenge because the diffusion of electrolyte within mesopores is the rate-performance-limiting step. Herein, mesoporous activated carbon aerogel (MACA) is prepared based on the pore formation and widening effect of HPO. The as-prepared MACA demonstrates a high specific surface area (SSA) of 2161 m g with an extremely high mesopore ratio of 92 %. This well-defined mesopore-dominant nanostructure coupled with high SSA can provide large ion-accessible SSA for Li storage reactions as well as facilitate better mass transfer capability, especially at high charge-discharge rates. In consequence, MACA shows a much higher specific capacity of 610 mAh g at 0.1 A g and an excellent high-rate performance in contrast to other amorphous carbon materials and commercial anode of graphite. These encouraging results reveal the promising application of MACA for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polystyrene-derived carbon with hierarchical macro-meso-microporous structure was prepared via a simple template-free method. As anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, the as-prepared hierarchical porous carbon (HPC) exhibited good electrochemical performance, attaining a stable capacity of 410 mAh g for over 100 cycles. It was also highlighted that, HPC showed an excellent high-rate performance in contrast to other amorphous carbon materials. These good lithium storage performances could be attributed to the developed nanostructures of HPC: (1) The continuous macro-/meso-pores were believed to facilitate rapid ion transport by serving as ion-buffering reservoirs/ion-transport pathways, especially at high current densities; (2) The small-sized nanopores including small mesopores and micropores in carbon nanoparticles provided many active sites for Li storage reaction; and (3) The as-constructed continuous carbon nanonetwork also represented an excellent conductive skeleton throughout the material. We hope that this class of HPC provides new opportunities for anode materials of LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrochemical properties and thermal generation behavior of 18650 LiTiO/LiMnO batteries were tested before and after overcharge. The experimental results showed that after overcharge, the specific capacity decreased obviously. The higher the current density was, the more obvious the capacity decreased. For instance, the overcharged battery had almost no capacity when the current density increased to 5C. At the same time, the overcharged battery presented a much more apparent thermal runaway trend compared to the normal battery. After measuring the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of the batteries and characterizing the crystal structure/nanostructure of the electrode materials, these phenomena could be attributed to the following two reasons: (1) the decomposition of the electrolyte arisen from the overcharge process resulted in increased internal resistance; (2) the thermal runaway due to the increased internal resistance resulted in the damage to crystal structure/nanostructure and aggregation of the electrode materials, thus leading to the secondary decrease in capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To describe the health care utilization of injured workers who made a workers' compensation claim for neck pain. Methods. We conducted a cohort study of injured workers who made an incident claim involving neck pain to the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board between 1997 and 1998. We linked their workers' compensation and Ontario Health Insurance Plan files to collect all health care services accrued during the year prior to and 2 years after the claim was initiated. We report the 7 day simple moving average of health care services per 1,000 claimants per day. We stratified our analysis by age, sex, the pre-claim level of health care utilization, diagnostic category and health care specialty. Results 58.1 % of claimants were males and 35.1 % were between the ages of 35 and 44 years. The cumulative rate of health care utilization was stable (mean = 60.80 services/1,000 claimants/day; 95 % CI: 59.7-62.0) throughout the year prior to the claim. However, it peaked during the first 4 days following the onset of the claim (mean = 473.3 services/1,000 claimants/day) and remained on average 311 % higher than baseline during the first month post-claim. On average in our sample, the health care utilization remained 11 % higher in the second year after the claim compared to the pre-claim level. This sustained increase was attributable to 6 % of claimants. Conclusions We report a long-term increase in the average number of health care services utilized by injured workers who make a workers' compensation claim involving neck pain. This increase was attributable to a minority of claimants. The health reasons for this increase deserve further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate normal values and pressure morphology of three-dimensional high-resolution anorectal manometry (3D-HRM) in asymptomatic volunteers and to determine the relationship between objective measurable values, gender, and age. Patients and methods: Anorectal pressures and rectal sensation were evaluated in 110 asymptomatic volunteers (46 females and 64 males) ranging in age from 18 to 80 years (median age, 52 years) in left lateral position by three-dimensional high-resolution manometry. Results: Maximum squeeze pressure, residual anal pressure, and intrarectal pressure were significantly higher in males compared to females ( p < 0.05 each). Duration of sustained squeeze was significantly lower in males compared to females ( p < 0.05). Maximum resting pressure, mean resting pressure, and maximum squeeze pressure were inversely correlated ( r = −0.310, p < 0.01, r = −0.276, p < 0.01, and r = −0.198, p < 0.05) with age. The value of rectoanal pressure differential was −13.1 ± 5.8 mmHg which was negative during defecation. Overall variation coefficient in anorectal pressures ranged between 0.21 and 0.34. Conclusion: This study establishes normal values for anorectal pressure by 3D-HRM in asymptomatic volunteers. There are significant gender differences concerning squeeze patterns. Increasing age is associated with lower maximum resting pressure, mean resting pressure, and