Search

Background: There was no previous report on the three-dimensional simultaneous non-contrast angiography and intra-plaque hemorrhage (3D-SNAP) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence to diagnose intracranial artery dissection (IAD). Purpose: To improve the diagnostic accuracy and guide the clinical treatment for IAD by elucidating its pathological features using 3D-SNAP MRI. Material and Methods: From January 2015 to September 2018, 113 patients with suspected IAD were analyzed. They were divided into IAD and non-IAD groups according to the spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) criteria. All patients underwent 3D-SNAP, 3D-TOF, T2W imaging, 3D-PD, 3D-T1W-VISTA, and 3D-T1WCE) using 3.0-T MRI; clinical data were collected. The IAD imaging findings (intramural hematoma, double lumen, intimal flap, aneurysmal dilatation, stenosis, or occlusion) in every sequence were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of each sequence. Results: There was a significant difference in the probability of intramural hematoma, relative signal intensity of intramural hematoma, double lumen, stenosis, or occlusion signs on 3D-TOF, T2W, 3D-PD, 3D-T1W-VISTA, 3D-SNAP, and 3D-T1WCE sequences (P <0.05). The 3D-SNAP and 3D-T1WCE sequences were most sensitive for diagnosing intramural hematoma and displaying double-lumen signs, respectively. The diagnostic efficiency of the 3D-SNAP sequence combined with 3D-T1WCE was the highest (area under the curve [AUC] 0.966). The AUC value of the 3D-SNAP sequence (AUC 0.897) was slightly inferior to that of 3D-T1W enhancement (AUC 0.903). Conclusion: 3D-SNAP MRI is a non-invasive and effective method and had the greatest potential among those methods tested for improving the diagnostic accuracy for IAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new highly selective bandpass frequency selective surface (FSS) is proposed with sharp sidebands and low profile. The unit element is composed of two shunted quarter‐mode substrate integrated waveguide (QMSIW) cavities with different dimensions and L‐shaped slots etched on both sides of dielectric substrates. Two transmission zeros and three transmission poles are obtained by TM0.5,0.5,0 resonance of cavities, slot resonance, and the coupling between them, which yield a flat passband with steep roll‐off in both sidebands. As unit dimension is miniaturized using quarter‐mode resonance, the FSS presents good angular stability for dual polarization. Simulated results indicate that the passband with insertion loss less than 1 dB covers 8.86–9.57 GHz, while the transitional bandwidth at both sides of the passband is 27 and 25 MHz, respectively. A prototype was fabricated and measured, the experimental results of which verified the design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of gemcitabine and cisplatin (GP)‐based induction chemotherapy (IC) plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC). Methods: We systematically searched the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. The endpoints included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), distant failure-free survival (DMFS), locoregional failure-free survival (LRFFS) and treatment-related adverse events (AEs). Results: A total of seven studies were included in this meta-analysis. When GP-based IC was compared with double-drug-based or triple-drug-based IC, there were no significant differences in OS (HR 0.64, P = 0.08), PFS (HR 0.71, P = 0.09), DMFS (HR 0.87, P = 0.49) or LRFFS (HR 0.88, P = 0.66). Furthermore, subgroup analysis revealed that GP IC led to an improvement in OS compared with triple-drug-based IC (P < 0.0001). Regarding safety, compared to triple-drug-based IC, GP-based IC was related to a decreased risk of leucopenia (P = 0.007) and neutropenia (P = 0.02) but was associated with an increased risk of thrombocytopenia (P = 0.01). Compared to double-drug-based IC, the prevalence of grade 3 or above thrombocytopenia was higher in the GP group (P = 0.007). No significant difference in the incidence of other AEs was observed. Conclusion: Based on efficacy and safety, our meta-analysis demonstrated that, compared to double-drug-based or triple-drug-based IC, IC with a GP regimen does not appear to improve OS, PFS, DMFS or LRFFS and mainly led to an increased risk of grade3/4 thrombocytopenia. Notably, our subgroup analysis data show that GP-based IC may bring improved trends in OS as compared to triple-drug-based IC. For the optimal IC regimen has not been established, which IC regimen will benefit most LA-NPC patients should be further explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we develop a class of high-order conservative methods for simulating non-equilibrium radiation diffusion problems. Numerically, this system poses significant challenges due to strong nonlinearity within the stiff source terms and the degeneracy of nonlinear diffusion terms. Explicit methods require impractically small time steps, while implicit methods, which offer stability, come with the challenge to guarantee the convergence of nonlinear iterative solvers. To overcome these challenges, we propose a predictor-corrector approach and design proper implicit-explicit time discretizations. In the predictor step, the system is reformulated into a nonconservative form and linear diffusion terms are introduced as a penalization to mitigate strong nonlinearities. We then employ a Picard iteration to secure convergence in handling the nonlinear aspects. The corrector step guarantees the conservation of total energy, which is vital for accurately simulating the speeds of propagating sharp fronts in this system. For spatial approximations, we utilize local discontinuous Galerkin finite element methods, coupled with positive-preserving and TVB limiters. We validate the orders of accuracy, conservation properties, and suitability of using large time steps for our proposed methods, through numerical experiments conducted on one- and two-dimensional spatial problems. In both homogeneous and heterogeneous non-equilibrium radiation diffusion problems, we attain a time stability condition comparable to that of a fully implicit time discretization. Such an approach is also applicable to many other reaction-diffusion systems. • High order conservative LDG-IMEX methods for non-equilibrium radiation diffusion problems are developed. • Degeneracy, strong nonlinearity and stiff source are all taken into account. • A predictor-corrector procedure based on an IMEX scheme is proposed. • Only mildly nonlinear system needs to be solved and is robust for convergence. • The scheme is of high order, conservative, positivity-preserving and allow large time steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Untargeted metabolomics revealed metabolic changes in Type 2 innate lymphoid cells in the lung tissues of asthmatic mice. • ILC2s' metabolic pathways differ in OVA- and IL-33-induced asthma models. • Phosphoric acid and sphinganine identified as potential biomarkers. • Sphingolipid metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation linked to asthma. Helper Th2-type immune responses are essential in allergic airway diseases, including asthma and allergic rhinitis. Recent studies have indicated that group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) play a crucial role in the occurrence and development of asthma. However, the metabolic profile of ILC2s and their regulatory mechanisms in asthma remain unclear. Therefore, we established two asthma mouse models: an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma model and an IL-33-induced asthma model. We then used ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (UHPLC/MS) to conduct high-throughput untargeted metabolic analysis of ILC2s in the lung tissues of the asthma models. The identified metabolites primarily consisted of lipids, lipid-like molecules, benzene, organic acids, derivatives, and organic oxidation compounds. Specifically, 34 differentially accumulated metabolites influenced the metabolic profiles of the control and OVA-induced asthma model groups. Moreover, the accumulation of 39 metabolites significantly differed between the Interleukin 33 (IL-33) and control groups. These differentially accumulated metabolites were mainly involved in pathways such as sphingolipid, oxidative phosphorylation, and fatty acid metabolism. This metabolomic study revealed, for the first time, the key metabolites and metabolic pathways of ILC2s, revealing new aspects of cellular metabolism in the context of airway inflammation. These findings not only contribute to unraveling the pathogenesis of asthma but also provide a crucial theoretical foundation for the future development of therapeutic strategies targeting ILC2s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the tumor-inhibiting effect of α-santalol in various cancers and the role of E2F transcription factor 1 (E2F1) as an important target for anticancer research, this