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Background: Previous study revealed that the link between dental caries and obesity has been controversial. The purpose of this research is to investigate the association between dental caries and obesity among primary school children in Wannan area, China. Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed to collect the routine health screening data for primary school children aged 5-14 years inWannan area,China, Overweight and obesity status were determined using the International Obesity Task Force standard (IOTF) BMI cut-off points. Caries status was recorded based on WHO recommendations. Results: Our results revealed that the overall caries prevalence of the subjects was 44.9%, Maximum number of caries affected children belonged to underweight and normal group, followed by overweight, and the least number was obesity. These differences were statistically significant (chi-square test, P < 0.001). Children with obesity were 1.908 times (OR =1.908; CI95%=1.750, 2.079) more likely have caries than children with underweight or health weight. Overweight children were 1.547 times (OR = 1.547; CI95% = 1.479, 1.618) more likely to have caries than children with underweight or health weight. After adjusted the gender and age, a statistically significant association was also observed between body mass index categories and caries. Conclusions: Obesity may have a significant effect on caries prevalence of primary school children in Wannan area, China. The importance of obesity should not only be emphasized with respect to general diseases but also with regard to carious lesions.

For the existing quantum threshold signature protocols based on entangled state, it is difficult to prepare quantum resources. Meanwhile, for the quantum threshold signature protocols based on single-particle sequence, it has disadvantages of high computation and communication consumptions. To remedy these shortcomings, in this paper, we proposed a quantum threshold signature protocol based on mutual unbiased basis (MUB). In initialization stage, the message owner Alice prepares a quantum sequence Q with length of p , each single particle in Q is chosen from MUBs. The signature key is generated by Alice using threshold secret-sharing distribution algorithm, the verification key is generated by t signers via threshold secret-sharing recovery algorithm. In signature generation phase, the signers execute the signature algorithm sequentially until the last signer and then obtain the final signature, next send it to verifier. In signature verification phase, the verifier Ver verifies the original message and the final signature using the verification key. Security analysis shows that the proposed protocol can resist interception-forgery attack, collusion attack and denial attack. Performance analysis shows that the proposed protocol is easier to prepare quantum resources than similar protocols, and has lower communication consumption, especially when the number of signers n ≥ 3 and increase gradually. Finally, the correctness of the proposed protocol is verified by simulation experiment on quantum cloud platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, textiles with antimicrobial properties have attracted more and more attention. As natural antimicrobial agents, essential oils' potential application value lies in their ability to provide textiles with antimicrobial functions. In this paper, organic solvent extraction (n-hexane, petroleum ether, ethanol) and steam distillation were used to extract saffron petal essential oil (SPEO). It was found that organic solvent extraction (ethanol) had the highest extraction rate and the most apparent bacteriostatic effect. SPEO-Ms were prepared using the composite condensation method with gelatin and chitosan. The microstructure, encapsulation efficiency, slow-release performance, infrared spectrum, and thermal stability of the SPEO-Ms were evaluated. The results showed that the microencapsulated essential oil had good bacteriostatic properties. Antimicrobial cotton fabric was prepared by impregnating microcapsules onto cotton fibers. The effects of the microcapsules' concentration on the whiteness, air permeability, moisture permeability, and bacteriological inhibition of the fabric were investigated. The results revealed that SPEO-Ms have the potential to be used as a new antimicrobial agent in textiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a life-threatening autosomal dominant genetic disorder of connective tissue caused by the pathogenic mutation of FBN1. Whole exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were performed to identify the pathogenic mutation. The transcriptional consequence of the splice-altering mutation was analyzed via minigene assays and reverse-transcription PCR. We identified a novel pathogenic mutation (c.8051+1G>C) in the splice site of exon 64 of the FBN1 gene in an MFS-pedigree. This mutation was confirmed to cause two different truncated transcripts (entire exon 64 skipping; partial exon 64 exclusion). We also systematically summarized previously reported transcriptional studies of pathogenic splice-altering mutations in the FBN1 gene to investigate the clinical and transcriptional consequences. In conclusion, we reported for the first time that a splice-altering mutation in the FBN1 gene leads to two abnormal transcripts simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium solani are the main soybean root rot pathogens in northern China. We investigated the distribution and driving factors of Fusarium under different cropping systems to evaluate and regulate soil health. The factors affecting Fusarium in soybean cropping systems were assessed using high-throughput sequencing of ITS1 to identify soil microbial population diversity, and then the soil physicochemical properties were assessed to determine the levels of various elements present in the environment. According to the results, the abundance of Fusarium was obviously reduced in the corn–soybean rotation and uncultivated soil systems. The relative abundance of Fusarium in the soil and the abundance and diversity of fungal communities were significantly positively associated with the abundance of Ascomycota. Additionally, the relative abundance of Fusarium was significantly positively correlated with the zinc (Zn) content. When the Zn content was high, the abundance of Fusarium increased, and the correlations with Chaetomium , Cryptococcus , Penicillium and Trichoderma significantly decreased. Soybean yield was significantly negatively correlated with fungal community abundance and diversity. Based on our results, the uncultivated soil and corn–soybean rotation cropping systems improved the organizational structure of the soil fungal community and were conducive to the health and production of soybean. [Display omitted] • Cropping systems significantly changed the composition and structure of Fusarium. • The Fusarium abundance in maize-soybean rotation soil decreased significantly. • The relative Fusarium abundance was related to the fungal/ascomycetes abundances. • The Fusarium abundance was positively correlated with the soil Zn content. • Zinc significantly affected the interactions between Fusarium and other fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean continuous cropping (SC) leads to continuous cropping obstacles, and soil-borne fungal diseases occur frequently. Rotation can alleviate continuous cropping obstacles. However, the long-term effects of continuous cropping and rotation on the structure and function of the fungal community in soil are not clear. In this study, five cropping systems, SC, fallow (CK), fallow-soybean (FS), corn–soybean (CS), and wheat–soybean (WS), were implemented in the long-term continuous cropping area of soybean. After 13 years of planting, high-throughput sequencing was used to evaluate the structure and diversity of soil fungal communities and to study the relationship between fungal communities and soil environmental factors. The results showed that the abundance and diversity of fungal flora in SC soil were the highest. There were significant differences in the formation of soil fungal communities between soybean continuous cropping and the other treatments. There were 355 species of endemic fungi in SC soil. There were 231 and 120 endemic species in WS and CS, respectively. The relative abundance of the potential pathogens Lectera , Gibberella , and Fusarium in the SC treatment soil was significantly high, and the abundance of all potential pathogens in CK was significantly the lowest. The abundance of Lectera and Fusarium in CS was significantly the lowest. There was a positive correlation between potential pathogens in the soil. The relative abundance of potential pathogens in the soil was significantly positively correlated with the relative abundance of Ascomycetes and negatively correlated with the relative abundance of Basidiomycetes. Potential pathogenic genera had a significant negative correlation with soil OM, available Mn, K and soil pH and a significant positive correlation with the contents of soil available Cu, Fe, and Zn. In general, the fungal communities of SC, FS, WS, and CS were divided into one group, which was significantly different from CK. WS and CS were more similar in fungal community structure. The CK and CS treatments reduced the relative abundance of soil fungi and potential pathogens. Our study shows that SC and FS lead to selective stress on fungi and pathogenic fungi and lead to the development of fungal community abundance and diversity, while CK and CS can reduce this development, which is conducive to plant health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Familial partial lipodystrophy type 3 (FPLD3) is an autosomal dominant disease. Patients typically present with loss of adipose tissue and metabolic complications. Here, we reported a Chinese FPLD3 patient with a novel PPARG gene mutation. Methods: A 16-year-old female patient and her relatives were assessed by detailed clinical and biochemical examinations. Sequencing was performed by using the extracted DNA. Moreover, we identified FPLD3 patients from previous studies, and according to the protein region affected by the gene mutation. We divided the patients into the DNA-binding domain (DBD) group or the ligand-binding domain (LBD) group, and compared the clinical features between the two groups. Results: We identified a novel gene mutation affecting the LBD of PPARγ c.929T > C (p.F310S). This mutation leads to the substitution of a phenylalanine by a serine. In our case, subcutaneous fat was significantly diminished in her face, hips and limbs. The patient was also presented with insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, hypertriglyceridemia, fatty liver, liver dysfunction, albuminuria