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The optical scattering coefficient (μs) in the dermis layer of human skin obtained with optical coherence tomography (OCT) has shown to have a strong correlation with the blood glucose concentration (BGC), which can be used for noninvasive BGC monitoring. Unfortunately, the nonhomogeneity in the skin may cause inaccuracies for the BGC analysis. In this paper, we propose a 2D correlation analysis method to identify 2D regions in the skin with μs sensitive to BGC variations and only use data in these regions to calculate μs for minimizing the inaccuracy induced by nonhomogeneity and therefore improving the accuracy of OCT-based BGC monitoring. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the 2D method with OCT data obtained with in vivo human forearm skins of nine different human subjects. In particular, we present a 3D OCT data set in a two-dimensional (2D) map of depth vs. a lateral dimension and calculate the correlation coefficient R between the μs and the BGC in each region of the 2D map with the BGC data measured with a glucose meter using finger blood. We filter out the μs data from regions with low R values and only keep the μs data with R values sufficiently high (R-filter). The filtered μs data in all the regions are then averaged to produce an average μs data. We define a term called overall relevancy (OR) to quantify the degree of correlation between the filtered/averaged μs data and the finger-blood BGC data to determine the optimal R value for such an R-filter with the highest obtained OR. We found that the optimal R for such an R-filter has an absolute value (|R|) of 0.6 or 0.65. We further show that the R-filter obtained with the 2D correlation method yields better OR between μs and the BGC than that obtained with the previously reported 1D correlation method. We believe that the method demonstrated in this paper is important for understanding the influence of BGC on μs in human skins and therefore for improving the accuracy of OCT-based noninvasive BGC monitoring, although further studies are required to validate its effectiveness.

The pre-positioning problem is an important part of emergency supply. Pre-positioning decisions must be made before disasters occur under high uncertainty and only limited distribution information. This study proposes a distributionally robust optimization model for the multi-period dynamic pre-positioning of emergency supplies with a static pre-disaster phase and a dynamic post-disaster phase. In the post-disaster phase, the uncertain demands are time varying and have partial distribution information that belongs to a given family of distributions. The family of distributions is described by a given perturbation set based on historical information. Therefore, the proposed model forms a semi-infinite programming problem with ambiguous chance constraints, which typically would be computationally intractable. We refine the bounded perturbation sets (box, box-ball and box-polyhedral) and develop computationally tractable safe approximations of the chance constraints. Finally, a realistic application to the Circum-Bohai Sea Region of China is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the robust optimization model.

Background aims The pro-regeneration capabilities of olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) remain controversial. However, little is known regarding whether the transplantation of activated OECs by curcumin (CCM) elicits neural regeneration and functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats, and the possible molecular mechanisms have never been investigated. Methods Primary OECs were treated with 1μM CCM for 1–3 days. Concomitantly, activated OECs were transplanted into the traumatic spinal cord of Sprague Dawley rats. One to 9 weeks after surgery, the assessment of behavior recovery was made using the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor scale; electrophysiology tests, such as somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) and motor evoked potential (MEP); and the cylinder test. Pathological study, including hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunofluorescence staining for neurofilaments (NFs), was conducted at 5 weeks post-surgery. In addition, activation profiles of OECs by CCM stimulus were assessed and levels of transglutaminase-2 (TG2) and phosphatidylserine receptor (PSR) in OECs stimulated by CCM were further determined. Results CCM remarkably enhanced OEC proliferation, improved cell viability and strengthened secretion of neurotrophins and anti-inflammatory factors. In addition, the levels of TG2 and PSR in CCM-treated OECs were significantly elevated. More importantly, beyond 1 week post-transplantation of CCM-treated OECs into lesioned spinal cord, BBB score and cylinder test score were significantly higher than that seen in the other three groups and a more postponed latent SEP and MEP period was noted. Furthermore, 5 weeks later, numerous, well-arranged NF-positive nerve fibers, lesions with less cavities and reduced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were found in activated OEC implantation groups. In addition, the number of NF-positive fibers was significantly improved and the number and area of both cavities and gliotic scars were remarkably decreased compared with the corresponding controls. Conclusions Transplantation of OECs activated by CCM promotes neural regeneration and functional recovery following SCI, the underlying mechanisms of which are intimately associated with the elevated production of neurotrophic factors and anti-inflammatory factors in OECs stimulated by CCM as well as reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines from the post-contusion spinal cord. In addition, OECs activated by CCM were mediated through TG2 and PSR.