study investigates the relation between α-santalol and E2F1 , as well as the effect of α-santalol on liver cancer progression and the corresponding mechanism. Concretely, liver cancer cells were treated with different concentrations of α-santalol. The IC 50 value of α-santalol was determined using Probit regression analysis. Then, transcription factors that are targeted by α-santalol and differentially expressed in liver cancer were screened out. The clinicopathological impact of E2F1 and its targets were evaluated and predicted. The expressions of E2F1 and high-mobility group box 2 (HMGB2) and their correlation in the liver cancer tissues were analyzed by bioinformatics. The effects of E2F1 and HMGB2 on the biological characteristics of liver cancer cells were examined through loss/gain-of-function and molecular assays. With the extension of treatment time, the inhibitory effects of 10 μmol/L and 20 μmol/L α-santalol on cancer cell survival rate were enhanced (P < 0.001). E2F1 and HMGB2 were highly expressed and positively correlated in liver cancer tissues (P < 0.05). High E2F1 expression was correlated with large tumors and high TNM stages (P < 0.05). E2F1 knockdown promoted the effects of α-santalol on dose-dependently inhibiting viability, colony formation, invasion and migration (P < 0.05). Moreover, E2F1 knockdown reduced the IC 50 value and HMGB2 level, while HMGB2 overexpression produced opposite effects. HMGB2 overexpression and E2F1 knockdown mutually counteracted their effects on the IC 50 value and on the viability and apoptosis of α-santalol-treated liver cancer cells (P < 0.01). Collectively, blocking the E2F1 / HMGB2 pathway enhances the intervention effects of α-santalol on the proliferation, migration and invasion of liver cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A detailed comparison of the corrosion inhibitory effect of water extract of Mikania micrantha (MME (H 2 O)) and 40% ethanol extract (MME (40% C 2 H 5 OH)) was conducted on 1060 aluminum in 1.0 M HCl by gravimetric, electrochemical and surface analysis techniques. The results show that two extracts have excellent inhibition performance, MME (H 2 O) (97.0%) surpasses MME (40% C 2 H 5 OH) (93.6%) in terms of maximum inhibition efficiency. MME (H 2 O) is a mixed-type inhibitor, whereas MME (40% C 2 H 5 OH) is mainly a cathodic inhibitor. Salicylic acid, isochlorogenic acid C, sucrose, succinic acid, valine and guanine in MME contribute on the inhibitive action. [Display omitted] • Water extract of Mikania micrantha (MME (H 2 O)) has better inhibitive performance than 40% ethanol extract (MME (40% C 2 H 5 OH)). • The adsorption of Mikania micrantha extract (MME) on aluminum surface fully obeys Langmuir isotherm. • MME (H 2 O) and MME (40% C 2 H 5 OH) are mixed-type inhibitors for aluminum in HCl solution. • The adsorption and inhibition of MME are confirmed by SEM, AFM, CLSM and XPS. • Salicylic acid, isochlorogenic acid C, sucrose, succinic acid, valine and guanine are the main effective components in MME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural gas, the cleanest fossil fuel, accounts for 24% of global energy demand. As the demand rises, there is a higher technology requirement towards efficient gas storage and transportation. Therefore, based on the technology paradigm theory, this study developed a data analysis system based on bibliometric analysis and visualization techniques to reveal the development path for natural gas transportation technologies. It has identified that competition and diffusion stages of gas transportation technologies are common natural gas transportation technologies and adsorbed natural gas respectively, while the gas hydrates technology is in the shift stage. The importance of laws and policies in driving the technological evolution in these three stages was also examined. Natural gas hydrate's superior energy storage capacity and moderate synthesis conditions make it a promising natural gas transportation technology. However, challenges, such as technological limitations, industrial realization, economic benefits, and environmental impacts hinder the paradigm shift. Therefore, an integrated natural gas transport system involving natural gas hydrate technology is proposed and associated policy recommendations are given in technological innovation, monitoring systems, and resource allocation to facilitate the development of natural gas hydrate transportation technology. • Three technological paradigmatic stages of natural gas transportation are determined. • Law and policy play critical roles in driving the technological evolution. • NGH transportation technology has vast potential, with four challenges highlighted. • An integrated system involving PNG, LNG, CNG, NGH and stakeholders is proposed. • Policy recommendations in terms of technology, regulatory and resource are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A catalytic nanoreactor with hollow confined structure was designed. • The curvature of confined structure can modulate the electronic state of the active sites in nanochannels. • The assistance of confinement energy renders the energy barrier of SMX degradation reaction reduce by 31 kcal/mol. • Void-nanoconfined effect improves the catalytic activity of catalysts for accelerating the degradation of contaminants. The efficient removal of emerging pollutant from water is the ultimate frontiers of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), yet it is challenging to obtain higher catalytic activity and oxidation rate. Herein, a sustainable solution was proposed by optimizing the curvature of confined structure to modulate the electronic state of the active sites in nanochannels for improving the catalytic activity. In addition, the confined effect can enhance the oxidation rate by shorting the mass transfer of active species and pollutants. A void-nanoconfined nanoreactor was prepared by loading Fe 2 O 3 into the nanochannels (<5 nm) of the hollow carbon sphere. An enhancement of 3 orders of magnitude was obtained in the degradation rate constant of void-nanoconfined catalytic system toward sulfamethoxazole (SMX) (6.25 min−1) compared with the non-confined system. The kinetics enhancement was attributed to the larger electron potential difference between the outer and inner nanochannel caused by the curvature increase of carbon sphere, accelerating the electron transfer, so that the energy barrier of SMX degradation reaction was reduced by 31 kcal/mol with the assistance of confinement energy. Importantly, the NC-IN/PDS system exhibited outstanding removal efficiency for the actual river water using a continuous flow reactor. This work provides a new insight into designing an efficient and stable catalytic nanoreactor, enriching the domain of advanced wastewater treatment strategies. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various land use types have been implemented by the government in the loess hilly region of China to facilitate sustainable land use. Understanding the variability in soil moisture and temperature under various sloping land use types can aid the ecological restoration and sustainable utilization of sloping land resources. The objective of this study was to use approximate entropy (ApEn) to reveal the variations in soil moisture and temperature under different land use types, because ApEn only requires a short data series to obtain robust estimates, with a strong anti-interference ability. An experiment was conducted with four typical land use scenarios (i.e., soybean sloping field, maize terraced field, jujube orchard, and grassland) over two consecutive plant growing seasons (2014 and 2015), and the time series of soil moisture and temperature within different soil depth layers of each land use type were measured in both seasons. The results showed that the changing amplitude, degree of variation, and active layer of soil moisture in the 0–160 cm soil depth layer, as well as the changing amplitude and degree of variation of soil temperature in the 0–100 cm soil layer increased in the jujube orchard over the two growing seasons. The changing amplitude, degree of variation, and active layer of soil moisture all decreased in the maize terraced field, as did the changing amplitude and degree of variation of soil temperature. The ApEn of the soil moisture series was the lowest in the 0–160 cm soil layer in the maize terraced field, and the ApEn of the soil temperature series was the highest in the 0–100 cm layer in the jujube orchard in the two growing seasons. Finally, the jujube orchard soil moisture and temperature change process were more variable, whereas the changes in the maize terraced field were more stable, with a stable soil moisture and temperature. This work highlights the usefulness of ApEn for revealing soil moisture and temperature changes and to guide the management and development of sloping fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a new type of Vivaldi antenna