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This paper introduced the working principle of multi-user electric energy meters and analyzed the mechanism of the error in the electric energy measurement introduced by interaction among users in the meter. The key technology of the multi-user electric energy meter verification was defined and the detection method was studied. A detector for the verification of multi-user electric energy meters was invented which could give large current output to applied to each user simultaneously. The detector provided a reliable detection scheme and a technical guarantee for the development of multi-user electric energy meter technology.

Herein, a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method with multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) as a dispersive solid-phase extraction was developed for simultaneous determination of pinoxaden (PXD), cloquintocet-mexyl (CLM), clodinafop-propargyl ester (CPE) and its major metabolite (clodinafop, CP) in barley grass powder, barley grain, and soil using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). We found that MWCNT as an absorbent could improve the recoveries of the tested analytes, particularly CP, in complex matrices. Under the optimum conditions, the established MWCNT-modified QuEChERS coupled with LC-MS/MS method exhibited excellent linearity (R

Description, DRAM-mediated mechanism participates in lipid-induced exosome secretion from hepatic cells in NAFLD., The biogenesis and diagnostic value of exosomes in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are unclear. In this study, we revealed that the plasma exosome level was higher in patients with NAFLD than that in healthy controls. Damage-regulated autophagy modulator (DRAM) was identified as one of the genes related to exosome secretion in patients with NAFLD. Then, loss or knockdown of DRAM down-regulated exosome secretion from hepatic cells using a knockout mouse model and a knockdown cell model. DRAM knockout reversed high-fat diet–induced increase of secreted exosomes. Furthermore, DRAM knockdown inhibited fatty acid (FA)–induced lysosomal membrane permeabilization and lysosome inhibitor reversed the down-regulation of exosome release in DRAM knockout mice. Last, FA-induced DRAM interacted with stomatin and promoted its lysosomal localization to enhance exosome secretion from hepatic cells. We revealed a DRAM-mediated mechanism for exosome secretion and provided the foundation for plasma exosomes as a potential biomarker for NAFLD.

Background: Ankle is an important bearing joint in the human body. Unreasonable exercise patterns and exercise intensity can cause ankle injuries. This will seriously affect patients’ daily life. With the increase in the number of patients, the labor intensity of doctors is increasing. Ankle rehabilitation robot can help doctors free themselves from repetitive tasks, which is, of more practical value. Objective: To give a general summary of recent ankle rehabilitation robot and introduce the respective characteristics and development including structure type, drive type and rehabilitation training mode. Methods: This paper investigates various representative studies related to the ankle rehabilitation robot. The structure type, drive type, rehabilitation training mode and applications situation of these ankle rehabilitation robot are discussed. Results: The characteristics of different types of ankle rehabilitation robots are analyzed. This paper analyzes the main problems in its development. The solutions to the issues and the current and future research on ankle rehabilitation robot are discussed. Conclusion: The ankle rehabilitation robots are classified into motor drive type, pneumatic artificial muscle and pneumatic cylinder drive type and others. Further improvements are needed in the aspects of mechanical design, safety, virtual reality, brain-computer interface, control strategies and algorithm of bio-syncretic mechanism system of ankle rehabilitation robot. More related patents about ankle rehabilitation robot need to be developed.

DNA damage-regulated autophagy modulator 1 (DRAM1) could play important roles in inflammation and hepatic apoptosis, while its roles in alcohol-related liver disease (ALD), which is characterized by hepatic inflammation and apoptosis, are still unclear. In this study, we explored the expression, role, and mechanism of DRAM1 in ALD. Firstly, our results showed that DRAM1 was significantly increased in liver tissues of mice at the early stage of alcohol treatment. In addition, DRAM1 knockout reduced, and liver-specific overexpression of DRAM1 aggravated, alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis, injury, and expressions of M1 macrophage markers in mice. Furthermore, ethanol-induced DRAM1 of hepatic cells increased pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2)-enriched extracellular vesicles (EVs), and ectosomes derived from hepatic cells with DRAM1 overexpression promoted macrophage activation. Mechanistic investigations showed that DRAM1 interacted with PKM2 and increased the PKM2 level in plasma membrane. At last, DRAM1 was significantly increased in liver tissues of ALD patients, and it was positively correlated with M1 macrophage markers. Taken together, this study revealed that ethanol-induced DRAM1 of hepatic cells could increase the PKM2-enriched EVs, promote macrophage activation, and aggravate the disease progression of ALD. These findings suggested that DRAM1 might be a potentially promising target for the therapy of ALD., Graphical Abstract, In this study, ethanol-induced DRAM1 could increase the level of PKM2 in extracellular vesicles released from hepatic cells, promote macrophage activation, and aggravate the progression of alcohol-related liver disease (ALD). These suggested that DRAM1 might be a potential target for the treatment of patients with ALD.