Phase change materials (PCMs), widely used in thermal management filed, can store or release thermal energy during phase-changing processes, but the inherent low thermal conductivity and leakage problem restrict their practical applications. Herein, boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) doped cellulosic scaffolds (CS) were used as novel support materials to construct shape-stabilized PCM with enhanced thermal conductivity. The composite PCM exhibits excellent shape stability against pressure, tension and bending (90°) even at high loading of the solid-liquid PCM polyethylene glycol (PEG) (95.6 wt%). The resulting composite PCMs have enthalpy capacity (ΔHm/ΔHc) ranged from 165.3 J g−1/169.3 J g−1 to 169.1 J g−1/176.1 J g−1 with stable cycling reliability. Moreover, the thermal conductivity of the composite PCM could increase by 42.8% at a low loading of BNNSs (1.9 wt%), without affecting its electrical insulation properties (over 107 Ω cm). The thermally-conductive shape-stabilized PCM composite prepared by this feasible method have great potential in thermal management of electronics.

The surface plasmonic resonance (SPR) effect of Bi can effectively improve the light absorption abilities and photogenerated charge carrier separation rate. In this study, a novel ternary heterojunction of g-C3N4/Bi2MoO6/Bi (CN/BMO/Bi) hollow microsphere was successfully fabricated through solvothermal and in situ reduction methods. The results revealed that the optimal ternary 0.4CN/BMO/9Bi photocatalyst exhibited the highest photocatalytic efficiency toward rhodamine B (RhB) degradation with nine times that of pure BMO. The DRS and valence band of the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectrum demonstrate that the band structure of 0.4CN/BMO/9Bi is a z-scheme structure. Quenching experiments also provided solid evidence that the •O2− (at −0.33 eV) is the main species during dye degradation, and the conduction band of g-C3N4 is only the reaction site, demonstrating that the transfer of photogenerated charge carriers of g-C3N4/Bi2MoO6/Bi is through an indirect z-scheme structure. Thus, the enhanced photocatalytic performance was mainly ascribed to the synergetic effect of heterojunction structures between g-C3N4 and Bi2MoO6 and the SPR effect of Bi doping, resulting in better optical absorption ability and a lower combination rate of photogenerated charge carriers. The findings in this work provide insight into the synergism of heterostructures and the SPR absorption ability in wastewater treatment.

Herein, an efficient and facile approach to valuable β-hydroxy acid derivatives from readily available aryl epoxides and CO

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), aserinehydrolase with significant role in thehydrolysis of endocannabinoids, is a promising therapeutic target for peripheral and central nervous system related disorders, including pain, neuroinflammation and depression. Employing a structure-based approach, a novel series of indole-2-carbonyl piperazine urea derivatives were designed and synthesized as FAAH inhibitors for the treatment of pain-depression comorbidity. Among them, compound 4i emerged as the most potent inhibitor (IC

Pseudorabies virus (PRV), which presently lacks both an antiviral drug and a viable therapeutic option, is a major viral pathogen that poses a danger to the pig industry worldwide. Interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) is strongly upregulated during viral infections and has been reported to have proviral or antiviral properties, depending on the virus and host species. Our previous studies demonstrated ISG15 was remarkably upregulated during PRV infection, and the overexpression of ISG15 inhibited PRV replication. Nevertheless, the exact mechanism through which ISG15 influences PRV replication poorly understood unclear. Here, we demonstrate that ISG15 accumulation induced by PRV infection requires viral gene expression and viral growth. Conjugation inhibition assays showed that ISG15 imposes its antiviral effects via unconjugated (free) ISG15 and affects the viral release. In addition, we found ISG15 promoted IFNα-mediated antiviral activity against PRV by facilitating the phosphorylation of STAT1 and STAT2, along with an increase of ISGF3-induced ISRE promoter activity. Furthermore, we evaluated the role of ISG15 in host defense to control PRV infection by using ISG15-/- mice model. When challenged with PRV, ISG15-/- mice exhibited increased morbidity and mortality, as well as viral load compared to WT mice. Pathological examination revealed increased lesions, mononuclear cellular infiltration and neuronal death in the brains of ISG15-/- mice, along with the upregulation of the cytokines. Our findings establish the importance of ISG15 in IFNα-induced antiviral response and in the control of PRV infection.