with heat dissipation enhancement is proposed and manufactured based on 3-D printing and printed circuit board (PCB) technologies. A longitudinal slot on substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) is employed to feed Vivaldi radiation structure, which replaces the balun structure of traditional Vivaldi antennas. The measured 10 dB bandwidth of antenna element reaches up to 34.48% (21.77–30.39 GHz) and the in-band realized boresight gain is 6.5–8.8 dBi. The $1\times 4$ Vivaldi antenna array with 28.72% (21.63–28.81 GHz) bandwidth and a gain range of 10.5–12.5 dBi is achieved. The fin-shaped structure of the antenna array further enhances the heat dissipation while increasing the gain up to the range of 13.4–15.5 dBi. The measured results are in good agreement with the simulated ones. The proposed antenna array has important application potential in 5G millimeter-wave systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a novel Robin transmission condition (RTC)-enhanced discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method is proposed for the dc IR-drop analysis of power distribution networks with Joule heating effects included. Unlike the conventional DG method, the proposed DG method straightforwardly applied to discretize the second-order spatial partial differential governing equations for the electrostatic potential $\Phi $ and the steady-state temperature $T$. The numerical flux in DG used to facilitate the information exchange among neighboring subdomains introduces two additional variables: the current density $J$ for the electrical potential equation and the thermal flux $q$ for the thermal equation. To solve them, at the interface of neighboring subdomains, an RTC is presented as the second equation to establish another connection for solutions in neighboring subdomains. With this strategy, the number of degrees of freedom (DoFs) involved in the proposed RTC-DG method is dramatically reduced compared with the traditional DG method. The finalized matrix system is solved in an finite-element tearing and interconnecting (FETI)-like procedure, namely the unknowns are obtained in a subdomain-by-subdomain scheme. Finally, the accuracy and the efficiency of the proposed RTC-DG method are validated by several representative examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Ewing's sarcoma (ES) is the most common malignant primary bone tumor in children and adolescents. This study is aimed at developing new prognostic markers and building a microRNA-mRNA network in the development of ES. Method. GSE80201 and GSE39262 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Bioinformatics analysis was used to download and process data. The coexpression of differentially expressed microRNAs (DEMs) and genes (DEGs) was selected by using R software. The FunRich database was utilized to perform cellular component (CC), molecular function (MF), and biological process (BP) enrichment analysis. Cytoscape and ClueGO were used to perform Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis and construct the mRNA-microRNA network. The Kaplan-Meier Plotter was used to perform prognosis analysis between the expression level of genes we selected and overall survival (OS) of patients with ES. Univariate analysis and multivariate analysis were carried out to research the prognostic value of identified mRNA expression in ES according to TCGA database. Results. By using bioinformatics analysis, 10 DEMs and 5 target mRNAs were identified. Based on the KmPlot software, COL1A2, COL3A1, and TGFBI were significantly related to the OS of patients with ES. High COL3A1 mRNA expression was correlated with distant metastasis, margin status, and poor overall survival of ES. Besides, multivariate analysis indicated that COL3A1 was an independent risk factor for ES patients. Conclusions. In conclusion, our results suggest that COL3A1 and its related molecules may be a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for patients with ES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was to analyze the clinical application value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) image features based on intelligent algorithms in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and to provide an effective reference assessment for breast cancer diagnosis. The MRI diagnosis model (ACO-MRI) based on the ant colony algorithm (ACO) was proposed, which was compared with the diagnosis methods based on support vector machine (SVM) and proximity (KNN) algorithm, and the proposed algorithm was applied to MRI images to diagnose breast cancer. The results showed that the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the ACO-MRI model were greater than those of the KNN and SVM algorithm. Moreover, the specificity was statistically considerable compared with the two algorithms of KNN and SVM (P < 0.05). By comparing 1/5 number of ants and the average gray path of the ACO-MRI model under 1/8 number of ants, it was found that the average gray path value of 1/8 number of ants was greatly higher than the average gray path value of 1/5 number of ants (P < 0.05). The differences in the overall distribution of breast MRI imaging features among Luminal A, Luminal B, HER-2 overexpression, and TN were compared. There were considerable differences in the overall distribution of the three breast MRI imaging features of the boundaries, morphology, and enhancement methods among the four groups (P < 0.05). In short, MRI image based on the intelligent algorithm ACO-MRI diagnosis model can effectively improve the diagnosis effect of breast cancer. Its image feature boundaries, morphology, and enhancement methods had good imaging features in the diagnosis of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A challenge for frequency-reconfigurable antennas is how to realize miniaturized structures while preserving satisfying radiation performance in whole operation bandwidth. To address this problem, we apply planar periodic slow-wave structure (PSWS) with controlled dispersion features for miniaturization of antenna. Due to the subwavelength property and large propagation constant, this design holds a much more compact size than conventional microstrip structures. The proposed antenna consists of a double-layered dielectric substrate with the tunable patch on the top and a bias network combining with the feeding part on the bottom. The operating frequency is electronically controlled by the varactors shortened to the ground on nonradiating edges. It ranges from 4.87 to 5.52 GHz when the bias voltage varies from 9 to 16 V. Both simulated and measured results show that the proposed antenna maintains acceptable gains and similar radiation patterns while shrinking the size effectively. The proposed miniaturized and frequency-reconfigurable antenna holds potential applications in the ultracompact frequency hopping communication systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new series of ligand precursors designed for the synthesis of palladalactams has been developed. These precursors are easily accessible through a one-step reaction involving 2-chloro-N-phenylacetamide and a wide choice of various monophosphines, offering tunable electronic and steric properties within the ligand framework. The stability of both ligand precursors and resulting palladalactams in ambient air enhances their practical applicability. A newly synthesized palladalactam, featuring an electron-donating triethylphosphine moiety on the anionic phosphonium ylide ligand scaffold exhibited promising catalytic activities in the Mizoroki–Heck coupling reaction between aryl chlorides and alkenes. Theoretical calculations further affirmed that the ligand system in the complex is the most electron-donating, forming the strongest Pd–C bond compared to other complexes with alternative phosphine moieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Purpose Methods Results Conclusion Although the FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH) can improve the sparing of organs‐at‐risk (OAR) via the FLASH effect, it is generally a tradeoff between the physical dose coverage and the biological FLASH coverage, for which the concept of FLASH effective dose (FED) is needed to quantify the net improvement of FLASH, compared to the conventional radiotherapy (CONV).This work will develop the first‐of‐its‐kind treatment planning method called simultaneous dose and dose rate optimization via dose modifying factor modeling (SDDRO‐DMF) for proton FLASH that directly optimizes FED.SDDRO‐DMF models and optimizes FED using FLASH dose modifying factor (DMF) models, which can be classified into two categories: (1) the phenomenological model of the FLASH effect, such as the FLASH effectiveness model (FEM); (2) the mechanistic model of the FLASH radiobiology, such as the radiolytic oxygen depletion (ROD) model. The general framework of SDDRO‐DMF will be developed, with specific DMF models using FEM and ROD, as a demonstration