Background and aims The therapeutic effect of tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF), tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and entecavir (ETV) on chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients remains inconsistent. The aim of this study was to explore the differences in virological responses to TAF, TDF and ETV in patients with CHB. Methods Literature searches were conducted of the PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases to identify randomized controlled trials and observational studies published up to July 21, 2020. Statistical comparisons of virological response between TDF, ETV, and TAF were carried out with pooled odds ratio (OR) values. Results The virological response in TDF-treated CHB patients was notably superior to that of the ETV-treated CHB patients after 12-weeks [OR=1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.89-1.41], 24-weeks (OR=1.33, 95% CI: 1.11-1.61), 48-weeks (OR=1.62, 95% CI: 1.16-2.25), 72-weeks (OR=1.43, 95% CI: 0.78-2.62), and 96-weeks (OR=1.56, 95% CI: 0.87-2.81) treatment. No significant difference was observed for the virological responses in CHB patients after 48-weeks treatment with TAF or TDF. The virological response in TDF+ETV-treated CHB patients was superior to that of TDF-treated CHB patients after 24-weeks, 48-weeks (OR=1.54, 95% CI: 1.17-2.02), 96-weeks, and 144-weeks. Conclusions The virological response in TDF-treated CHB patients was superior to that in ETV-treated CHB patients, but there was no significant difference between TAF and TDF. In addition, the therapeutic effect of TDF+ETV was superior to TDF alone.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs 21-23 nucleotides in length that regulate gene expression, and thereby modulate signaling pathways and protein synthesis in both physiological and pathogenic processes. miR-30b inhibits cell proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transformation in multiple types of cancer. In addition to its role in several types of neoplasias, miR-30b has been shown to exhibit essential roles in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. In the present review, an overview of the biological functions of miR-30b and its role in the pathogenesis of neoplastic, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases is provided. miR-30b is a potential candidate for clinical development as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker, therapeutic agent and drug target. However, further research is required to elucidate its role in health and disease and to harness its potential clinical utility.

Background: Previous studies proved that AGT gene polymorphisms were associated with the serum lipids metabolism; however, it is not clear whether AGT rs2493132 increases the risk of NAFLD and CAD. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between AGT rs2493132 gene polymorphism and the developing risk of NAFLD and CAD in Chinese Han population.Methods: A total of 142 NAFLD patients, 109 NAFLD + CAD patients, and 246 health controls were included in this study. PCR method was used to measure AGT genotype. The anthropometric and clinical data were measured in clinical laboratory department of Qingdao Municipal Hospital. Statistical analyzes were conducted using the SPSS statistical software, version 21.0. Results: The AGT rs2493132 CT + TT genotype was an important risk factor for CAD in patients with NAFLD (OR = 1.785; 95%CI: 1.061-3.003; P = 0.029), and the risk of CAD in patients with NAFLD was still marked after adjusted for gender, age, and BMI (OR = 4.718; 95%CI: 1.502-14.824; P = 0.008). The T allele of AGT rs2493132 also significantly increased the risk of CAD in NAFLD patients (OR = 2.436; 95% CI: 1.184-5.011, P = 0.016) after adjusted for age, gender, and BMI. In addition, AGT rs2493132 T allele carriers possess the higher TC and LDL levels compared to the non-carriers in all the participants (Both P < 0.05).Conclusions: AGT rs2493132 CT + TT genotype and T allele significantly increased the developing risk of CAD in the patients with NAFLD in Chinese Han population. AGT rs2493132 T allele associated with the increased serum TC and LDL levels.

Cell division is a necessity of life which can be either mitotic or amitotic. While both are fundamental, amitosis is sometimes considered a relic of little importance in biology. Nevertheless, eukaryotes often have polyploid cells, including cancer cells, which may divide amitotically. To understand how amitosis ensures the completion of cell division, we turn to the macronuclei of ciliates. The grand scheme governing the proliferation of the macronuclei of ciliate cells, which involves chromosomal replication and the amitosis, is currently unknown. Using a novel model that encompasses a wide range of mechanisms together with experimental data of the composition of mating types at different stages derived from a single karyonide ofTetrahymena thermophila, we show that the chromosomal replication of the macronucleus has a strong head-start effect, with only about five copies of chromosomes replicated at a time and persistent reuse of the chromosomes involved in the early replication. Furthermore the fission of a fully grown macronucleus is non-random, with a strong tendency to push chromosomes and their replications to the same daughter cell. Similar strategies may exist for other Tetrahymena species or ciliates, and have implications to the amitosis of polyploid cells of multicellular organisms.