maximum squeeze pressure. Normal characteristic pressure morphology of anorectum can be obtained at rest, during squeeze, and bear down as in defecation by 3D-HRM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fully annotated image dataset is required for supervised learning. However, the image labeling process is laborious and monotonous. In this paper, we focus on automatic image labeling for a class-specified image dataset. We propose a weakly supervised approach to localize objects in a class of unlabelled images without using any manually labeled examples. Firstly, an image is segmented based on a multiple segmentation algorithm. Secondly, the segmented regions are mined based on the commonality and saliency to discovery the category pattern in the image. Thirdly, objects are localized based on the weakly supervised learning algorithm. To prove the effectiveness of the proposed approach, we experimentally evaluate the performance of our approach on 12 object classes of the Caltech101 dataset and 2 landmark classes collected from the Internet. The experimental results demonstrate that our approach is effective and accurate to automatically label images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HOXA10 is an important gene for endometrial receptivity and plays a regulatory role in the adult female reproductive tract. It is regulated by epigenetic modulation in the CpG clusters of promoter in some cases. The aim of this study was to investigate HOXA10 expression and the epigenetic regulation in the eutopic endometrium of fertile women with endometriosis by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot. The effect of 5-azacytidine (5-ac), a demethylation agent on HOXA10 expression was determined on endometrium stromal cells (ESCs) from these women with endometriosis. Results revealed that in normal endometrium (NE), HOXA10 messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression at the secretory phase were significantly higher than that at the proliferative phase. The HOXA10 mRNA and protein expression in the eutopic endometrium of endometriosis were significantly lower than in NE. The HOXA10 mRNA and protein levels in cultured stromal cells from endometriosis in vitro were significantly increased in a 5-ac treatment group compared with a nontreatment group. Our results indicated that the level of HOXA10 decrease in the eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis. Upregulation of HOXA10 in ESCs after treatment with 5-ac suggests that HOXA10 expression is controlled by methylation of the promoter. An epigenetic aberration is likely the main cause of endometriosis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Photocatalytic degradation of dicofol was investigated on TiO2 nano particles (TiO2-NPs) under UV light irradiation. It was shown that dicofol could be completely degraded into inorganic chloride ion under the condition of 0.25 mg/mL TiO2-NPs, 2 h irradiation of 400 W high pressure mercury lamp with a wavelength of 365 nm and air at a rate of 100 mL/min. The effects of the experimental conditions, including the amount of TiO2-NPs, irradiation time and the intensity of light, were studied. The apparent photodegradation rate constant was 0.167/min under the optimal condition. The photocatalytic degradation mechanism of dicofol was also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microwave has been found as an efficient heating method in chemical industry. However, in present days the interaction between microwave and chemical reactions has not been deeply understood, which restricts a wider application of high power microwave in chemical industry. In this paper, the key problems of interaction between microwave and chemical reaction are investigated, such as complex effective permittivity of chemical reaction, simulation of microwave heating on chemical reaction and non-thermal effect of microwave, which will enhance further knowledge of the mechanism of interaction between microwave and chemical reaction. Moreover, such an analysis is beneficial for handling with difficulties in application of microwave chemical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two hundred and eighty-one samples, collected from drilling core NS93-5 located in the Nansha area of the South China Sea, were used to study the magnetic characteristics of the sediments in the sea. Detailed rock magnetic results show that the magnetic minerals of the sediments were dominated by ferrimagnetic minerals such as magnetite, and a small contribution of hematite and maghematite also existed. The sediments recorded three negative values of remanence magnetic inclination at the depth: 191–206 cm, 232–248 cm, and 292–308 cm. The corresponding ages of these negative values were 65.87–68.7 ka B.P., 73.4–80.8 ka B.P. and 108.4–113.6 ka B.P., respectively, according to stratigraphy of oxygen isotope, 14C, and the age of a volcanic ash layer. The negative value during 108.4–113.6 ka B.P. may be the record of a Blake event in the sediments of the Nansha area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulation of ribosomal RNA genes is a fundamental process that supports the growth of cells and is tightly coupled with cell differentiation. Although rRNA transcriptional control by RNA polymerase I (Pol I) and associated factors is well studied, the lineage-specific mechanisms governing rRNA expression remain elusive. Runt-related transcription factors Runx1, Runx2 and Runx3 establish and maintain cell identity, and convey phenotypic information through successive cell divisions for regulatory events that determine cell cycle progression or exit in progeny cells. Here we establish that mammalian Runx2 not only controls lineage commitment and cell proliferation by regulating genes transcribed by RNA Pol II, but also acts as a repressor of RNA Pol I mediated rRNA synthesis. Within the condensed mitotic chromosomes we find that Runx2 is retained in large discrete foci at nucleolar organizing regions where rRNA genes reside. These Runx2 chromosomal foci are associated with open chromatin, co-localize with the RNA Pol I transcription factor UBF1, and undergo transition into nucleoli at sites of rRNA synthesis during interphase. Ribosomal RNA transcription and protein synthesis are enhanced