of general applicability of SDDRO‐DMF for proton FLASH via transmission beams (TB) or Bragg peaks (BP) with single‐field or multi‐field irradiation. The FLASH dose rate is modeled as pencil beam scanning dose rate. The solution algorithm for solving the inverse optimization problem of SDDRO‐DMF is based on iterative convex relaxation method.SDDRO‐DMF is validated in comparison with IMPT and a state‐of‐the‐art method called SDDRO, with demonstrated efficacy and improvement for reducing the high dose and the high‐dose volume for OAR in terms of FED. For example, in a SBRT lung case of the dose‐limiting factor that the max dose of brachial plexus should be no more than 26 Gy, only SDDRO‐DMF met this max dose constraint; moreover, SDDRO‐DMF completely eliminated the high‐dose (V70%) volume to zero for CTV10mm (a high‐dose region as a 10 mm ring expansion of CTV).We have proposed a new proton FLASH optimization method called SDDRO‐DMF that directly optimizes FED using phenomenological or mechanistic models of DMF, and have demonstrated the efficacy of SDDO‐DMF in reducing the high‐dose volume or/and the high‐dose value for OAR, compared to IMPT and a state‐of‐the‐art method SDDRO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compressed natural gas (CNG) taxis represent the most ubiquitous and dynamically active passenger vehicles in urban settings. The pollutant emission characteristics of in-use CNG taxis driving on a typical mountain city before and after three-way catalyst (TWC) replacement was examined using a modular on-board portable emissions measurement system (PEMS), the OBS-ONE developed by Horiba. The results showed that the exhaust NO of CNG taxis equipped with deactivation TWC exceeded the emission limits, even higher than gasoline vehicles. The high emission rate of CNG taxis is mainly concentrated on road slopes between a 2% and 6% gradient and a deceleration rate in the interval of [0.5, 4], respectively, which results in higher emissions from CNG taxis traveling in the mountain city of Chongqing than other cities and vehicles. Moreover, the pollutant emission rates of the in-use CNG taxis were highly correlated with the velocity and the vehicle specific power (VSP). After a new TWC replacement, the emission factors of carbon monoxide (CO), total hydrocarbons (THC), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particle number (PN) decreased by 85.21–89.11%, 68.71–85.49%, 60.91–81.11%, and 62.26–68.39%, respectively. Our results will provide guidance for urban environments to carry out the comprehensive management of in-use vehicles and emphasize the importance of TWC replacement for CNG taxis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controllable and long‐term release remains a great challenge in current drug delivery systems. Benefiting from their efficient drug loading and painless administration, microneedles (MNs) have emerged as a promising platform for transdermal drug delivery, while they often fail to achieve long‐term tissue adhesion and controllable extended drug release. Here, 3D printing of an innovative MN patch is presented with succulent‐inspired responsive microstructures and light‐controllable long‐term release capability. The MN exhibits a reversible shrink‐swell volume change behavior in response to surrounding humidity, which enables sufficient mechanical strength for skin penetration under the shrinkage conditions and efficient long‐term adhesion when swollen in skin tissues. Moreover, the MN patch introduces a controllable long‐term drug release system, achieved through the integration of thiolated heparin (Hep‐SH) for sustained growth factor release and graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets for controlled drug release via near infrared (NIR) laser irradiation. The MN patches with growth factor loading have good biocompatibility and can promote the proliferation, migration, and proangiogenesis of endothelial cells is further demonstrated. Thus, it is believed that such flexible MN patches can be promising candidates for controllable long‐term transdermal drug delivery as well as other related tissue engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Axenfeld–Rieger syndrome (ARS) is a rare autosomal dominant hereditary disease characterized primarily by maldevelopment of the anterior segment of both eyes, accompanied by developmental glaucoma, and other congenital anomalies. FOXC1 and PITX2 genes play important roles in the development of ARS. Case presentation: The present report describes a 7-year-old boy with iris dysplasia, displaced pupils, and congenital glaucoma in both eyes. The patient presented with a congenital atrial septal defect and sublingual cyst. The patient's family has no clinical manifestations. Next generation sequencing identified a pathogenic heterozygous missense variant in FOXC1 gene (NM_001453:c. 246C>A, p. S82R) in the patient. Sanger sequencing confirmed this result, and this mutation was not detected in the other three family members. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, the results of our study reveal a novel mutation in the FOXC1 gene associated with ARS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strong metal‐support interaction (SMSI) is widely used in supported metal catalysts and extensive studies have been performed to understand it. Although considerable progress has been achieved, the surface structure of the support, as an important influencing factor, is usually ignored. We report a facet‐dependent SMSI of Pd‐TiO2 in oxygen by using in situ atmospheric pressure TEM. Pd NPs supported on TiO2 (101) and (100) surfaces showed encapsulation. In contrast, no such cover layer was observed in Pd‐TiO2 (001) catalyst under the same conditions. This facet‐dependent SMSI, which originates from the variable surface structure of the support, was demonstrated in a probe reaction of methane combustion catalyzed by Pd‐TiO2. Our discovery of the oxidative facet‐dependent SMSI gives direct evidence of the important role of the support surface structure in SMSI and provides a new way to tune the interaction between metal NPs and the support as well as catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strong metal‐support interaction (SMSI) is widely used in supported metal catalysts and extensive studies have been performed to understand it. Although considerable progress has been achieved, the surface structure of the support, as an important influencing factor, is usually ignored. We report a facet‐dependent SMSI of Pd‐TiO2 in oxygen by using in situ atmospheric pressure TEM. Pd NPs supported on TiO2 (101) and (100) surfaces showed encapsulation. In contrast, no such cover layer was observed in Pd‐TiO2 (001) catalyst under the same conditions. This facet‐dependent SMSI, which originates from the variable surface structure of the support, was demonstrated in a probe reaction of methane combustion catalyzed by Pd‐TiO2. Our discovery of the oxidative facet‐dependent SMSI gives direct evidence of the important role of the support surface structure in SMSI and provides a new way to tune the interaction between metal NPs and the support as well as catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use an individual-based model and its associated kinetic equation to study the generation of long jumps in the motion of E. coli. These models relate the run-and-tumble process to the intracellular reaction where the intrinsic noise plays a central role. Compared with previous work in Perthame et al. (Z Angew Math Phys 69(3):1–15, 2018), in which the parametric assumptions are mainly targeted for mathematical convenience but not well-suited for numerical simulations or comparison with experimental results, our current paper makes use of biologically meaningful pathways and tumbling kernels. The main contribution of this current work is bridging the gap between the theoretical results and experimentally available data. Some particular forms of how the tumbling frequency depends on the internal variable are proposed. Moreover, we propose two individual-based models, one for the tumbling frequency and the other for the receptor activity, and perform numerical simulations. Power-law decay of the run length distribution, which corresponds to Lévy-type motions, is observed in our numerical results. The particular decay rate agrees quantitatively with the analytical result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we continue the study in our previous work Beurling dimenison and self-similar measures [J. Funct. Anal.274 (2018) 2245–2264]. We analyze the Beurling dimension of Bessel sequences and frame spectra of self-affine measures on ℝ d . Unlike the case for the self-similar measures, it is very difficult to obtain a general expression for the dimension of self-affine sets. This implies that the Hausdorff dimension may be not a good candidate that controls the Beurling dimension in general. Instead, we find that the pseudo Hausdorff dimension