This paper describes how to trace the ultra-low frequency voltage to the dc voltage standard at frequency ranges from 0.1 Hz to 10 Hz. An ultra-low frequency ac-dc transfer system is developed with using dual-heater thermal voltage converter (TVC). The dual-heater TVC can output stable thermoelectric potential when inputting two quadrature low-frequency voltages with equal amplitude. The key parameters in the ultra-low frequency ac-dc transfer system have been evaluated to make the dual-heater TVC output stable thermoelectric potential.

Background NAFLD is tightly associated with various diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and cancer. Previous studies had investigated the association between NAFLD and various extrahepatic cancers, but the available data to date is not conclusive. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between NAFLD and various extrahepatic cancers comprehensively. Methods Searches were conducted of various electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, and the Cochrane Library) to identify observational studies published between 1996 and January 2020 which investigated the association between NAFLD and extrahepatic cancers. The pooled OR/HR/IRR of the association between NAFLD and various extrahepatic cancers were analyzed. Results A total of 26 studies were included to investigate the association between NAFLD and various extrahepatic cancers. As the results shown, the pooled OR values of the risk of colorectal cancer and adenomas in patients with NAFLD were 1.72 (95%CI: 1.40–2.11) and 1.37 (95%CI: 1.29–1.46), respectively. The pooled OR values of the risk of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in patients with NAFLD were 2.46 (95%CI: 1.77–3.44) and 2.24 (95%CI: 1.58–3.17), respectively. The pooled OR value of the risk of breast cancer in patients with NAFLD was 1.69 (95%CI: 1.44–1.99). In addition, NAFLD was also tightly associatied with the risk of gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, and esophageal cancer. Conclusions NAFLD could significantly increase the development risk of colorectal adenomas and cancer, intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, breast, gastric, pancreatic, prostate, and esophageal cancer. NAFLD could be considered as one of the influencing factors during the clinical diagnosis and treatment for the extrahepatic cancers.

Millions of people were infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) all over the world. Data on clinical symptoms of pediatric inpatients with COVID‐19 infection were unclear. The aim of study was to investigate the clinical features of pediatric inpatients with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched to seek for studies providing details on pediatric inpatients with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection which were published from 1‐January‐2020 to 21‐April‐2020. Studies with more than 5 pediatric inpatients were included in our meta‐analysis.This study was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42020183550). As the results shown, fever (46%) and cough (42%) were the main clinical characters of pediatric inpatients with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and the other clinical characters such as Diarrhea, Vomiting, Nasal congestion, and Fatigue account for 10% in pediatric inpatients. The proportion of asymptomatic cases was 0.42 (95%CI: 0.27‐0.59) and severe cases was 0.03(95%CI: 0.01‐0.06). For the laboratory result, leukopenia (21%) and lymphocytosis (22%) were the mainly indicators for pediatric inpatients, followed by high aspartate aminotransferase(AST) (19%), lymphopenia (16%), high alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (15%), high C‐reactive protein (CPR) (17%), lymphopenia (16%), leukocytosis (13%), high D‐dimer (12%) and high creatine kinase‐MB (CK‐MB)(5%). Regard to chest imaging features, unilateral and bilateral accounts for 22% in pediatric inpatients, respectively. In conclusion, compared with adult inpatients with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, the pediatric inpatients had mild clinical characters, lab test indicators, and chest imaging features. More clinical studies focus on the pediatric patients with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in other countries should be conducted. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Background MiRNAs are a group of multifunctional non-coding RNAs which play an important role in the various physiological processes including the development of NAFLD. Recent studies have shown that miR-30b-5p tightly associated with the abnormal lipid metabolism in patients with NAFLD, but the detailed mechanism of miR-30b-5p in the lipid metabolism was remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of miR-30b-5p on the lipid metabolism in hepatocellular carcinoma Huh-7 cells. Material and methods The correlation of intracellular fat content with the expression of miR-30b-5p in Huh-7 cells and HepG2 cells was investigated by treated cells with different concentrations of FFAs. The effect of miR-30b-5p on the lipid deposition in Huh-7 cells was tested by oil red O staining and TG concentrations measurement. qRT-PCR and western blot were used to investigate the lipid metabolism-related genes PPAR-α, SREBP-1, and GULT1 in miR-30b-5p overexpressed or inhibited Huh-7 cells. Target genes of miR-30b-5p were predicted using starBase, miRDB, and TargetScan databases and verified by qRT-PCR and western blot. Results The expression of miR-30b-5p was significant decreased in the FFAs treated Huh-7 cells and HepG2 cells. Overexpressing miR-30b-5p in Huh-7 cells decreased the number and size of lipid droplets and intracellular TG concentrations in Huh-7 cells. Expression of fatty acid oxidation related gene PPAR-α was increased and expression of lipid synthesis related gene SREBP-1 was decreased in the miR-30b-5p overexpressed Huh-7 cells. In addition, miR-30b-5p regulates the intracellular lipid metabolism by targeting PPARGC1A. Conclusions Overexpression of miR-30b-5p could reduce the intracellular fat deposition in Huh-7 cells, and miR-30b-5p might regulate the intracellular lipid metabolism by targeting the PPARGC1A in Huh-7 cells.