The emerging information and communication technologies (ICT) related to Industry 4.0 play a critical role to enhance supply chain performance. Employing the smart technologies has led to so-called smart supply chains. Understanding how Industry 4.0 and related ICT affect smart supply chains and how smart supply chains evolve with the support of the advanced technologies are vital to practical and academic communities. Existing review works on smart supply chains with ICT mainly rely on the academic literature alone. This paper presents an integrated approach to explore the effects of Industry 4.0 and related ICT on smart supply chains, by combining introduction of the current national strategies in North America, the research status analysis on ICT assisted supply chains from the major North American national research councils, and a systematic literature review of the subject. Besides, we introduce a smart supply chain hierarchical framework with multi-level intelligence. Furthermore, the challenges faced by supply chains under Industry 4.0 and future research directions are discussed as well.

An adaptive fractional-order fast-terminal-type sliding mode control (AFO-FTSMC) method is presented to improve the response characteristics of robotic manipulators and reduce uncertainty. This method employs a fractional-order sliding mode (FO-SM) manifold and a fast-terminal-type reaching law to achieve precise tracking, fast response speed, and chatterfree control inputs. The FO-SM manifold contains fractionalorder differential and fractional-order integral terms, which avoids deterioration in tracking accuracy when the system state reaches the sliding manifold. The fast-terminal-type reaching law ensures fast reaching speed and effective chatter suppression. The designed adaptive law realizes an immediate response to tracking error, avoids excessive high or low switching gain, and effectively enhances the robustness against lumped uncertainties by adjusting the switching gain of the SMC online. Therefore, the AFO-FTSMC control method, which combines the respective advantages of adaptive law and FOSMC, can significantly improve the control performance of conventional SMC and has strong robustness to uncertain disturbances. The AFO-FTSMC is also proved to be stable using the Lyapunov method. Finally, both simulation and experiments verify the effectiveness and superiorities of the AFO-FTSMC control scheme.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical characteristics, endocrinological function, and etiologies of patients with bilateral adrenal lesions.Methods: A retrospective study of 777 patients with bilateral adrenal lesions was conducted at the Chinese General Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army between January 2013 and January 2018. Patient demographic features, hormonal profiles, imaging findings, and histopathological findings were reviewed from the database records. Results: Of the 777 patients with bilateral adrenal lesions, 495 were men, and the mean age at diagnosis was 52.0±13.0 years. A total of 511 (65.8%) cases were benign, followed by adrenal metastases (n=224, 28.8%), pheochromocytoma (n=26, 3.3%), adrenal lymphoma (n=9, 1.2%), and adrenal corticocarcinoma (ACC) (n=7, 0.9%). Hormonal evaluation revealed that 34.3% of bilateral adrenal lesions were functional. The primary etiologies of functional lesions were primary aldosteronism (16.6%, 129/777) , and PBMAH (8.8%, 68/777). Patients with lymphoma and metastases were significantly older than those with benign nonfunctional lesions (60.4±11.0 years vs. 54.5±10.4 years and 57.9±10.8 years vs. 54.5±10.4 years, respectively; PConclusion: Benign adrenal lesions and metastases to the lungs are the most common causes of bilateral adrenal lesions, and primary aldosteronism and BMAH are the most prevalent functional lesions. In addition, our findings suggest that patients with lymphoma or metastases are older and possess larger masses.