proposed by He and Lau [Math. Nachr.281 (2008) 1142–1158] can be a good candidate that can control the Beurling dimension. With the help of the pseudo Hausdorff dimension, we obtain the upper bounds of the Beurling dimension of Bessel sequences. Under suitable condition, we give the lower bound of the Beurling dimension of frame spectra of self-affine measures on ℝ d . Some examples are given to illustrate our theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, an efficient numerical algorithm is proposed to capture the thermal profile of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) with nonlinear electrothermal coupling effects. The finite element method is employed to solve the steady heat conduction equation with different kinds of boundary conditions. To accurately evaluate the temperature distribution of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs, the temperature-dependent properties of both thermal conductivity and heat source are taken into consideration. In order to accelerate the convergence in simulation, the Anderson acceleration (AA) scheme is utilized to solve the nonlinear coupling problems. Numerical examples demonstrate the high accuracy and excellent convergence of the proposed method for nonlinear thermal analysis of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the retailers' sourcing decisions with or without information leakage and studies the impact of the forecasting accuracy on supply chain members' preferences for information leakage. To derive the retailers' optimal sourcing quantities under two scenarios, one without and one with information leakage, we formulate a supply chain in which a common manufacturer offers a wholesale price contract to two competing retailers, one of whom (the incumbent) has private forecasting information about the market demand and the other one (the entrant) does not. We find that the incumbent with information advantage may have a worse profit and lower market share than the entrant under no information leakage. We show that the incumbent has an incentive to impact the entrant's sourcing decision by managing her own sourcing quantity reflecting private forecasting information under information leakage. Then, we compare the supply chain members' performances under different conditions; counterintuitively, the result shows that information leakage may benefit the manufacturer when the prior probability of the booming market is low enough or the forecasting signal is not sufficiently accurate even if the incumbent's forecasts that the market will be slack; we show that the information leakage will benefit the incumbent when the forecasting information is not sufficiently accurate and the prior probability of the booming market is high enough even if she forecasts that the market will be booming; we find that information leakage will hurt the entrant's profit when the incumbent forecasts that the market will be slack, or when the market will be booming under the condition of the forecasting information is not sufficiently accurate and the prior probability of the booming market is high enough. Meanwhile, we find that the many-win condition will never occur in our model setting, and the preferences of all three supply chain members for information leakage will never become concert. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a Laguerre-based finite-element method (LBFEM) combined with domain decomposition is proposed for large-scale transient thermal simulation. The unconditionally stable marching-on-in-order scheme is obtained using the weighted Laguerre polynomials and Galerkin testing procedure to eliminate the time variable of the temperature field. An effective data filtering method is utilized to reduce the number of basis functions and improve the efficiency of simulation. To handle the large-scale problems, a domain decomposition scheme named finite element tearing and interconnecting (FETI) is applied. The entire computational domain can be divided into a series of small-scale subdomains to reduce the computational resources. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatic fibrosis is a wound healing response that results in excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation in response to chronic hepatic injury. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is an important transcription factor associated with the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis. Though a promising potential therapeutic target, there are no specific drug candidates for STAT3. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles generated by all cell types with a capacity to efficiently enter cells across different biological barriers. Here, we utilize exosomes as delivery conduit to specifically target STAT3 in liver fibrosis. Exosomes derived from clinical grade fibroblast‐like mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were engineered to carry siRNA or antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting STAT3 (iExosiRNA‐STAT3 or iExomASO‐STAT3). Compared to scrambled siRNA control, siRNA‐STAT3, or ASO‐STAT3, iExosiRNA‐STAT3 or iExomASO‐STAT3 showed enhanced STAT3 targeting efficiency. iExosiRNA‐STAT3 or iExomASO‐STAT3 treatments suppressed STAT3 levels and ECM deposition in established liver fibrosis in mice, and significantly improved liver function. iExomASO‐Stat3 restored liver function more efficiently when compared to iExosiRNA‐STAT3. Our results identify a novel anti‐fibrotic approach for direct targeting of STAT3 with exosomes with immediate translational potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how China's increased economic influence shapes its image among foreign audiences. Specifically, it examines the effect of trade relationship with China on the perception of China. A systematic analysis of the data from recent three waves of the Asia Barometer Survey (ABS) consistently shows that, at the country-level, trade exposure to China is associated with a less favorable public view of China. At the individual level, the authors find that trade exposure weakens the positive relationship between individuals' assessment of the domestic economic situation and their perception of China. Meanwhile, political factors such as individuals' political orientation and regime difference correlate with a negative image of China, and trade relationship cannot mitigate this "soft power deficit." In short, trade relationship does not help promote a positive image of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial infections have caused many human diseases, so effective treatment of bacterial infections is an urgent problem that needs to be solved. In this work, a multifunctional therapeutic core–satellite nanoplatform (ASAN NPs) with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties was designed and synthesized. First, mesoporous silica-coated silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) with different sizes were synthesized via a simplified method that improved the stability and drug-carrying capacity of the Ag NPs. Then, the NPs were loaded with anti-inflammatory and antibacterial naringin. The characterization results showed that the ASAN NPs were successfully synthesized, with an average particle size of 110 ± 15 nm. In vitro antibacterial test results showed that the synergistic effect of Ag NPs and naringin enhanced the antibacterial activity in a dose-dependent manner. The ASAN NPs achieved high-efficiency antibacterial activity by increasing the permeability of the cell membrane, destroying the integrity of the bacteria, and significantly increasing the level of bacterial reactive oxygen species. The in vivo antibacterial results showed that the ASAN NPs had highly effective anti-infective and anti-inflammatory activities and did not show obvious side effects. Thus, ASAN NPs appear to be promising antimicrobial agents with good biocompatibility, potent antibacterial activity, and anti-inflammatory activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We performed a meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety of induction chemotherapy (IC) followed by cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) versus cisplatin-based CCRT for patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC). Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library and Embase until February 29, 2020, for eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The quality of the studies was assessed with the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool. The following outcomes of interest were analyzed: 1) progression-free survival (PFS); 2) overall survival (OS); 3) distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS); 4) locoregional failure-free survival (LRFFS); and 5) any grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events (AEs). The data were pooled with the use of hazard ratios (HRs) or odds ratios (ORs). Subgroup, heterogeneity and sensitivity analyses were performed. Results: After screening all studies selected from the initial search, seven trials with 2233 patients met the inclusion criteria. Compared to cisplatin-based CCRT alone, there was reliable evidence that IC significantly improved PFS (HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.55–0.75, P < 0.00001), OS (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.45–0.83, P = 0.002), DMFS (HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.53–0.79, P < 0.0001) and LRFFS (HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.53–0.88, P = 0.003) and was associated with a markedly increased risk of AEs (grade 3/4) during the IC and CCRT phases. No significant difference in the incidence of late AEs (grade 3/4) was observed between different arms. Conclusion: Compared to cisplatin-based CCRT alone, IC followed by cisplatin-based CCRT confers real and substantial favorable survival outcomes with controllable toxicities. Therefore, it is reasonable to define IC followed by cisplatin-based CCRT as one of the standard treatment strategies for patients with LA-NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction mechanism of a kind of natural drug helicid with typical digestive enzyme trypsin was investigated using multi-spectroscopic techniques and molecular modeling method. The fluorescence quenching experiments showed that helicid quenched trypsin fluorescence via a combined quenching mechanism of both dynamic and static quenching processes because of the formation of the helicid–trypsin complex. Thermodynamic analyses suggested that the binding of helicid to trypsin was entropy-driven, and that hydrophobic interactions are the main force to stabilize the complex. Förster energy transfer theory applied demonstrated that energy transfer occurred within the complex. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy, three-dimension fluorescence spectroscopy together with circular dichroism spectroscopy indicated that the conformation of trypsin changed induced by helicid with the loosening of the polypeptide backbone of trypsin and its partial β-sheet and random coil structures being transformed into an α-helix structure and that helicid was closer to tryptophan residues than to tyrosine residues within the complex. Molecular simulation results explained the above experimental results very well and further implied that besides hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonds also helped stabilize the helicid–trypsin complex. This study is helpful to the understanding of the biochemical process of helicid in the human body and could provide useful information for the studies on the structure–bioactivity relationship of natural compounds, as well as the design and optimization of the drugs for the treatments of trypsin overactivity-related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Seafood is an important source of nutrition in Asia. However, it was believed to cause or aggravate atopic dermatitis (AD). Objectives: We aim to determine relevant seafood sensitization among adults with AD and investigate cross-sensitization to aeroallergens. Methods: One hundred thirty-two adults with AD who were subjected to skin prick test (SPT) with 7 common local seafood allergens (anchovy, tuna, mackerel, squid, giant freshwater prawn, shrimp, and crab), house dust mites (HDMs), and cockroach were analyzed retrospectively. Results: The median age of the study subjects was 32 years (range 17–77 years) with a male to female ratio of 1:3. The mean duration of AD was 16 years. Eighty-two patients (62.2%) had other atopic conditions. Using SCORAD, 44.7% had mild, 42.4% moderate, and 12.9% severe disease. Eighty-six patients (65.2%) self-reported to have seafood allergy, with the main symptoms of transient pruritus and erythema within 2 h of ingestion. SPT revealed 51.5% of the patients were sensitized to at least 1 of the 7 seafood allergens. The relevant sensitization rate was 45.1%. Interestingly, 46% of those without a history of seafood allergy developed at least 1 positive reaction in the SPT. Prawn, shrimp, and crab were the 3 most frequently sensitized allergens. Nearly all patients (98.3%) who were sensitized to crustaceans were also sensitized to HDMs and/or cockroach. There was no significant correlation between a positive SPT to seafood with age, age of onset of AD, duration, and severity of AD, and the presence of other atopic diatheses. Conclusion: The relevant sensitization rate of local seafood among adults with AD was 45.1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The purpose is to observe the effects and neural mechanism of cutting upper thoracic sympathetic trunk (TST) on the ventricular rate (VR) during persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods. Twelve beagle dogs were halving to the control group and experimental group, 6 dogs for each group. Both groups were performed with left atrial rapid pacing (600 beats/min) to induce sustained AF. The experimental group underwent cutting upper TST after a sustained AF model was established, while the control group received thoracotomy without cutting TST. Bilateral stellate ganglion (SG) and left atrial myocardium were harvested for tyrosine-hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemical staining. Results. After cutting upper TST for 30 minutes, the average VR was 121.5 ± 8.7 bpm (95% CI, 114.8 to 128.0) in the experimental group, which was significantly slower than that of the control group (144.5 ± 4.2 bpm (95% CI, 141.5 to 148.0)) (P < 0.001). After cutting upper TST for 1 month, the average VR of the experimental group (106.5 ± 4.9 bpm (95% CI, 102.0 to 110.0)) was also significantly slower versus that of the control group (139.2 ± 5.6 bpm (95% CI, 135.0 to 143.8)) (P < 0.001). Compared with the control group, both left stellate ganglion (LSG) and right stellate ganglion (RSG) of the experimental group caused neural remodeling characterized by decreased ganglionic cell density and reduced TH staining. TH-positive component was significantly decreased in the left atrium of the experimental group compared with the control group. Conclusions. Cutting upper TST could reduce fast VR during persistent AF. Cutting upper TST induced bilateral SG neural remodeling and reduced sympathetic nerve density in the left atrium, which could contribute to the underlying mechanism of VR control during AF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inhibition effect of Mikania micrantha extract (MME) on 1060 aluminum corrosion in 0.10 M HNO 3 was investigated by both experimental and theoretical methods. The results demonstrate that MME performs excellent inhibition with the maximum inhibition efficiency of 97.6% at 0.50 g L-1. The adsorption of MME on aluminum surface obeys Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, El-Awady thermodynamic-dynamics, Flory-Huggins isotherm, and it is a mixed-type inhibitor. Nyquist consists of a capacitive loop at high frequency, an inductive loop at medium frequency, and a small capacitive section at low frequency. The impedance of EIS is gradually enhanced along with the increase of MME concentration. SEM and AFM images confirm that MME can efficiently retard the metallic corrosion. XPS demonstrates that the adsorptive inhibition film is composed of polar functional groups containing C and O elements of C O, C─OH/C─O─C, C─H/C─C from MME. LC-MS illustrates that MME contains multiple active ingredients of quercetin, caffeic acid, vanillin and guanine. The anti-corrosion effect of MME is mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of multi-components. Quantum chemical calculations and MD simulations indicate that the presence of multiple active sites in quercetin, caffeic acid, vanillin and guanine, including benzene/heterocyclic and carboxyl groups, facilitates their interaction with aluminum surface. [Display omitted] • MME is a novel efficient inhibitor for aluminum in HNO 3 solution. • The adsorption of MME follows Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, El-Awady thermodynamic-dynamics and Flory-Huggins isotherms. • MME is a mixed-type inhibitor that drastically impedes the charge transfer process. • The adsorption and inhibition of MME are confirmed by SEM, AFM and XPS. • Quercetin, caffeic acid, vanillin and guanine are the main effective components in MME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The CoSb 2 O 6 /rGO composite was synthesized via a sol–gel method. • Lithium storage mechanisms of CoSb 2 O 6 were explored via ex-suit XRD. • The rGO effectively improved the electrochemical performance of CoSb 2 O 6. CoSb 2 O 6 /rGO composite was prepared by sol–gel and evaluated for the first time as anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The ex-situ XRD revealed the lithium storage mechanism of CoSb 2 O 6, indicating that its capacity is mainly provided by the conversion reaction. The results show that CoSb 2 O 6 /rGO has better cycling stability and higher