In this work, we report a high-performance photodetector based on perovskite CH3NH3PbBr3 quantum dots (QDs) films with a configuration of Au/CH3NH3PbBr3 QDs-Al2O3-indium tin oxide/Au as a bioinspired photoelectric synapse. The uniform CH3NH3PbBr3 QDs thin film is fabricated by a electrodepositing QDs solution and exhibits favorable long-term stability at ambient. By inserting an Al2O3 film, the dark current of the QDs film photodetectors is significantly suppressed as a result of the blocking effect, accompanied by the enhanced ON/OFF ratio. Furthermore, the optimal photodetector is utilized as a photoelectric synapse. Through modulating the light pulse stimuli, some underlying synaptic functions, including paired-pulse facilitation, axon-multi-synapses network function, and the transformation from short-term plasticity to long-term plasticity, are flexibly emulated on a single photoelectric synapse. These remarkable results are promising for building hardware units with neuromorphic architecture to mimic the human brain functionalities.

Most of inchworm piezoelectric actuators suffer from complicated structures and control systems due to the utilization of three or more piezoelectric stacks. Various approaches have been further developed to reduce the piezoelectric stacks. However, output characteristics loss remains an inevitable problem. Here, we present an inchworm actuator driven by two piezoelectric stacks with large carrying capacity and no backward motion which inherits advantages of the traditional inchworm piezoelectric actuators. Correspondingly, each clamping foot can be converted into a clamping unit or an extension unit utilizing a distinctive double-diamond flexure hinge. An approach utilizing the parasitic motion to realize the walker-pusher mode was proposed. Experimental results indicate that no-backward linear motion can be realized by walker-pusher mode, which utilizes the parasitic motion. The actuator achieved a maximum speed of 471.01 μm/s, a carrying load of 6.1 kg and an output force of 11.76 N when the frequency and voltage were 19 Hz and 150 V. This work confirms that it is feasible to design inchworm actuator driven by two stacks working in walker-pusher mode with no backward motion.

The clearance between two teeth is one of the most clinical manifestations of malocclusion. The open vertical loop is mostly used for the closing and opening of the clearance between two deformed teeth. The shape of the open vertical loop can greatly affect the orthodontic force. At present, the design of the open vertical loop depends entirely on the experience of the orthodontic doctors; this practice is ineffective and may easily hurt patients. To solve these problems, the orthodontic-force prediction model is established to help doctors calculate the orthodontic force generated by the open vertical loop using known parameters, such as the height and the clearance length. The structure of the open vertical loop is analysed, and the theory of the bending deformation of the equivalent beam is used for the analysis of the relationship between the orthodontic force and the effective parameters. The orthodontic-force measuring device of the open vertical loop with a one-dimensional force sensor was designed according to the characteristics of orthodontic force transmission. The orthodontic-force measuring experiments were conducted with open vertical loops of different parameters. Finally, the effective orthodontic-force prediction model of the open vertical loop was established by developing the correction factors in order to eliminate the errors. The average relative error rate of the theoretical value of the orthodontic-force prediction model ranged between 1.25 and 8.34%.

