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Serum globulin is associated with inflammatory or immune disorders. However, it has not been established whether it is associated with myasthenia gravis (MG). We investigated the association between globulin with relapse and prognosis in children with MG. A cohort of 148 MG cases and 150 healthy children were retrospectively enrolled from January 2015 to December 2021. Multivariate logistic and Cox regression models were used to analyze the treatment outcomes and recurrence of case group, exploring the influence of globulin. Compared with the control group, globulin levels in the MG group were slightly increased (t = 7.244, p < 0.001). After a mean follow-up of 2.25 ± 1.05 years, 35 cases relapsed, with a relapse rate of 23.65%. Logistic regression analysis showed that globulin levels at admission [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.233, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.028–1.472, p = 0.018] were independent risk factors for relapse. Cox regression analysis confirmed that globulin levels at admission affects relapse-free time [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 0.552, 95% CI 0.357–0.852, p = 0.007]. Receiver operating characteristic curve determined 25.10 as the optimal cutoff value for globulin. Cox regression showed that high globulin levels (>25.10) at admission (adjusted HR = 0.607, 95% CI 0.383–0.961, p = 0.033) were independent risk factors for poor therapeutic outcomes at follow-up. Ordinal logistic regression showed that globulin affects the treatment plan (OR = 1.445, 95% CI 1.223–1.847, p = 0.014). Elevated globulin levels in children with MG on admission predicts a high relapse rate and poor long-term therapeutic efficacies. Serum globulin in children with myasthenia gravis: predicting relapse and prognosis First, the globulin in the MG children was higher than in the healthy controls, and there was some correlation between the globulin and the level of systemic inflammation. Second, globulin has been associated with relapse of MG in children. The higher the globulin, the higher the relapse rate and the shorter the time to prevent a relapse. Third, both initial and final globulin were related to the effect of MG in children, and the higher the long-term effect, the worse the long-term effect. It also influenced the change in treatment plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to build an appropriate prediction model of pavement friction coefficient attenuation, the effects of aggregate texture, on a basis of texture scanning and pavement testing of the dynamic friction coefficient, traffic volume, and rock characteristics on pavement slide decay resistance were studied, and the accuracy of the developed prediction model of friction coefficient was thereafter compared and analysed. First, based on the tire-pavement dynamic friction analyzer independently developed by the research group, accelerated loading tests under different traffic conditions were conducted by the orthogonal test method, and the dynamic friction coefficient of pavement during the abrasion process was recorded. At the same time, the non-contact laser profile measurement system was used to collect three-dimensional micro-texture data of coarse aggregate surface at different abrasion stages, and characteristic parameters such as height, wavelength, and shape were calculated. Second, the factors such as traffic volume and rock characteristics were incorporated, and the algorithms such as multiple linear stepwise regression, feedforward neural network, and random forest regression were adopted to develop estimation models of pavement friction. The results showed that the model constructed based on only texture feature parameters poorly represented pavement skid resistance. After introducing the two indicators of total traffic volume and rock type, the correlation coefficients of the model significantly improved, reaching 0.63, 0.58, and 0.82 respectively, indicating that the latter two factors have significant effects on the anti-skid attenuation of pavement. Moreover, the above three models can achieve satisfactory prediction results. In addition, when a large sample size can be obtained, a random forest algorithm is recommended to acquire higher prediction accuracy of pavement friction coefficient attenuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urgent start peritoneal dialysis (USPD) is an effective therapeutic method for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, whether it is safe to initiate peritoneal dialysis (PD) within 24 h unclear. We examined the short-term outcomes of a break-in period (BI) of 24 h for patients undergoing USPD. This real-world, multicenter, retrospective cohort study evaluated USPD patients from five centers from January 2013 to August 2020. Patients were divided into BI ≤ 24 h or BI > 24 h groups. The Primary outcomes included incidence of mechanical and infectious complications. The secondary outcome was technique failure. Moreover, we presented a subgroup analysis for patients who did not receive temporary hemodialysis (HD). A total of 871 USPD patients were included: 470 in the BI ≤ 24 h and 401 in the BI > 24 h groups. Mechanical and infectious complications did not differ between the two groups across the follow-up timepoints (2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months) (p > 0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that BI ≤ 24 h was not an independent risk factor for mechanical complications, catheter migration, or infectious complications (p > 0.05). A BI ≤ 24 h was not an independent significant risk factor for technique failure by multivariate Cox regression analysis (p > 0.05). The subgroup analysis of patients who did not receive temporary HD returned the same results. Initiating PD within 24 h of catheter insertion was not associated with increased mechanical complications, infectious complications, or technique failures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the influence of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) on the severity and short-time curative effect of myasthenia gravis (MG) in children. Data of 132 MG children were retrospectively analyzed, and data of 140 healthy controls (HC group) in the same period were collected. The data of both groups were