cycling rate than pristine CoSb 2 O 6 , with a reversible capacity of 693.0 mAh/g after 100 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A/g. This is due to the introduction of reduced graphene oxide (rGO), which can effectively buffer the volume expansion during lithiation/delithiation and maintain the the structural stability of the electrode, and facilitate the transfer of lithium ions and electrons during the cycling process. Based on these results, the CoSb 2 O 6 /rGO has the potential to be used as anode material for LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung tissue is one of the target sites of arsenic (As). The goal of this investigation was to assess the associations of blood As concentration with pulmonary function indicators in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as the roles of systemic inflammation and oxidative stress in this relationship. All 791 COPD patients were selected. Blood As concentration, and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and 8-iso-prostaglandin-F2α (8-iso-PGF2α) were detected in the serum of COPD cases. Blood As was robustly related to pulmonary function parameters in an inverse dose-dependent manner. Multivariate linear regression analyses verified that a 1-unit increase of blood As was linked to declines of 0.263 L in FVC, 0.288 L in FEV1, 3.454 in FEV1/FVC%, and 0.538 in predicted FEV1%, respectively. The potential for pulmonary function decline gradually increased across the elevated tertiles of blood As. Nonsmokers were susceptible to As-induced pulmonary function reduction. Blood As was positively linked to the levels of TNF-α and 8-iso-PGF2α. Increased TNF-α and 8-iso-PGF2α partially mediated As-induced the reductions in FEV1 and FVC among COPD patients. As exposure is intensely linked to pulmonary function reduction. Systematic inflammation and oxidative stress partially mediate such associations in COPD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) is a simplified nutritional assessment. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the pretreatment GNRI in geriatric patients with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma (MLA). The clinicopathological characteristics of 144 geriatric patients with MLA were analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine the best cutoff value of GNRI for predicting overall survival (OS). The Cox regression was used to identify variables associated with OS in the whole group, the non-sensitizing EGFR mutation subgroup, and the sensitizing EGFR mutation subgroup. The best cutoff value of the GNRI was 97 and the incidence of malnutrition risk was 52.1%. Low GNRI were significantly associated with older age (p = 0.002), a high ECOG score (p = 0.037), and a high neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (p = 0.004). Low GNRI (p < 0.001), liver metastases (p < 0.001), and EGFR mutations (p < 0.001) were independent prognostic factors of OS. Low GNRI (p = 0.001), liver metastases (p < 0.001), and a high ECOG score (p = 0.003) were independent prognostic factors of OS in the non-sensitizing EGFR mutation subgroup, but not in the sensitizing EGFR mutation subgroup. This study shows the importance of the GNRI in predicting OS in geriatric patients with MLA, especially in patients without sensitizing EGFR mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The prognostic utility of the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has never been systematically reviewed. Therefore, we performed this meta-analysis. Methods: We performed comprehensive research via Embase, PubMed, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library. The pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were applied to explore the relationship between PNI and overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), locoregional failure-free survival (LRFFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and clinical features. Both univariate analysis (UVA) and multivariate analysis (MVA) were used. Results: A total of 8 eligible studies including 3631 patients were ultimately enrolled. A low PNI level was significantly associated with a shorter OS [(HR 2.06, P < 0.00001; UVA) and (HR 1.78, P < 0.00001; MVA)], PFS [(HR 2.27, P = 0.006; UVA) and (HR 1.45, P = 0.0003; MVA)] and DMFS [(HR 2.06, P < 0.00001; UVA) and (HR 2.04, P < 0.00001; MVA)]. However, only one study reported the LRFFS of NPC patients, and there was no significant difference [HR 1.68, P = 0.26]. Furthermore, female patients, higher tumor stage, a lower alanine transaminase (ALT) level and a lower white blood cell (WBC) level were associated with a lower PNI level. Conclusion: Our meta‐analysis indicated that NPC patients with a low PNI level had worse OS, PFS and DMFS, and a low PNI level was associated with female patients, higher tumor stage, a lower ALT level and a lower WBC level. These findings indicate that PNI is a promising prognostic biomarker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) with coronary sinus (CS) ostial atresia (CSA) or coronary sinus stenosis (CSS) causes difficulty in electrophysiological procedures, but its characteristics are poorly understood. Objective: Study the anatomical and clinical features of SVT patients with CSA/CSS. Methods: Of 6128 patients with SVT undergoing electrophysiological procedures, consecutive patients with CSA/CSS were enrolled, and the baseline characteristics, imaging materials, intraoperative data, and follow‐up outcomes were analyzed. Results: Thirteen patients, seven with CSA and six with CSS, underwent the electrophysiological procedure. Decapolar catheters were placed into the proximal CS in three cases, while the rest were placed at the free wall of the right atrium. Fourteen arrhythmias were confirmed: four atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardias, five left‐sided accessory pathways, three paroxysmal atrial fibrillations, and two atrial flutters (AFLs). In addition to three patients who underwent only an electrophysiological study, the acute ablation success rate was 100% in 10 cases, with no procedure‐related complications. After a median follow‐up period of 59.6 months, only one case of atypical AFL recurred. For those cases (seven CSA and two CSS) with a total of 10 anomalous types of CS drainage, three types were classified: from the CS to the persistent left superior vena cava (n = 3), from an unroofed CS (n = 3), and from the CS to the small cardiac vein (n = 3) or Thebesian vein (n = 1). Conclusion: Patients with CSA/CSS may develop different kinds of SVT. Electrophysiological procedures for such patients are feasible and effective. An individualized mapping strategy based on the three types of CS drainage will be helpful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence links osteopontin (OPN), a pro-fibrogenic extracellular matrix protein, to the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In this study, liver tissues isolated from non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients expressed higher OPN than those of controls. However, the exact mechanism(s) for this phenomenon is yet to be clarified. Autophagy is the natural, regulated degradation and recycling of a cell's dysfunctional components, in order to maintain homeostasis. Increasing evidence supports that autophagy can constitute an effective Defence mechanism against NAFLD conditions. Herein, we constructed NAFLD mice model by high-fat (HF) and methionine-choline-deficient (MCD) diet and found that OPN is upregulated in livers of NAFLD mice. Besides, secreted OPN inhibited autophagosome-lysosome fusion via binding with its receptors integrin αVβ3 and αVβ5 in HepG2 cells supplemented with free fatty acids (FFA) and the livers of NAFLD mice. Silencing of OPN attenuated autophagy impairment and reduced lipid accumulation, while supplementation of OPN exhibited the opposite effect. Furthermore, treatment with anti-OPN Ab significantly attenuated steatosis as well as autophagy impairment in the liver. Our findings indicated that OPN plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of the development of NAFLD via autophagy impairment, which might represent a potential new therapeutic target for the treatment of NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cooperative control in complex multitasks using unmanned aerial vehicle and unmanned ground vehicle (UAV/UGV) is an important and challenging issue in the multirobot cooperative field. The main goal of the task studied in this paper is to minimize the time and energy consumed by the system to complete the assigned tasks. In this paper, a complex multitask problem using the hybrid UAV/UGV system is studied, which is divided into three stages, namely, the stage of finding the optimal locations of the relay stations for the UGV; the stage of solving the path planning problem for the UGV; and the stage of the task assignment for multi-UAVs. Furthermore, an improved integrated method is proposed to