The Baxian area in the Jizhong Depression, west of the Bohai Bay Basin, is rich in geothermal resources, where Xiong County was built as the first smokeless city in China and the Xiong-county Model has become the geothermal resources demonstration model in China. In this study, the present-day geothermal gradient and the horizontal distribution characteristics of the temperature and pressure at different depths in the Baxian area were studied based on massive measured temperature and pressure data of the boreholes, and then the relationship was also discussed between the temperature–pressure field and the geothermal resources. The following findings were obtained. (1) The present-day geothermal gradient of the Baxian area is within the range of 21.8–73.5 °C/km, averaging 33.5 °C/km. (2) Its strata temperature increases as the depth increases. The horizontal variations of the geothermal gradient and strata temperature correspond to the basement relief very well. As the abnormally high temperature areas, the northern Niutuozhen Uplift, the Central Baxian Depression and the central East Langgu Depression possess huge geothermal resources and will be the most favorable exploration targets. (3) The formation pressure of the Baxian area is characterized by normal pressure and weak overpressure, and its horizontal distribution varies at different depths. The middle–strong overpressure generally developed at the depth of 4000 m in the southern Langgu Depression and southern Baxian Depression. This study is of important guiding significance for the exploration and development of geothermal resources in the Baxian area. Keywords: Bohai Bay Basin, Jizhong Depression, Baxian area, Geothermal resources, Temperature, Pressure, Geothermal gradient, Abnormally high temperature area, Overpressure

A compact inchworm piezoelectric actuator using three-jaw type clamping mechanism is developed in this study. Different from the previous inchworm piezoelectric actuators constructed with guiding structures, the proposed actuator can drive an output shaft to realize linear motion without other auxiliary structures based on the automatic centering and guidance functions of the designed three-jaw type clamping mechanism, and a compact structure is obtained. The configuration of the actuator is presented to describe the operating principle in detail. Then the structures of the clamping and actuating units are designed by the assistance of finite element simulations. A prototype is fabricated and a compact structure is achieved with outer diameter of 34 mm and length of 40 mm. The experiments are performed to investigate the characteristics, a maximum speed of 155.5 μm s−1 and a thrust force of 12.3 N are achieved. The experimental results confirm that the proposed inchworm actuator can achieve a compact structure by adopting the designed three-jaw type clamping mechanisms, it has great potential in integration with precision equipment, which is conductive to apply in the fields of biological manipulation robots and aerospace devices.

Malocclusion is currently the third largest oral disease for harming people’s health. Fixed appliance technology is the most common and effective malocclusion orthodontic treatment method. And the elastic deformation of the second sequential loop generates orthodontic moment to treat the buccal-lingual tooth deformity. The shape of the second sequential loop can greatly affect the orthodontic moment. However, the design of the archwire depends entirely on the experience of the orthodontic doctors. This treatment is ineffective and may easily hurt patients. To solve these problems, the deflection equation of the second sequential loop around the buccal-lingual direction was obtained, the second sequential loop orthodontic moment prediction model was established to find the relation between the shape of the orthodontic archwire and the orthodontic moment to assist doctors design the proper orthodontic archwire. The orthodontic moment measuring device of the second sequential loop with a six-axis force/torque sensor was designed according to the characteristics of orthodontic moment transmission. The orthodontic moment measuring experiments were conducted with second sequential loops of different parameters. Finally, the effective orthodontic-moment prediction model of the second sequential loop was established by developing the correction factors in order to eliminate the errors. The relative errors between the prediction model and the experiment results ranged between 3.54%–8.72%. The orthodontic moment generating process is simulated through ANSYS. The relative errors between the prediction model and the simulation results ranged between 1.57%–7.08%. The experimental and simulation results verify the validity of the orthodontic moment prediction model of the second sequential loop.

Cotton (Gossypium hirustum L.) as well as other crops are asking for an effective production with cost reduction and environment stewardship globally, especially in the developing countries. A new cotton planting strategy should be possible by shortening the growth season (less than six months rather than seven to eight months by late sowing and early harvesting) with low nitrogen (N) and high density. Therefore, a two-year (2018–2019) field experiment was conducted with a split plot design, two planting densities (D1, 6 plants m−2; D2, 8 plants m−2) as the main plot and three N rates (150, 180 and 210 kg ha-1 referred as N1, N2, and N3, respectively) as the subplot, to determine the effects of planting density and N rate on cotton yield and biomass accumulation. Results showed that, averaged across years, cotton yield was greater for treatment D2 as compared with that in D1, and N3 did not differ from that in N2 but was greater than that in N1. The highest lint yield (1271.2 kg ha-1) was achieved in D2N2 which no differ from that in D2N3 and D1N3. The maximal biomass (K) was achieved in treatment D2N2 (1032.4 g m−2) with the average speed (VT) of 21.2 g m−2 d-1 during the fast accumulation period, and the maximal growth rate (Rm, 20.5 g m−2 d-1) of sink during the cotton growth and development. Seedcotton yield was positively correlated (r = 0.72) to the plant biomass during flowering and boll-setting period, and the yield was contributed directly by sink with a coefficient as high as 0.70, while it was contributed indirectly by flow and source with coefficients of 0.63 and 0.59, respectively. The results suggest that N reduction is feasible due to a quicker bulk sink biomass accumulation under a higher planting density, which benefits efficient cotton production in the Yangtze River Valley, China, and areas with similar ecology.