and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. After literature review, a total of 58 FPLD3 patients were identified and we found no difference in clinical features between the DBD group and LBD group (all P > 0.05). Conclusions: A Chinese FPLD3 patient with a novel PPARG gene mutation is described. Our case emphasized the importance of physical examination and genetic testing in young patients with severe metabolic syndromes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is one of the most common chronic diseases; however, its etiology remains unknown. More and more studies have revealed that emotional instability is one of the risk factors for the onset and expansion of OLP, especially in patients suffering from depression, anxiety disorder, and acute stress. In this case report, we had a 32-year-old female OLP patient who had no obvious response to conventional OLP drugs. Then we switched to a combination of psychotropic drugs and psychotherapies. By regulating mood through drugs and psychological counseling, the patient's oral disease was alleviated. Our case shows that clinicians should consider the mental problems of OLP patients. It also emphasizes the importance of medications and psychological counseling in the treatment of somatic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum herbicide that has been widely used for nonselective weed control in soybean fields. In the present study, RNA-seq of an Fusarium verticillioides isolate exhibiting resistance to 120 mM glyphosate revealed gene expression occurring in the presence of glyphosate and led to the identification and screening of candidate genes. A transcriptome analysis revealed 5,548 and 5,361 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the glyphosate resistant (GR) Fusarium verticillioides isolate treated with 45 and 90 mM glyphosate, respectively. The gene ontology (GO) pathways associated with these differentially expressed genes primarily included metabolic process, amine metabolic process, cellular aromatic compound metabolism and stress response. The primary Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) metabolic pathways included biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, carbon metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and nitrogen metabolism. The glyphosate degradation-related gene fv04, which belongs to the 3-isopropylalate dehydratase of the aconitase superfamily, was cloned to generate the prokaryotic expression vector pET-29b-fv04, which could be stably expressed in E. coli and promote the degradation of 52.3% of 500 mg/L glyphosate in 72 h. The results of the present study provide new ideas and insights for the acquisition of glyphosate resistance resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt-and-pepper noise suppression for vector-valued images usually employs vector median filtering, total variation L1 model, diffusion methods and variants. These approaches, however, often introduce excessive smoothing and can result in extensive visual feature blurring and are suitable only for images with low intensity noise. In this paper, a new method, as an important preprocessing step in cyber-physical systems, is presented to suppress salt-and-pepper noise that can overcomes this limitation. This method first detects the corrupted pixels and then restores them using channel-wise anisotropic diffusion. The means is twofold. On the one hand, the marginal approach is used to perform noise suppression separately in each channel because the contaminative pixel components are of independent distribution. On the other hand, a decision-based anisotropic diffusion method is applied to each channel to restores them. The anisotropic diffusion is an energy-dissipating process with time, and dependent on geometric analysis of shape of the energy surface. Simulation results indicate that the proposed method for impulsive noise removal achieves the state-of-the-arts results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: During the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), occupational differences were recognized with respect to psychological issues, but there are no reports regarding the insomnia and anxiety comorbidities and their related factors among the general public and medical staff. Our study aimed to compare the prevalence of anxiety and anxiety with insomnia, as well as the relationship between different psychological symptoms between the two groups. Methods: A total of 605 medical staff and 1091 public respondents were assessed through an online questionnaire survey, including the 7-item Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the somatization subscale of Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R), and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7). Results: Compared with the general public, medical staff had a higher incidence of anxiety (45.5% vs 32.4%). The incidence of insomnia in anxious participants was 52.7% in medical staff and 44.6% in the general public, and the difference was significant (p < 0.05). The GAD-7 score and somatization subscore of the SCI-90 were independently associated with insomnia among anxiety participants in both groups (all p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that during the epidemic period of COVID-19, medical staff experienced more anxiety and anxiety with insomnia. Somatization, anxiety and insomnia are highly correlated among medical staff and the general