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Although developed to measure spiritual well-being, the Spirituality Index of Well-Being (SIWB) has not been validated in Chinese hospice volunteers. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of SIWB in 218 hospice volunteers recruited from three hospice care providers in mainland China. Principal components analysis (PCA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to analyse the factor structure of SIWB. Cronbach's alpha and the Average Variance Extracted (AVE) were calculated to evaluate the internal consistency and convergent validity of SIWB. This study confirmed the original two dimensions (i.e. self-efficacy and life scheme) of SIWB. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the entire scale and the two subscales were greater than 0.92 indicating good internal consistency. The AVE values of 0.64 and 0.73 for the two subscales indicated an acceptable level of convergent validity. Overall, the Chinese SIWB demonstrates good reliability and validity among Chinese hospice volunteers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the problem of event-triggered control for a class of nonlinear systems with unknown control coefficients, time-varying delays, full state constraints and external disturbances, simultaneously. Firstly, based on integral Barrier-Lyapunov Functionals, an adaptive event-triggered controller is designed to account for the impacts of complete state constraints, unknown time-varying delays and external disturbances. Using fuzzy logic systems, the unknown functions of systems are then roughly estimated. The system redundancy can be significantly reduced by implementing the event-triggered control technique in the meanwhile. By introducing the separation technique and Lyapunov–Krasovskii functionals, it is shown that the strategy can ensure tracking performance greatly and all the closed-loop signals of the system are bounded. Compared with the existing results, the proposed design scheme is less conservative and has a wilder application range. Finally, the simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes obstructed airflow from the lungs. DNA methylation can regulate gene expression. Understanding the potential molecular mechanism of COPD is of great importance. The aim of this study was to find differentially methylated/expressed genes in COPD. DNA methylation and gene expression profiles in COPD were downloaded from the dataset, followed by functional analysis of differentially-methylated/expressed genes. The potential diagnostic value of these differentially-methylated/expressed genes was determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Expression validation of differentially-methylated/expressed genes was performed by in vitro experiment and extra online datasets. Totally, 81 hypermethylated-low expression genes and 121 hypomethylated-high expression genes were found in COPD. Among which, 9 core hypermethylated-low expression genes (CD247, CCR7, CD5, IKZF1, SLAMF1, IL2RB, CD3E, CD7 and IL7R) and 8 core hypomethylated-high expression genes (TREM1, AQP9, CD300LF, CLEC12A, NOD2, IRAK3, NLRP3 and LYZ) were identified in the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Moreover, these genes had a potential diagnostic utility for COPD. Some signaling pathways were identified in COPD, including T cell receptor signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, hematopoietic cell lineage, HTLV-I infection, endocytosis and Jak-STAT signaling pathway. In conclusion, differentially-methylated/expressed genes and involved signaling pathways are likely to be associated with the process of COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

D2D communication technology has been more and more widely used as a mobile communication technology that can perform specific services in specific areas. This paper introduces D2D technology into the offshore ships' communication system and proposes a channel resource allocation scheme for interference control in the system, so as to increase the number of devices in the network. This paper first establishes the model of the offshore ships' communication system and then applies the Hungarian algorithm based on the maximization of the average position. Finally, the comparative simulation experiments of the algorithms are proposed, which could show that the Hungarian algorithm based on model application can effectively control interference, and reduce the impact after introducing D2D communication devices into the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cohesion c and the internal friction angle φ (hereinafter referred to as the c-φ parameters) are the basic parameters that characterise rock strength. This paper proposes a method that makes use of digital core drilling in the prediction of rock's c-φ parameters. Based on slip line theory, this paper develops a core drilling rock cutting mechanical model and obtains the quantitative relationship between core drilling parameters and the rock c-φ parameters (CDP-cφ relation). Using the rock mass digital drilling test system developed in house, the digital core drilling of rock specimens in a laboratory setting was performed. Based on these experiments, a method that predicts rock c-φ parameters using digital core drilling parameters based on slip line theory was proposed. Additionally, c-φ parameters predictions and laboratory triaxial test values were used to compare and analyse the method. The results