The clinical characteristics and imaging findings of acute pancreatitis (AP) are different across the various etiologies, the results are conflicting, and their time from symptom onset to imaging varies. The imaging findings of different etiologies at different onset times are unclear. This study aimed to investigate the computed tomography (CT) characteristics of AP based on different etiologies at different onset times.Patients who underwent plain and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) for the first attack of AP in 3 hospitals (Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Chinese People's Liberation Army Western Theater General Hospital, and Suining Central Hospital) from 2015 to 2019 were recruited. According to the different etiologies of AP, the patients were divided into 5 subgroups: biliary AP (n=591), alcoholic AP (n=267), hypertriglyceridemic AP (n=258), mixed causes subgroups (n=199), and "other/idiopathic" AP (n=545). According to the time from onset to CT examination (e.g., 1-3, 4-7, 8-14, 15-28, and28 days), the onset time was divided into 5 respective phases (I-V). The CT characteristics and clinical and laboratory features were retrospectively reviewed and compared among the different etiology subgroups and onset time.The positive rate of CT findings in AP diagnosis based on CECT was 96.7% (1,860/1,924). Necrotizing pancreatitis (NP) occurred in 33.2% (617/1,860) of AP patients with positive CECT findings. Among patients with NP, local complications and severe AP of the modified CT severity index (MCTSI) increased over time in those with biliary AP from 17.1%, 25.2%, and 20.0% in Phase I to 42.9%, 44.0%, and 39.7% in Phase IV [all P0.05, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.15 to 0.52, 0.28 to 0.63, and 0.18 to 0.82, respectively]. In contrast, NP, local complications and severe AP of MCTSI in those with hypertriglyceridemic AP decreased over time from 24.3%, 22.5%, and 22.7% in Phase I to 1.3%, 1.2%, and 1.9% in Phase V (all P0.05, 95% CI: 3.20 to 181.74, 3.31 to 175.74, and 2.00 to 120.78, respectively).The proportion of NP was 33.2% of positive CECT findings. There may be differences in the CT and clinical manifestations of the different etiologies, and those differences may be related to the onset time.

Given that the power load data are stochastic and it is difficult to obtain accurate forecasting results by a single algorithm. In this study, a combined forecasting method for short-term power load was proposed based on the Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Adaptive Noise (CEEMDAN), Multiverse optimization algorithm (MVO), and the Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) based on Rectified Adam (RAdam) optimizer. Firstly, the model uses the CEEMDAN algorithm to decompose the original electric load data into subsequences of different frequencies, and the dominant factors are extracted from the subsequences. Then, a GRU network based on the RAdam optimizer was built to perform the forecasting of the subsequences using the existing subsequences data and the associated influencing factors as the data set. Meanwhile, the parameters of the GRU network were optimized with the MVO optimization algorithm for the prediction problems of different subsequences. Finally, the prediction results of each subsequence were superimposed to obtain the final prediction results. The proposed combined prediction method was implemented in a case study of a substation in Weinan, China, and the prediction accuracy was compared with the traditional prediction method. The prediction accuracy index shows that the Root Mean Square Error of the prediction results of the proposed model is 80.18% lower than that of the traditional method, and the prediction accuracy error is controlled within 2%, indicating that the proposed model is better than the traditional method. This will have a favorable impact on the safe and stable operation of the power grid.

Background To determine the efficacy and safety of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) in Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods In this single-center, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled phase II trial, 91 patients were randomly assigned to receive intravenous infusion of UC-MSCs (n = 45) or placebo (n = 46) three times with 4-week intervals and followed up for 48 weeks from October 2015 to December 2018. The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels of Results At 48 weeks, 20% of the patients in the UC-MSCs group and 4.55% in the placebo group reached the primary endpoint (p p p p˃0.05; p = 0.0081 between both groups). The glucose infusion rate (GIR) increased significantly in the UC-MSCs group (from 3.12 to 4.76 mg/min/kg, p p ˃ 0.05; p Conclusions UC-MSCs transplantation could be a potential therapeutic approach for Chinese adults with T2DM. Trial registration This study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT02302599).