Polyethylene glycol-modified canine uricase (PEG-UHC) prepared with a lower-molecular-weight (5 kDa) PEG is used to treat gout. This study investigated the comparative pharmacokinetics of single and multiple doses of PEG-UHC administered intravenously and a single dose of uricase (UHC) administered intravenously in cynomolgus monkeys. A noncompartmental model was used to fit the plasma drug concentration–time curve and calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters of PEG-UHC, which were compared with those obtained for UHC at the equivalent dose (2 mg/kg). To study the pharmacokinetics after multiple dose administration, cynomolgus monkeys were administered five intravenous injections of PEG-UHC (0.5 mg/kg), with one injection performed every 15 days. The area under the curve (AUC) and the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of PEG-UHC were positively correlated with dose, whereas plasma half-life (t1/2) and clearance (CL) did not change significantly with increasing dose, suggesting that these pharmacokinetic characteristics are linear. Intravenous PEG-UHC exhibited an average t1/2 that was 125.79 times longer and an AUC0−t that was 64.45 times larger than the corresponding values for UHC at the same dose (2 mg/kg), while the CL of PEG-UHC was 1/72.73 times the CL of intravenous UHC. The plasma drug concentration reached a steady state after five injections, and the t1/2 values following the first and last drug administration did not differ significantly. Our data show that PEG-UHC is markedly superior to UHC in terms of duration of action, and that the pharmacokinetics of PEG-UHC in cynomolgus monkeys are linear. Sequential administration of PEG-UHC did not accelerate drug clearance. Our findings provide the basis for future clinical studies of PEG-UHC.

Background ALT value is often used to reflect the hepatic inflammation and injury in NAFLD patients, but many studies proved that ALT values were normal in many NAFLD patients. The aim of this study was to identify the summarized proportion of NAFLD patients with normal ALT value in the overall NAFLD patients. Methods Electronic databases PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid, and the Cochrane Library were searched for potential studies published from January 1, 2000 to September 30, 2019. Studies that have reported the number of NAFLD or NASH patients with normal and abnormal ALT value were included and analyzed. Abstracts, reviews, case reports, and letters were excluded. Results A total of 11 studies with 4084 patients were included for assessing the summarized proportion of NAFLD patients with normal ALT in overall NAFLD patients. As the results shown, the summarized proportion of NAFLD patients with normal ALT value in overall NAFLD patients was 25% (95%CI: 20–31%) which was calculated by the random-effects model. The summarized proportion of NASH patients with normal ALT value in overall NASH patients was 19% (95%CI: 13–27%). Subgroup analysis includes region, study type, diagnostic method, and group size were conducted to investigate the resource of heterogeneity in the summarized proportion of NAFLD and NASH patients with normal ALT value. Conclusions 25% NAFLD patients and 19% NASH patients possess the normal ALT value in the clinical manifestation. The value of ALT in the clinical diagnosis of NAFLD and NASH remains need be further testified.

Objective: This study investigated the performance of a dynamic orthodontic moment prediction model by analyzing orthodontic treatment processes with different utility archwires. Method: The prediction model was based on a wax resistance model, the combined load theory of beams and the lateral buckling theory of prisms. The experimental samples used herein comprised 12 different archwire configurations (3 different materials and 4 different diameters). The utility archwire was ligated to the 11th tooth of the wax mold, which was immersed in a constant temperature water environment at 75 °C for 2 min. Result: As the archwire diameter increased, increasing the elastic modulus of the archwire produced greater increases in the change rate of the orthodontic moment with respect to the lateral arc length. A comparison of the orthodontic moment values from three common orthodontic archwire materials revealed the following trend: stainless steel wire > Australian wire > Ni-Ti wire. Conclusion: The accuracy of the utility archwire dynamic orthodontic moment prediction model was verified through a comparison of the experimental measurements and theoretical calculations. Significance: The presented model can help make timely adjustments to orthodontic treatment schemes, improve the orthodontic effect, shorten the treatment cycle, and provide reference and guidance that enables orthodontists to carry out orthodontic treatment safely and efficiently.