public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expectation from automated vehicles has been increasing in recent years. Potential advantages for automated vehicles include driving safety, traffic efficiency, and positive environmental outcomes. To evaluate the extent to which automated vehicles are advantageous against conventional vehicles, this paper presents a simple car-following model, named the linked vehicle model, which reflects the capabilities of automated vehicles and the interaction between adjacent automated vehicles. The idea behind linked vehicle model is inspired by the collective motion of self-propelled particles in nature and the study of vehicle platooning from the Safe Road Trains for the Environment project. Moreover, the model is integrated into a traffic simulator in order to evaluate the performance of automated vehicles in an ideal circumstance. Comparisons with other representative car-following models are also provided, and they show that linked vehicle model achieves both optimal microscopic and macroscopic performance. Simulated results also show that linked vehicle model attains the best fuel economy and the lowest pollutant emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anxiety has been a common mental state during the epidemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and is usually closely related to somatization. However, no study on somatization in anxiety and its relationship with insomnia has been conducted. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the prevalence of anxiety, somatization and insomnia and explore the relationships between different psychological states in the general population during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: A total of 1,172 respondents were recruited from 125 cities in mainland China by an online questionnaire survey. All subjects were evaluated with the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, the somatization subscale of the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R), and the 7-item Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Results: The percentages of anxiety, somatization, and insomnia were 33.02%, 7.59%, and 24.66%, respectively. The prevalence of somatization was 19.38% in participants with anxiety. Compared to the anxiety without somatization group, the anxiety with somatization group had a significantly higher percentage of patients with a history of physical disease and insomnia, as well as higher GAD-7 scores and SCL-90 somatization subscores (all p < 0.001). The SCL-90 somatization subscores were positively correlated with age, history of physical disease, GAD-7 scores, and ISI scores (all p < 0.001). Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression showed that GAD-7 score, ISI score, and age were risk factors for somatization in the anxious population. Conclusions: Somatic and psychological symptoms were common in the general population during the COVID-19 outbreak. Somatic symptoms, anxiety, and insomnia are closely related, and improving anxiety and sleep quality may help relieve somatic symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research on antipsychotics and early mortality in schizophrenia has arisen from Western countries and results show that mortality from natural causes is obviously increased in schizophrenia. China, differs largely from Western countries in health and social welfare systems, and Asian patients are more susceptible to side-effects and might require less antipsychotics than their Western counterparts. We, therefore, investigated the association between antipsychotic use and increased mortality from natural causes among patients with schizophrenia in China. Methods: We conducted a population-based nested case–control study using patients' hardcopy archives obtained from the Severe Mental Health Disorder Systems of Chengdu between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2013. We identified all schizophrenic patients aged 18–65 years who died of natural causes in 2013 (N=157), and their age- and gender-matched controls (N=444). Results: Antipsychotic use was more frequent in controls than in cases (59.9% vs 32.5%). Risk of death decreased significantly in those receiving antipsychotic monotherapy (adjusted odds ratio=0.27, 95% CI=0.16–0.46) and antipsychotic polypharmacy (adjusted odds ratio=0.29, 95% CI=0.12–0.70) than antipsychotic-free patients. Compared with monotherapy, antipsychotic-free treatment was associated with prominently increased mortality (adjusted odds ratio=3.64, 95% CI=2.18–6.08). When stratified by age and gender, the results remained unchanged. Conclusion: Antipsychotic monotherapy significantly decreased mortality from natural causes in schizophrenic patients while antipsychotic polypharmacy did not contribute to the excess mortality and deserves further clarification. We need to improve the physical health of schizophrenic patients and promote health education among community mental health staff and primary caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel GQDs/PANI/g-C 3 N 4 ternary heterostructure was successfully designed and prepared by an in-situ polymerization and electrostatic self-assembly approach. The prepared GQDs/PANI/g-C 3 N 4 was used as interlayer of bipolar membrane (BPM) to promote water dissociation. Results revealed that GQDs/PANI/g-C 3 N 4 ternary photocatalyst exhibits excellent photoelectrocatalytic performance for water