We theoretically and experimentally investigate the laser-detected magnetic resonance spectra dressed by a radio-frequency magnetic field in F g = 4 of D1 line of cesium atoms. The analytical expression of the transmission spectrum for magnetic resonance dressed by a radio-frequency magnetic field is derived and has substantial agreement with the transmission spectra observed in the experiment. The theoretical prediction of the ratio of the amplitudes of the two sidebands with the detuning is basically consistent with the experimental data, which confirms the validity of the analytical expression. The separation between the two sidebands under resonance shows a highly linear proportion to the amplitude of the dressing field, which may provide a useful scheme for the measurement of radio-frequency magnetic field and magnetic imaging.

ObjectivePrimary adrenal lymphoma (PAL) is a rare form of adrenal mass. We summarize our experience in its clinical presentation, biochemical indexes, radiological features, pathological information, therapy regimens, and outcomes.MethodsThis was an institutional review board-approved retrospective review of medical records and surgical pathology specimens of patients with a diagnosis of PAL at the Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital and the First Affiliate Hospital of Xiamen University between July 2007 and July 2017.ResultsTwenty-six patients were identified. The mean age at presentation was 60.84 ± 13.14 years with a male-to-female ratio of 2.25:1 (18:8). The most common presenting symptoms were loss of appetite (65%, 17/26), weight loss (62%, 16/26), abdominal pain (58%, 15/26), and fatigue (58%, 15/26). The levels of lactate dehydrogenase (75%, 15/20), β2-microglobulin (100%, 10/10), C-reactive protein (82%, 14/17), and ferritin (88%, 7/8) and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (83%, 10/12) were elevated. Bilateral involvement was seen in 21 of 26 patients (81%); 12 of 19 evaluated patients with bilateral lesions (63%) were confirmed to have adrenal insufficiency. On computed tomography (CT), the mean tumor diameter was 7.31 ± 3.35 cm and the median Hounsfield density was 37.0 HU (range: 31.0–45.0 HU); 67% (10/15) and 27% (4/15) of lesions presented with mild and moderate enhancement after injection of contrast medium. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET)-CT revealed not only an adrenal tumor but also extra-adrenal lesions. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was the most common phenotype (92%, 24/26). Ninety-two percent (24/26) of patients received chemotherapy while 8% (2/26) received unilateral adrenalectomy plus chemotherapy. The prognosis of PAL was poor, with a general survival time of 7.20 ± 5.18 months.ConclusionPAL is a rare disease. The clinical characteristics of PAL include loss of appetite and weight loss. Endocrine evaluation should be performed to determine whether patients have adrenal insufficiency, especially patients with bilateral lesions. FDG-PET appears to be more accurate than other imaging modalities in revealing extra-adrenal sites. Better therapy is required to improve the poor prognosis of PAL.

The ultrastrongly coupling (USC) system has very important research significance in quantum simulation and quantum computing. In this paper, the ultranarrow spectrum of a circuit QED system with two qubits ultrastrongly coupled to a single-mode cavity is studied. In the regime of USC, the JC model breaks down and the counter-rotating terms in the quantum Rabi Hamiltonian leads to the level anti-crossing in the energy spectrum. Choosing a single-photon driving field at the point of avoided-level crossing, we can get an equivalent four-level dressed state model, in which the dissipation of the two intermediate states is only related to the qubits decay. Due to the electron shelving of these two metastable states, a narrow peak appears in the cavity emission spectrum. Furthermore, we find that the physical origin for the spectral narrowing is the vacuum-induced quantum interference between two transition pathways. And this interference effect couples the slowly decaying incoherent components of the density matrix into the equations of the sidebands. This result provides a possibility for the study of quantum interference effect in the USC system.