In this paper, the detection performances of carbon black (CB) for bisphenol A (BPA) can be greatly improved by using a surfactant of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The cyclic voltammetry (CV) behavior of CTAB/CB for BPA can be improved 6 times, compared with CB. The hydrophobicity of the CTAB long-chain alkyl end can enhance the enrichment ability of BPA. Meanwhile, CB can act as an electron transmission bridge to accelerate the electrons transfer to external circuit, thereby improving the sensing signal of CTAB/CB sensor for BPA. The sensor displays a linear range of 0.04 to 0.99 μM, a low detection limit of 0.013 μM and has good reproducibility and selectivity. Finally, the sensor can also be successfully used for detecting BPA in actual samples including tap water and human urine.

Petroleum bulk properties such as API gravity are important parameters in petroleum system analysis. Three sags (the Bayindulan, Saihantala and Wuliyasitai Sags) in the Erlian rift basin of northern China provide interesting insights into the correlations between organofacies, maturity and oil fluid properties. The API gravity of oils in the three sags shows obvious differences, ranging from 17.0 to 30.9° for Bayindulan oils, 25.7–40.5° for Saihantala oils, and 32.8–41.9° for Wuliyasitai oils. Oil geochemical parameters indicate that the differences in oil fluid properties among the three sags can be attributed to the variations in organofacies and thermal maturity, consistent with the analysis of geochemistry and maceral composition of the source rocks in the three sags. Bayindulan oils were expelled from organofacies C with an extremely high initial hydrogen index (HIo) of 600–900 mg/g TOC in the early mature stage (

Graphical abstract, Highlights • Expressions of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 were observed in the extrapulmonary organs. • Direct infections of SARS-CoV-2 in extrapulmonary organs were observed in patients with COVID-19. • Clinical manifestation and management for extrapulmonary organ injuries in COVID-19 should be noticed. • There might be a relationship between the infection of extrapulmonary organs and positive SARS-CoV-2 test in recovered patients., At the end of 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in China. Currently, it is breaking out globally and posing a serious threat to public health. The typically clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients were fever and respiratory symptoms, and a proportion of patients were accompanied by extrapulmonary symptoms including cardiac injury, kidney injury, liver injury, digestive tract injury, and neurological symptoms. Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been proven to be a major receptor for SARS-CoV-2 and could mediate virus entry into cells. And transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) could cleave the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2, which facilitates the fusion of SARS-CoV-2 and cellular membranes. The mRNA expressions of both ACE2 and TMPRSS2 were observed in the heart, digestive tract, liver, kidney, brain and other organs. SARS-CoV-2 may have a capacity to infect extrapulmonary organs due to the expressions of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in the cells and tissues of these organs. It seems that there is a potential involvement of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expressions in the virus infection of extrapulmonary organs and the manifestation of symptoms related to these organs in patients with COVID-19. Here, we revealed the expressions of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in extrapulmonary organs, and we also summarized the clinical manifestation and the management of extrapulmonary complications in patients with COVID-19.

A novel method, which is different from the high frequency voltage source method recommended by IEC 60990, is proposed in this paper. Calibration of the leakage current measuring network is realized by direct current input using high frequency current source. It has been verified that the measurement results consist with the requirements of IEC 60990.

Sex is often hailed as one of the major successes in evolution, and in sexual organisms the maintenance of proper sex ratio is crucial. As a large unicellular eukaryotic lineage, ciliates exhibit tremendous variation in mating systems, especially the number of sexes and the mechanism of sex determination (SD), and yet how the populations maintain proper sex ratio is poorly understood. Here Tetrahymena thermophila, a ciliate with seven mating types (sexes) and probabilistic SD mechanism, is analyzed from the standpoint of population genetics. It is found based on a newly developed population genetics model that there are plenty of opportunities for both the co-existence of all seven sexes and the fixation of a single sex, pending on several factors, including the strength of natural selection. To test the validity of predictions, five experimental populations of T. thermophila were maintained in the laboratory so that the factors that can influence the dynamics of sex ratio could be controlled and measured. Furthermore, whole-genome sequencing was employed to examine the impact of newly arisen mutations. Overall, it is found that the experimental observations highly support theoretical predictions. It is expected that the newly established theoretical framework is applicable in principle to other multi-sex organisms to bring more insight into the understanding of the maintenance of multiple sexes in a natural population.