indicate that the difference and fluctuation of the theoretical values and the test values are small, and the reliability of CDP-cφ relation is high. The proposed method can obtain rock c-φ parameters at underground project sites accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reassesses comparisons of online Chinese networks to the Habermasian public sphere through a dialogue between sinology and ludology. Play has long been considered an integral component of public activity and of the Chinese internet. Researchers emphasised the importance of playful behavior and creative self-expressions for various purposes, including the formation of community ties and identities. However, studies tend to scrutinise the socio-political effects of playing rather than the fundamental connections between play and cultural life. This paper investigates the underlying cultural elements of play that are absent from or underdeveloped in the rational-critical framework and discourses of the public sphere. Building upon this ludological tradition, and specifically focusing on the autotelic, contextual, and appropriative nature of play, we conduct an exploratory, inductive thematic analysis of three case studies that garnered significant domestic and international attention – the abolishment of term limits in China, the #MeToo movement, and the COVID-19 pandemic – to understand the role of play in public communication. Our analysis reveals insights into the creative structural dynamics that underpin the Chinese internet – rules, reciprocity, and irrationality – three aspects that broaden discussions of online activity and engagement. The paper centers itself at the nexus of three separate strands of histories – the public sphere debate, ludology, and the Chinese internet – that have rarely been in dialogue with one another and, in doing so, examines and explains the Chinese cybersphere's current formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A qualitative screening method using ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) was developed for the detection of 16 commonly found illicit additives in herbal pharmaceuticals and health foods, including ibuprofen, nitrazepam, nitrendipine, indomethacin, phenobarbital, sibutramine, diclofenac sodium, diazepam, estazolam, melatonin, phenolphthalein, prednisone acetate, betamethasone, metformin HCl, glibenclamide, and tadalafil. A substance database suitable for the rapid on-site analysis of these compounds was then established based on the matching algorithm of some key parameters, such as reduced mobility calculated and tolerance estimated, etc. The developed measurement was successfully applied to assess 15 real samples after full validation in respect of sensitivity, matrix effect, recovery, precision, and stability. The suspected illicit additives were all consistently confirmed and further quantified with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Two sampling introduction methods of direct swabbing with swab paper and a simple extraction procedure with methanol were also compared, and no significant difference was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional sugars have unique structural and physiological characteristics with applied perspectives for modern biomedical and biotechnological sectors, such as biomedicine, pharmaceutical, cosmeceuticals, green chemistry, and agro-food. They can also be used as starting matrices to produce biologically active metabolites of interests. Though numerous chemical synthesis routes have been proposed and deployed for the synthesis of rare sugars, however, many of them are limited and economically incompetent because of expensive raw starting feedstocks. Whereas, the biosynthesis by enzymatic means are often associated with high catalyst costs and low space-time yields. Microbial production of rare sugars via green routes using bio-renewable resources offers noteworthy solutions to overcome the aforementioned limitations of synthetic and enzymatic synthesis routes. From the microbial-based synthesis perspective, the lipogenic yeast Yarrowia lipolytica is rapidly evolving as the most prevalent and unique "non-model organism" in the bio-production arena. Due to high flux tendency through the tri-carboxylic acid cycle intermediates and precursors such as acetyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA, this yeast has been widely investigated to meet the increasing demand of industrially relevant fine chemicals, including functional sugars. Incredible interest in Y. lipolytica originates from its robust tolerance to unstable pH, salt levels, and organic compounds, which subsequently enable easy bioprocess optimization. Meaningfully, GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status creates Y. lipolytica as an attractive and environmentally friendly microbial host for the manufacturing of nutraceuticals, fermented food, and dietary supplements. In this review, we highlight the recent and state-of-the-art research progress on Y. lipolytica as a host to synthesize bio-based compounds of interest beyond the realm of well-known fatty acid production. The unique physicochemical properties, biotechnological applications, and biosynthesis of an array of value-added functional sugars including erythritol, threitol, fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, isomalto-oligosaccharides, isomaltulose, trehalose, erythrulose, xylitol, and mannitol using sustainable carbon sources are thoroughly vetted. Finally, we