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is recognized as one of the most important pathogens of swine and poses a serious threat to the swine industry worldwide. Available commercial vaccines fail to protect against the emergence of new PRV strains. Therefore, the new protein targets against PRV highlight the urgent need for uncovering the molecular determinants of host cellular proteins following PRV infection. Interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) demonstrates an outstanding antiviral response. However, the molecular mechanism of ISG15 that affects PRV replication is incompletely known. Here, we performed a tandem mass tag (TMT)-based approach to quantitatively identify protein expression changes in PRV-infected ISG15 knockout PK15 (ISG15−/−-PK15) cells. In total, 4958 proteins were identified by using TMT coupled with LC-MS/MS in this study. In the PRV- and mock-infected groups, 241 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified, 162 upregulated and 79 downregulated proteins at 24 h post-infection (hpi), among which AFP, Vtn, Hsp40, Herc5, and Mccc1 may play important roles in PRV propagation. To ensure the validity and reliability of the proteomics data, the randomly selected DEPs were verified by RT-qPCR and Western blot analysis, and the results were consistent with the TMT results. Bioinformatics analyses further demonstrated that the DEPs are mainly involved in various biological processes and signaling pathways, such as signal transduction, the digestive system, and the PI3K-AKT pathway. These findings may provide new insight into molecular mechanisms for PRV infection, which is helpful for identifying potential protein targets for antiviral agents.

With the concern of the environment, green dry cutting technology is getting more and more attention and self-lubricating tool technology plays an important role in dry cutting. Due to the demand for high temperature performance of tools during dry cutting process, cemented carbide with Ni3Al as the binder phase has received extensive attention due to its excellent high temperature strength and high temperature oxidation resistance. In this paper, WC-TiC-Ni3Al-CaF2 graded self-lubricating material and tools were prepared by microwave heating method, and its microstructure, mechanical properties and cutting performance were studied. Results show that gradient self-lubricating material can be quickly prepared by microwave heating technology, and the strength is equivalent to that of conventional heating technology. CaF2 not only plays a role in self-lubrication, but also refines the grain of the material. A reasonable gradient design can improve the mechanical properties of the material. When the gradient distribution exponent is n1 = 2, the material has high mechanical properties. Cutting experiments show that the WC-TiC-Ni3Al-CaF2 functional gradient self-lubricating tool has better cutting performance than the homogeneous WC-TiC-Ni3Al hard alloys.

Background Rice stripe virus (RSV) is one of the most serious rice diseases in East Asia. The small brown planthopper (SBPH), Laodelphax striatellus, is an economically important rice pest. SBPH transmits RSV horizontally and vertically, resulting in serious rice economic losses. Exposure to sublethal doses of insecticides can induce many physiological and cellular changes in insects. However, the mechanism underlying triazophos-induced RSV vertical transmission remains unclear. Here, we investigated the role of vitellogenin (Vg) in triazophos-induced RSV vertical transmission. Results RSV vertical transmission rates were significantly induced by sublethal exposure to triazophos. The transcript abundance of viral RNA3 segment (RNA3) and capsid protein (CP) in the ovaries of SBPH were also significantly increased. Triazophos induced the expression level of Vg in L. striatellus (LsVg) and increased the contents of ovarian protein and fat body protein. Knockdown of Vg significantly reduced the expression levels of LsVg and Vg receptor (LsVgR), and decreased RSV accumulations in the ovaries. Double-stranded Vg (dsVg)-mediated down-regulation could be rescued by exposure to triazophos. Vertical transmission rate of the dsVg-injected group was significantly decreased compared with the dsGFP-injected group, and triazophos significantly rescued the RSV vertical transmission rate of the dsVg-injected group. Conclusion Our results indicate that triazophos-induced RSV vertical transmission is associated with Vg. This work will help us to further elucidate sublethal doses of insecticides-mediated effects and develop new strategies for pest control. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Indoor substation is critical facilities of power system, therefore inspection of substation equipment is crucial to ensure the security of power supply. Substation inspection robot can collection information through variety of sensors, then the appropriate approach is used to determine the operational status of the substation equipment. The state of most indoor substation device can be acquired by image collection, but this method is not applicable to all devices. A new method of monitoring the operational status of equipment in the substation is put forward in this paper. The audio signal is collected by dual channel collection equipment which is brought in the indoor intelligent robot. The angle information of collected signal is calculated according to signal procession theory. The operational status of equipment can be obtained easily by analyzing the angular information. Simulation result indicate the feasibility of the method. It combines audio signal procession and intelligent surveillance robot and the system is low cost and simple to realize with certain engineering value.