In this contemporary era, the importance of information is undisputed, but there has never been a common understanding of information, nor has a unanimous conclusion been reached by studies conducted on information metrics. On the basis of previous studies conducted, this paper analyzes the important achievements in research conducted into the properties and metrics of information, as well as their main insufficiencies, and discusses the essence, connotations, mathematical expressions, and basic problems related to information. On the basis of the understanding of the objectivity of information, it then proposes definitions and a sextuple model of objective information, discusses the basic properties of information, and explores the definitions and mathematical expressions of nine kinds of information metrics: extensity, detailedness, sustainability, richness, containability, delay, distribution, validity, and matchability. Through these metrics, this paper establishes a basic underlying framework for objective information theory that provides comprehensive support for systematic analysis and research on information and information systems.

This paper researches the weathering performance of traffic sign reflective sheeting by artificial accelerated weathering test method. The microstructure image and the retro-reflective coefficient of reflective sheeting were obtained and discussed according to the test result. This paper summarized the aging regular.

Nitrogen is a crucial nutrient for plant growth and development. Arginine is considered to be an important amino acid for nitrogen transport and storage, playing a crucial role during plant seedling development. However, little is known about the role of arginine in nitrogen remobilization at the reproductive stage. We isolated a rice mutant nglf-1 with reduced plant height, small panicle and grain size, and low seed-setting rate (10% in nglf-1 compared to 93% in wild-type). Map-based cloning revealed that the mutant phenotype was caused by loss of function of a gene (OsARG) encoding an arginine hydrolysis enzyme, which is consistent with arginine accumulation in the mutant. The phenotype was partially corrected supplying exogenous nitrogen, and fully corrected by expression of a wild-type OsARG transgene. Over-expression of OsARG in rice (cv. Kitaake) increased grain number per plant under nitrogen-limited conditions. OsARG was ubiquitously expressed in various organs, but most strongly in developing panicles. The OsARG protein was localized in the mitochondria, consistent with other arginases. Our results suggest that the arginase encoded by OsARG, a key enzyme in Arg catabolism, plays a critical role during panicle development, especially under conditions of insufficient exogenous nitrogen. OsARG is a potential target for crop improvement.

PEGylated uricase is a promising anti-gout drug, but the only commercially marketed 10kDa mPEG modified porcine-like uricase (Pegloticase) can only be used for intravenous infusion. In this study, tetrameric canine uricase variant was modified by covalent conjugation of all accessible ɛ amino sites of lysine residues with a smaller 5kDa mPEG (mPEG-UHC). The average modification degree and PEGylation homogeneity were evaluated. Approximately 9.4 5 kDa mPEG chains were coupled to each monomeric uricase and the main conjugates contained 7-11 mPEG chains per subunit. mPEG-UHC showed significantly therapeutic or preventive effect on uric acid nephropathy and acute urate arthritis based on three different animal models. The clearance rate from an intravenous injection of mPEG-UHC varied significantly between species, at 2.61 mL/h/kg for rats and 0.21 mL/h/kg for monkeys. The long elimination half-life of mPEG-UHC in non-human primate (191.48 h, intravenous injection) indicated the long-term effects in humans. Moreover, the acceptable bioavailability of mPEG-UHC after subcutaneous administration in monkeys (94.21%) suggested that subcutaneous injection may be regarded as a candidate administration route in clinical trails. Non-specific tissue distribution was observed after administration of (125)I-labeled mPEG-UHC in rats, and elimination by the kidneys into the urine is the primary excretion route.

Let N be a non-trivial nest on X , Alg N be the associated nest algebra, and L : Alg N → B ( X ) be a linear mapping. In this paper, it is proved that L is a Lie triple derivation if and only if there exist a derivation d : Alg N → B ( X ) and a linear mapping h : Alg N → C I with h ( [ [ X , Y ] , Z ] ) = 0 for any X , Y , Z ∈ Alg N such that L = d + h on Alg N .

This paper explains the theory of the secondary rainbow and provides a test method of refractive index of the high refractive index glass beads. We carry out the optical design relate to the method, and design a refractive index test equipment. Additionally, we analyze the calibration requirements of the equipment and discuss the cause of error and measurement accuracy. The designed equipment can achieve a continuous, accurate, statistical measurement.