deal with the cooperative control problems in these three stages. Firstly, an adaptive clustering method is proposed to determine the locations of the UGV relay stations, and then an improved cuckoo search algorithm is used to find the shortest path for the UGV. Finally, a grouping method is presented to solve the multitask allocation problem of UAVs, based on an improved dynamic programming algorithm. In addition, some simulations are carried out and the results show that the proposed method has better performance when it comes to the time and energy consumption and can effectively guide the hybrid UAV/UGV system to carry out the complex multitasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this communication, a novel fin-shaped heatsink antenna array is designed and fabricated by 3-D printing and low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) technologies. Its structure consists of 16 rectangular air cavities in the bottom base, which are used to form the open-ended rectangular waveguide antennas. Combined with the waveguide and metallic fins, a step-profiled horn is formed as the antenna element, which further enhances the radiation performance. This heatsink antenna array is soldered on an LTCC substrate and the feeding network is realized by the substrate integrated waveguides (SIWs) with numerous metallic vias. These metallic vias inherently provide an effective path for transferring the heat from chips to the heatsink. The simulated performance of this heatsink antenna array is in good agreement with the measured one. The measured broadside gain is 18.1 dBi at 60 GHz, and the 10 dB relative impedance bandwidth is 11.7%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let I be the unit matrix and D = 0 0 , 1 0 , 0 1 , − 1 − 1 . In this paper, we consider the self-similar measure μ ρ I , D on ℝ 2 generated by the iterated function system { ϕ d (x) = ρ I (x + d) } d ∈ D where 0 < | ρ | < 1. We prove that there exists Λ such that E Λ = e 2 π i < λ , x > : λ ∈ Λ is an orthonormal basis for L 2 (μ ρ I , D) if and only if | ρ | = 1 / (2 q) for some integer q > 0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a novel numerical method for steady-state thermal simulation. This method firstly solves the heat flux efficiently by applying the loop-tree basis functions. Then, the temperature is obtained by finding solutions of the gradient equation. The half boundary Rao-Wilton-Glisson (HBRWG) basis functions are employed for handling arbitrary boundary conditions. In addition, the triangulation-based interpolation technique is utilized to interpolate temperature profile with obtained results in post-processing. Three examples with mixed boundary conditions are studied to validate the accuracy of proposed method for simulating steady-state thermal problems. Numerical results show that our method has a good accuracy and is well capable of handling arbitrary boundary conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The association between homeostatic model assessment (HOMA2-IR) and mortality in obese and non-obese populations has not been clearly explained. Methods: A total of 7,085 individuals aged ≥ 20 years from the 1999–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were included in the study. Study endpoints were all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models with restricted cubic spline analysis were used for analysis. Results: In the study populations, a total of 1666 all-cause deaths and 555 cardiovascular (CV) deaths were recorded during a mean follow-up of 195.53 months. Notably, a significant difference in obesity was observed in the association between HOMA2-IR and mortality. After adjustment for multiple variables, HOMA2-IR was positively associated with all-cause mortality in all participants, in those with normal BMI, and in those with obesity. Conversely, tertile 2 of HOMA2-IR was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality in participants with obesity compared with tertile 1 (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.52–0.89; P = 0.005). Results from restricted cubic spline analysis showed a J-shaped association between HOMA2-IR and all-cause and CV mortality. In addition, a nonlinear U-shaped correlation with all-cause (P for nonlinear < 0.001) and CV (P for nonlinear = 0.002) mortality was observed in the population with obesity, with inflection points of HOMA2-IR identified at 1.85 and 1.75. Below the inflection point of 1.85, a negative relationship between HOMA2-IR and all-cause mortality was observed. Conclusions: Elevated HOMA2-IR showed a notable correlation with increased risk of all-cause mortality. It was noteworthy that excessively reduced levels of insulin resistance showed a distinct association with increased mortality in individuals with obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric optical microcavities have been explored as an excellent platform to manipulate the light flow and investigate non‐Hermitian physics in open optical systems. For whispering gallery mode optical microcavities, modifying the rotational symmetry is highly desirable for intriguing phenomena such as degenerated chiral modes and directional light emission. However, for the state‐of‐the‐art approaches, namely deforming the cavity geometry by precision lithography or introducing local scatterers near the cavity boundary via micromanipulation, there is a lack of flexibility in fine‐adjusting of chiral symmetry and far‐field emission direction. Here, precise engineering of cavity boundary using electron‐beam‐induced deposition is reported based on rolled‐up nanomembrane‐enabled spiral‐shaped microcavities. The deformation of outer boundary results in delicate tailoring of asymmetric backscattering between the outer and inner rolling edges, and hence deterministically strong mode chirality. Besides, the crescent‐shaped high‐index nanocap leads to modified light tunneling channels and inflected far‐field emission angle. It is envisioned that such a localized deposition‐assisted technique for adjusting the structural deformation of 3D optical microcavities will be highly useful for understanding rich insights in non‐Hermitian photonics and unfolding exotic properties on lasing, sensing, and cavity quantum electrodynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are endogenous RNAs with a covalently closed continuous loop, generated through various backsplicing events of pre-mRNA. An accumulating number of studies have shown that circRNAs are potential biomarkers for major human diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Thus, identification and prediction of human disease-associated circRNAs are of significant importance. To this end, a computational analysis-assisted strategy is indispensable to detect, verify, and quantify circRNAs for downstream applications. In this review, we briefly introduce the biology of circRNAs, including the biogenesis, characteristics, and biological functions. In addition, we outline about 30 recent bioinformatic analysis tools that are publicly available for circRNA study. Principles for applying these computational strategies and considerations will be briefly discussed. Lastly, we give a complete survey on more than 20 key computational databases that are frequently used. To our knowledge, this is the most complete and updated summary on publicly available circRNA resources. In conclusion, this review summarizes key aspects of circRNA biology and outlines key computational strategies that will facilitate the genome-wide identification and prediction of circRNAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study a question on minimal asymptotic bases asked by Nathanson ['Minimal bases and powers of 2', Acta Arith. 49 (1988), 525–532]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crosstalk noise suppression is a crux in the high-speed integrated circuit design, which requires weak-coupling between transmission lines (TLs) over a wide band. To overcome the difficulty, this article presents a novel method to suppress the broadband crosstalk noise between a single TL and the differential pair based on spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). Due to the subwavelength feature of spoof SPP TLs, a natural mode mismatching between the spoof SPP TL and conventional microstrip (MS) brings a broadband suppression of near-field coupling. In order to verify the crosstalk suppression effect, four different kinds of prototypes are discussed and compared. The simulated and measured results in the frequency domain and time domain demonstrate that the proposed scheme achieves more than 83% far-end noise peak suppression than the traditional MS technology by replacing the single MS TL to the spoof SPP TL. Accordingly, the time-domain crosstalk noise is significantly suppressed without any extra costs, demonstrating its potential applications in ultracompact high-speed integrated circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]