A novel palladium-catalyzed highly selective hydrocarbonylative cycloaddition reaction with two different alkenes in the presence of CO enabled by a reactive directing-group is developed, which offers efficient and convenient access to lactone-containing bridged polycyclic compounds in high yield with high chemo- and stereoselectivities.

Oxidative desulfurization (ODS) is a promising method to remove the heterocyclic sulfur compounds from fuel and such process need high-performance catalysts. Polyoxometalates (POMs) have been proven to be excellent catalysts in the ODS reaction, which need to be immobilized on carriers to realize its industrial application. In this work, [β-SiMo3W9O40]n− has been loaded on a sustainable cellulose nanofiber (CNF)-based material, which was then calcined at 400 °C to form an POM-based composite material. CNF was modified by γ-(2,3-epoxypropoxy)propyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) so that the polyanions and protonated PEI could effectively interact with each other; therefore, POM could be well supported on the carrier. The catalytic results showed that in model oil with the sulfur concentration being 2000 ppm, the removal efficiency of dibenzothiophene, benzothiophene, and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene were 99, 89, and 100%, respectively. In addition, infrared spectra analysis indicated t...

BACKGROUND Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) can involve extralymphatic organs, resulting in diverse clinical manifestations, especially if the endocrine organs are affected. This type of involvement can often be difficult to detect accurately. Until now, no patients with NHL and concomitant bilateral adrenal and hypothalamic involvement have been reported. The purpose of this article is to discuss the diagnosis and treatment of lymphoma with bilateral adrenal gland and hypothalamic involvement so as to help physicians avoid misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis. CASE SUMMARY We describe a case of a 52-years-old male patient with bilateral adrenal masses, who presented with a fever of unknown origin on admission. Subsequently, hypopituitarism of the anterior pituitary followed by posterior pituitary developed. 18fluorine-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) showed lesions with a high metabolism in both adrenal glands, hypothalamus, left supraclavicular lymph nodes, and other organs. The etiological diagnosis was determined based on a left supraclavicular lymph node biopsy. The patient, who eventually present with panhypopituitarism, was finally diagnosed with diffuse large B cell lymphoma with bilateral adrenal gland and hypothalamic involvement. After immunochemotherapy, glucocorticoids administration and desmopressin acetate replacement therapy, the symptoms of fever and panhypopituitarism improved, and all the lesions reduced in size. CONCLUSION This report demonstrates that, although synchronous involvement of two endocrine organs is rare in NHL, extra caution should be taken when dysfunction occurs in multiple endocrine organs.

This study examines a multiple-priority emergency evacuation optimization problem with time-dependent demand uncertainty. A multiple-priority dynamic traffic model—namely, the multiple-priority cell transmission model (MPCTM) —is developed to simulate the priority of network flows for emergency evacuation response. Moreover, a robust optimization approach is applied to formulate such an emergency evacuation response problem. The robust counterpart solutions of the proposed uncertainty model have been shown to be tractable, using the duality theorem. Finally, a real example of Ya’an earthquake emergency evacuation planning verifies the effectiveness of the proposed MPCTM.

Insulin autoimmune syndrome (IAS) and type B insulin resistance syndrome (B-IRS) are rare autoimmune dysglycemia syndromes, but their treatment and prognosis are different. This study aimed to provide a basis for the clinical differential diagnosis of IAS and B-IRS. This was a retrospective study of the medical records of all patients diagnosed with IAS or B-IRS between January 2006 and March 2018 at the Chinese PLA General Hospital. Demographic, clinical, biochemistry, treatment, and follow-up data were examined. There were several different biochemical parameters between IAS (n=13) and B-IRS (n=6): white blood count (WBC, 7.05±3.06 vs. 2.70±0.73×109/l, p=0.004), platelet (249±56.6 vs. 111±68.0×109/l, p