conclude with perspectives that would be helpful to engineer Y. lipolytica in greening the twenty-first century biomedical and biotechnological sectors of the modern world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A procedure was established and fully validated for the screening and quantification of fourteen synthetic antidiabetic adulterants in herbal pharmaceuticals and health foods, including metformin (MF), buformin (BF), phenformin (PHF), rosiglitazone (RGZ), pioglitazone (PGZ), chlorpropamide (CPM), glipizide (GPZ), tolbutamide (TBM), gliclazide (GCZ), glibenclamide (GBM), glimepiride (GMR), repaglinide (RGN), gliquidone (GQD) and nateglinide (NGN). The samples were extracted by methanol and separated by HPLC. Retention times and ultraviolet spectra were used for the preliminary screening, and the suspected adulterants were then confirmed by liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) and quantified by HPLC. The developed procedure was successfully applied to assess twenty-four herbal samples, and PHF, GCZ, GBM, MF, GPZ and BF were found in many. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of simultaneous screening and quantification of these fourteen synthetic antidiabetic adulterants from any matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We examined the prospective effects of an evidence-based exercise intervention on depressive symptoms in older Hispanics/Latinos and the potential synergistic effects (if any) of an attribution-retraining component to counter negative ascriptions to the aging process. Method: We analyzed baseline, 1-, 12-, 24-month data collected from Hispanics/Latinos ≥ 60 years participating in an exercise intervention ("¡Caminemos!") across 27 senior centers (N = 572). All participants were given 4 weekly 1-hour group-based exercise classes targeting strength training, endurance, balance and flexibility. In addition, they were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: a) treatment group–a 1-hour attribution retraining session where participants were taught that aging does not mean one inevitably becomes sedentary, or b) control group–generic health education. The Geriatric Depression Scale was used to assess depressive symptoms. Covariates included age, sex, education, income, marital status, acculturation, and number of chronic conditions. Results: In prospective analyses, participants in both trial arms displayed lower scores for depressive symptoms at 12- (β1 = –0.17, p = 0.04) and 24-months (β2 = –0.33, p < 0.001) when compared to baseline values. Conclusion: Given expected growth of the older Hispanic/Latino adult population, exercise programs are a promising strategy in promoting favorable mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression is a pervasive psychological issue facing hemodialysis (HD) patients. Novel technology-based treatment strategies that deploy psychology-based interventions have not been the focus for therapy and few published studies exist. The aim of the current trial is to determine the feasibility and acceptability of an Internet-based positive psychological intervention in HD patients with comorbid depressive symptoms. Methods: HD patients (n = 14) with elevated symptoms of depression were enrolled in a single-arm pre-post trial with clinical assessments at baseline and immediately post intervention. Chairside during regularly scheduled HD treatment, patients utilized a web browser to complete online modules promoting skills for increasing positive emotion over a 5-week period using Apple IPads. Targeted skills included noting of daily positive events, gratitude, positive reappraisal, acts of kindness, and mindfulness/meditation. Results: Twelve of 14 patients completed the program for an 85.7% retention rate. Participants felt satisfied with each session and offered consistently positive feedback. On average, participants visited the website 3.5 times per week. Significant improvements were evident for depressive symptoms (15.3 vs. 10.9; p = 0.04), as per the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Conclusions: An innovative Internet-based positive psychological intervention represents a feasible and useful therapeutic option for HD patients with depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The simultaneous mission assignment and home allocation for hospital service robots studied is a Multidimensional Assignment Problem (MAP) with multiobjectives and multiconstraints. A population-based metaheuristic, the Binary Bees Algorithm (BBA), is proposed to optimize this NP-hard problem. Inspired by the foraging mechanism of honeybees, the BBA's most important feature is an explicit functional partitioning between global search and local search for exploration and exploitation, respectively. Its key parts consist of adaptive global search, three-step elitism selection (constraint handling, non-dominated solutions selection, and diversity preservation), and elites-centred local search within a Hamming neighbourhood. Two comparative experiments were conducted to investigate its single objective optimization, optimization effectiveness (indexed by the S-metric and C-metric) and optimization efficiency (indexed by computational burden and CPU time) in detail. The BBA outperformed its competitors in almost all the quantitative indices. Hence, the above overall scheme, and particularly the searching history-adapted global search strategy was validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]