by Runx2 deficiency that results from gene ablation or RNA interference, whereas induction of Runx2 specifically and directly represses rDNA promoter activity. Runx2 forms complexes containing the RNA Pol I transcription factors UBF1 and SL1, co-occupies the rRNA gene promoter with these factors in vivo, and affects local chromatin histone modifications at rDNA regulatory regions. Thus Runx2 is a critical mechanistic link between cell fate, proliferation and growth control. Our results suggest that lineage-specific control of ribosomal biogenesis may be a fundamental function of transcription factors that govern cell fate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constitutive expression of hFIX protein in nonhepatocytes was studied. The gene targeting vector was constructed and transferred into HeLa cells. With the detection system of PCR, we demonstrated that the endogenous hFIX promoter was replaced with an hCMV promoter when targeted insertion of the constructor was directed by the sequence homology. The expression of hFIX in the modified HeLa cells, 11.2 ng/106 cell/24 h, strongly suggested that hFIX gene could be activated by a powerful promoter in nonhepatocytes. The results would make it possible to examine the feasibility of re-regulate gene expression by promoter replacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing awareness of global energy saving, the new energy storage devices represented by lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have attracted more and more attention. The development of new materials of LIBs is crucial to the pursuit of energy efficiency and sustainable development. Polydopamine (PDA) is a synthetic analogue of natural melanin, which is synthesized by the oxidative polymerization of dopamine. Recently, polydopamine-based materials have received widespread research interest for electrochemical energy storage owing to their unique chemical structural versatility, electrochemical property, excellent adhesive property, etc. This review focuses on the representative examples of PDA-based materials applications in Li-ion battery materials (separator, current collector, active material, electrode, binder, solid electrolyte, and additive). The advantages and landmark achievements of PDA-based materials in the field of LIBs were summarized. The effect and mechanism of PDA-based materials on the electrochemical performance of the batteries are discussed in detail. Also, the outlook and future directions in this research field are also given. It is hoped to provide some useful information and reference for the research of PDA-based functional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary rabbit skin fibroblasts (RSF) containing lacZ reporter gene or human clotting factor IX (hFIX) cDNA could long-termly exist and be expressed after being implanted in rabbit muscles. Among them, the beta-glactosidase expression lasted at least 3 months, and hFIX expression lasted 1 month. These results will be helpful to organically combine the advantages of both skin fibroblasts and muscle, and provide a new way for somatic gene therapy of hemophilia B and other genetic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining a healthy soil environment is crucial to sustainable agricultural development. To obtain a comprehensive optimal irrigation and fertilization scheme that considers the benefits of both strawberries production and soil environmental condition, 12 treatments including four irrigation levels and three fertilization levels were conducted over two growth seasons. The experimental results show that increasing irrigation increased the strawberry yield, but the risk of soil nitrate nitrogen leaching increased as well. Excessive fertilizer application led to a large amount of nitrate residue in the soil, while appropriate reduction of fertilizer application improved fruit quality and the water and fertilizer utilization efficiency on the basis of ensuring strawberry yield. Eleven indicators of four categories from strawberry yield, quality, soil nitrate, and water and fertilizer utilization efficiency were introduced into multi-objective evaluation system and assigned with different weights. Based on multi-level fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model, T5 (I2F2) and T8 (I3F2) obtained the highest scores. Therefore, under moderate fertilization condition, appropriate deficit irrigation could account for production benefits and soil environment for strawberry production. A significant quadratic polynomial regression equation of irrigation and fertilization was established based on the evaluation results, and the effects of irrigation and fertilization on the comprehensive score for strawberry both showed a negative parabolic trend. The optimal combination of irrigation and fertilization intervals of strawberry is 74.37%- 87.64% ETc with 86.51%- 104.63% F0 (the exact value determined using target yield method). The results of this experiment provide a theoretical basis for the development of water-saving agriculture and chemical fertilizer reduction actions in arid areas of Northwest China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic batteries free of toxic metal species could lead to a new generation of consumer energy storage devices that are safe and environmentally benign. However, the conventional organic electrodes remain problematic because of their structural instability, slow ion-diffusion dynamics, and poor electrical conductivity. Here, we report on the development of a redox-active, crystalline, mesoporous covalent organic framework (COF) on carbon nanotubes for use as electrodes; the electrode stability is enhanced by the covalent network, the ion transport is facilitated by the open meso-channels, and the electron conductivity is boosted by the carbon nanotube wires. These effects work synergistically for the storage of energy and provide lithium-ion batteries with high efficiency, robust cycle stability, and high rate capability. Our results suggest that redox-active COFs on conducting carbons could serve as a unique platform for energy storage and may facilitate the design of new organic electrodes for high-performance and environmentally benign battery devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]