compared and analyzed. NLR of MG group was significantly higher than that of HC group (Z = 2.644, p = 0.008). According to NLR level, patients were divided into 3 groups: N1 (NLR < 1.03), N2 (NLR 1.03-2.17), and N3 (NLR > 2.17). Significant differences in white blood cell counts, course of disease, uric acid, albumin and the time of hospital stay among the 3 groups were observed (p < 0.05, 0.01). The results of logistic regression revealed that NLR (adjusted OR = 3.874, 95% CI 1.359-11.045, p = 0.011) was the risk factor of MG, and it was risk factor of higher QMG during admission (adjusted OR = 2.989, 95% CI 1.247-7.160, p = 0.014) as well. Using the NLR level for the MG diagnostic test, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.765 [95%CI (0.710-0.820), p = 0.000], with a cut-off value of 1.39, sensitivity of 0.833, and specificity of 0.479. Cox regression analysis suggested that NLR (N1: Wald = 9.262, p = 0.010, N2: HR = 12.267, 95%CI 2.432-61.863, p = 0.000, and N3: HR = 8.142, 95%CI 1.209-77.754, p = 0.032) was associated with poor efficacy at discharge. Elevated NLR was considered as an independent risk factor of poor outcomes during discharge. NLR could reflect disease severity and short time curative effect in children with MG to some extent. It may also be a potential marker in indicating diagnosis and severity of MG in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modelling internal combustion engines (ICEs) with multidimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is challenging due to the fuel spray, combustion chemistry and moving piston involved. To accurately simulate ICEs as well as to maintain acceptable computational cost, dynamic mesh refinement techniques could be applied. Although modelling ICEs with staggered mesh is ubiquitous in the engine combustion community, the dynamic refinement of staggered mesh in the context of multidimensional engine simulations is not reported in the literatures due to the numerical difficulties in the momentum solution at the gird fine-coarse interface and to deal with moving boundaries. To address these difficulties, we propose a dynamic refinement scheme to cell-by-cell refine the staggered mesh on-the-fly based on the fuel evaporation and thermochemical state in the multidimensional dynamic staggered mesh and it is able to handle the complexity caused by the moving boundaries in engine simulations and momentum solution at the fine-coarse interface in the dynamic mesh. This mesh refinement scheme is then implemented in the widely-used ICEs simulation codes for engine simulations with fuel sprays. A wide variety of computational examples including shock wave, compression, constant volume fuel spray, constant volume fuel spray combustion are first employed to test the scheme and finally, compression ignition combustion engine simulations are conducted with the proposed methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitraria sibirica is a halophyte and belongs to the family Nitrariaceae. The chloroplast genome of Nitraria sibirica (159,466 bp) has a quadripartite structure, which consists of a large single-copy (87,914 bp) region, a small single-copy (18,316 bp) region, and a pair of inverted repeats (26,618 bp). Sequencing analyses indicate that the chloroplast genome contains 113 distinct genes, including 79 peptide-coding genes, 30 transfer RNA genes, and 4 ribosomal RNA genes. We also identified 105 perfect simple sequence repeats, 12 most divergent non-coding regions, and 6 most divergent coding regions when compared to the chloroplast genomes of the Sapindales plants. Phylogenetic analyses using the concatenated amino acid sequences of 58 protein-coding genes from 48 species suggest that the ‘basal’ position of Nitraria sibirica belongs to the Sapindales clade. We also found that the inverted repeat expansion resulted in a duplication of rps19 in Nitraria sibirica when comparing its chloroplast genome structure with Theobroma cacao, Vitis vinifera, Eucalyptus erythrocorys and Arabidopsis thaliana. The duplication of rps19 gene was consistent with that in Zanthoxylum piperitum, Azadirachta indica, Sapindus mukorossi and Citrus sinensis, all of which belong to the order Sapindales, but different from most Rosids plants. In summary, the analyses of Nitraria sibirica chloroplast genome not only provide insights into comparative genome analysis, but also pave the way for a better understanding of the phylogenetic relationships within the Sapindales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to ameliorate the properties of corrosion resistance and achieve applications in anti-biofouling of 316L stainless steel (SS), a sulfated derivative of chitosan was deposited onto stainless steel surface by an electrochemical method. In detail, chitosan-catechol (CS-CT) was synthesised in the hydrochloric acid solution by the Mannich reaction and then electrodeposited on the surface of the polished 316L stainless steel. The chitosan-catechol deposited SS sample was further modified with maleic anhydride and sulfite. The grafting progress was monitored by FTIR, UV spectrophotometer and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Hydrophilicity and corrosion resistance of modified SS were characterized by water contact angle measurements, Tafel curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The morphology of the SS surface before and after the modification was investigated by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscope. Further, the anti-biofouling performance in terms of the anti-adsorption protein and anti-bacteria effects of all modified SS samples were estimated, and the modified 316L exhibits the capability of lower protein adsorption and improved antibacterial effect. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The complete chloroplast genome of Cerasus campanulata was obtained by using 454 pyrosequencing technology. Cerasus campanulata chloroplast genome is 157,906 base pairs containing 115 unique genes, including 79 protein-coding genes, 39 tRNAs and eight rRNAs. Phylogenetic analysis of the protein-coding genes indicates that C. campanulata is clearly a member of the Rosaceae order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This study was aimed to replicate the associations between three Perilipin Gene ( PLIN) variants (rs894160, rs1052700, and rs2304796) and diabetes risks and to evaluate the overall effects of these variants on diabetes risk and obesity risk. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 993 Chinese Han adults. We also made a meta-analysis to estimate associations between these variants and diabetes risk and obesity risk. Results. In the sample of all participants, all three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were not significantly associated with diabetes risks. The PLIN polymorphisms significantly interacted with central obesity in relation to diabetes risk ( P for interaction = 0.036, 0.033, and 0.042 for rs1052700, rs894160, and rs2304796, respectively). In those with allele T of rs1052700 or allele A of rs894160, fasting glucose concentration and diabetes risk increased significantly with the increment of waist circumference. Only association between rs894160 and obesity risk was available for meta-analysis. The meta-analysis indicated the overall estimation of obesity risk for rs894160 was 0.97 (0.78, 1.16) among participants with allele A versus people with genotype GG and 1.46 (0.99, 1.93) among those with genotype AA versus allele G carriers. Conclusion. Chinese adults with high waist circumference may have a high risk of diabetes, especially among those with allele T in rs1052700 or with allele A in rs894160. People with genotype AA (rs894160) may have a high risk of obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pH- and temperature-sensitive hydrogel of poly(styrene-alt-maleic anhydride) -co-Pluronic P123 (PSMA-P123) was prepared by the reaction of anhydride groups (MA) on PSMA with the hydroxyl groups on Pluronic (triblock polyethylene oxide-co-polypropylene oxide-co-polyethylene oxide, HO(CH2CH2O)20(CH2CH(CH3)O)70(CH2CH2O)20OH). The effect of proportions between PMSA and P123 on the gel fraction was determined. The effects of pH value and temperature on swelling ratio of the hydrogels were evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the morphology of the hydrogels. Differential scanning calorimetry was employed to characterize the thermo-sensitivity of the hydrogel. The drug-release behavior of the hydrogels was investigated by using chloromycetin as a model drug. The effect of temperature and pH on the release of chloromycetin from the hydrogels was studied. These results showed that PSMA-P123 hydrogels, being pH- and temperature-sensitive and reversible, appeared to be of potential for biomedical materials, especially for drug release applications. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Fe 3+ -montmorillonite clay catalyst was used for the first time for pyrroles preparation by Paal–Knorr condensation. The features of this catalytic system are improved yields, mild conditions, a simple procedure, and high catalytic efficiency. The catalyst could be easily recycled and reused for three times without visible losing of activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient H2NSO3H-catalyzed protection of various carbonyl compounds at room temperature was investigated. The features of mild conditions, cost-efficient catalyst, simple workup, and the recyclability of the catalyst were represented in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractMitogen-activated protein Kinase Kinase 5 (MKK5) is a central hub in the complex phosphorylation chain reaction of the Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) cascade, regulating plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. This review manuscript aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the regulatory mechanism of the MKK5 involved in stress adaptation. This review will delve into the intricate post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications of the MKK5, discussing how they affect its expression, activity, and subcellular localization in response to stress signals. We also discuss the integration of the MKK5 into complex signaling pathways, orchestrating plant immunity against pathogens and its modulating role in regulating abiotic stresses, such as: drought, cold, heat, and salinity, through the phytohormonal signaling pathways. Furthermore, we highlight potential applications of the MKK5 for engineering stress-resilient crops and provide future perspectives that may pave the way for future studies. This review manuscript aims to provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying MKK5 regulation, bridge the gap from numerous previous findings, and offer a firm base in the knowledge of MKK5, its regulating roles, and its involvement in environmental stress regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractSpectroscopy has become prominent in medical surveillance due to its low cost, speed, and nondestructive testing. However, the issue of class unbalance in medical data causes existing algorithms to favor the majority classes, leading to their malfunction. This study attempts to propose a parallel type method based on two modified feature selection methods to achieve visible spectral discrimination of unbalanced urine specific gravity (USG) data. Firstly, the root mean square error (RMSE) of successive projections algorithm (SPA) and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) were modified by increasing weight coefficients. Then, SPA, CARS, modified SPA (mSPA), modified CARS (mCARS), tandem connection of SPA and CARS (CARS-SPA), tandem connection of mSPA and CARS (mCARS mSPA), parallel connection of SPA and CARS (CARS + SPA), and parallel connection of mSPA and CARS (mCARS + mSPA) were used to select characteristic wavelengths from the full spectrq. Finally, based on the variable subsets extracted by each method, the random forest (RF) models were established to verify the performance of the parallel strategy and modification method. The results showed that the RF model of mCARS + mSPA achieved effective discrimination of USG with high accuracy (92.81%), high sensitivity (0.9270), and high resolution (0.9280). It means that a parallel hybrid based on two modified feature selection methods can effectively select feature wavelengths beneficial for minority class recognition, achieving the mining of spectral features of unbalanced data. At the same time, this study also provides a novel example of the strategy of parallel feature selection methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]