dissociation in BPM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impulsive noise removal for color images usually employs vector median filter, switching median filter, the total variation L1 method, and variants. These approaches, however, often introduce excessive smoothing and can result in extensive visual feature blurring and thus are suitable only for images with low density noise. A marginal method to reduce impulsive noise is proposed in this paper that overcomes this limitation that is based on the following facts: (i) each channel in a color image is contaminated independently, and contaminative components are independent and identically distributed; (ii) in a natural image the gradients of different components of a pixel are similar to one another. This method divides components into different categories based on different noise characteristics. If an image is corrupted by salt-and-pepper noise, the components are divided into the corrupted and the noise-free components; if the image is corrupted by random-valued impulses, the components are divided into the corrupted, noise-free, and the possibly corrupted components. Components falling into different categories are processed differently. If a component is corrupted, modified total variation diffusion is applied; if it is possibly corrupted, scaled total variation diffusion is applied; otherwise, the component is left unchanged. Simulation results demonstrate its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A shrinkage curve optimization is proposed for weighted nuclear norm minimization and is adapted to image denoising. The proposed optimization method employs a penalty function utilizing the difference between a latent matrix and its observation and uses odd polynomials to shrink the singular values of the observation matrix. As a result, the coefficients of polynomial characterize the shrinkage operator fully. Furthermore, the Frobenius norm of the penalty function is converted into the corresponding spectral norm, and thus the parameter optimization problem can be easily solved by using off-and-shelf plain least-squares. In the practical application, the proposed denoising method does not work on the whole image at once, but rather a series of matrix termed Rank-Ordered Similar Matrix (ROSM). Simulation results on 256 noisy images demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impulsive noise removal usually employs median filtering, switching median filtering, the total variation L1 method, and variants. These approaches however often introduce excessive smoothing and can result in extensive visual feature blurring and thus are suitable only for images with low density noise. A new method to remove noise is proposed in this paper to overcome this limitation, which divides pixels into different categories based on different noise characteristics. If an image is corrupted by salt-and-pepper noise, the pixels are divided into corrupted and noise-free; if the image is corrupted by random valued impulses, the pixels are divided into corrupted, noise-free, and possibly corrupted. Pixels falling into different categories are processed differently. If a pixel is corrupted, modified total variation diffusion is applied; if the pixel is possibly corrupted, weighted total variation diffusion is applied; otherwise, the pixel is left unchanged. Experimental results show that the proposed method is robust to different noise strengths and suitable for different images, with strong noise removal capability as shown by PSNR/SSIM results as well as the visual quality of restored images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene quantum dots–Cu2O (GQDs–Cu2O) is introduced to a bipolar membrane (BPM) interlayer and shown to be a novel, efficient water dissociation catalyst. This paper reports the use of the GQDs–Cu2O/BPM composite as a separator to prevent the crossover of hydrogen and oxygen. Under reverse bias and sunlight irradiation conditions, GQDs–Cu2O/BPM exhibits lower membrane resistance than BPM. GQDs–Cu2O/BPM also minimizes pH gradient formation, resulting in a decreased potential loss with respect to that of BPM. The efficiency of GQDs–Cu2O/BPM as a diaphragm in H2 generation and energy conservation was assessed. GQDs–Cu2O/BPM was found to be 88.6% and 14.5% more efficient than BPM in H2 generation at the current density of 90 mA cm−2 and under sunlight irradiation, respectively. The composite also saved about 22.6% energy with respect to that of BPM at 90 mA cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation of amines from amides is one of the most important reactions in medicinal and industrial chemistry, but the electrochemical hydrogenation of dimethylformamide to trimethylamine is a completely unexplored field. In this work, we developed a convenient and efficient method for the electrosynthesis of trimethylamine through the selective electrochemical hydrogenation of dimethylformamide. Gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry was used to analyze the product. The electrochemical hydrogenation of dimethylformamide to trimethylamine was achieved at Cu and Pd cathodes, which showed good electrocatalytic activity and afforded high yield and 96% conversion. The products were collected in gas sampling bags and then introduced into saturated sodium hydroxide solution to obtain high-purity trimethylamine gas (>99%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]