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Abstract: The structure of a novel 3,8-seco-bicyclic taxanoid metabolite, isolated from the methanol extract of seeds of the Chinese yew, Taxus mairei, was established as (11αH)-3,8-seco-taxa-3E,7E,12(18)-triene-2α,6α,9β-triol ( 1 ) on the basis of spectral analysis including 1H NMR, 13C NMR, HMQC, HMBC, NOESY and HR-FABMS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Simultaneous removal of antibiotics and heavy metals from the wastewater is still a sophisticated task with great challenge. Interestingly, •O 2 - as a long-lived and highly active specie can simultaneously remove antibiotics and heavy metals. Herein, we design a S-type heterojunction photocatalyst, which can efficiently generate •O 2 -. Characterizations and DFT calculation demonstrate that internal electric field provides powerful propulsion for migration of photo generated carriers between Zn 0.78 Cd 0.22 S and g-C 3 N 4 , effectively extends electronic life, thereby enhances the production of •O 2 -. Photocatalytic reaction rate constants under optimal composite ratio conditions were 3.1-times (ciprofloxacin) and 5.9-times (Cr (VI)) higher than Zn 0.78 Cd 0.22 S under the coexisting pollutant system. Benefiting from the inbuilt electric field to stimulate electron transfer and utilization as well as the dual function of •O 2 -, it reveals the possibility of practical wastewater treatment in the internal circulating fluidized bed reactor. [Display omitted] • A novel S-type heterojunction catalyst consisting of Zn 0.78 Cd 0.22 S and g-C 3 N 4. • The catalyst shows excellent photocatalytic activity on removal of CIP and Cr (VI). • Zn 0.78 Cd 0.22 S/g-C 3 N 4 can generate •O 2 - efficiently. • Built-in electric field effectively extends electronic life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A better understanding of the level-grade inflammation for the development and worsening of heart failure (HF) in different gender groups is an unmet need. We performed an updated analysis on the impact of a series of systemic inflammation markers on HF. Methods: This compensatory cross-sectional study enrolled participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015–2018. HF was based on the self-reported questions. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to investigate the association between systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and HF. For patients of different genders, P for trend was used to analyze potential linear trend relationships and the restricted cubic splines (RCS) were used to describe non-linear relationships. The additive interaction was evaluated by the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion (AP), and the synergy index (SI). The multiplicative interaction was evaluated by odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of product-term. Results: A total of 5,830 participants from the NHANES database were divided into two groups: the HF group (n = 210) and the non-HF group (n = 5620). After gender stratification, hs-CRP (OR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00–1.03), SII (OR: 1.00, 95% CI: 1.00–1.01), NLR (OR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.11–1.35) and LMR (OR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.65–0.93) were independent meaningful factors for HF in males, there was no non-linear relationship between the three factors (SII, NLR, hs-CRP, all P for non-linear > 0.05) and the prevalence of HF, but we detected a non-linear relationship between LMR and the prevalence of HF in males (P for non-linear < 0.05). An additive interaction of hs-CRP and NLR on the risk of HF in males (RERI (OR): 0.67, 95% CI: 0.12–1.34; AP (OR): 0.14, 95% CI: 0.02–0.24; SI (OR): 1.22, 95% CI: 1.03–1.44). Conclusions: In summary, hs-CRP, NLR, and LMR are superior meaningful markers for HF in males. SII may be a meaningful systemic inflammation warning marker for HF, which needs to be discriminated against with caution. Only detected a non-linear relationship between LMR and the prevalence of HF in males. NLR and hs-CRP may have an additive interaction in the prevalence of male HF patients. The outcome compensated for previous studies that still needed more studies for validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermoelectrics (TEs) have been considered a sustainable and eco-friendly energy technology. However, due to limitations in energy conversion efficiency, TE devices have not yet been widely adopted. Here, we proposed a class of TE materials, trigonal XPt2Se3 (X = K, Rb), with the same crystal structure as Bi2Te3. At room temperature, with quartic anharmonicity correction, the lattice thermal conductivity (κL) of KPt2Se3 and RbPt2Se3 in the x-direction is only 0.57 and 0.46 W m−1 K−1, respectively. The ultralow κL arises from their layered structure, strong lattice anharmonicity, weak bonding nature, rattling motion of guest alkali metal atoms, and large scattering space. Simultaneously, the large density of states contributes to large power factors. At 800 K, both under n-type and p-type doping, KPt2Se3 exhibits ZT values that can exceed 4 in specific directions, while RbPt2Se3's ZT values can surpass 3, which is significantly higher than traditional TE materials. Our research not only elucidates that the layered trigonal crystals XPt2Se3 (X = K, Rb) represent a category of potential TE materials with ultralow κL and high TE performance but also provides directions for exploring TE materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensing methods enable highly sensitive, fast response, and label-free analysis of biomolecular interactions. For SPR sensors, sensitivity and full width at half maximum (FWHM) are two incompatible performance parameters. We propose a refractive index (RI) sensor using a dual-core photonic crystal fiber (PCF) and SPR effects to achieve high sensitivity and a narrow FWHM simultaneously. The air holes of the sensor appear in a hexagonal arrangement, and polishing technology introduces two polishing planes into the cladding. A gold film is deposited on one side of the polished plane to form a highly sensitive RI sensing channel. Five gold nanowires are deposited on the other side of the polished plane to form a RI sensing channel with a narrow FWHM. We analyzed and optimized its structural parameters using the finite element method and determined the optimal structural parameters. The numerical results demonstrate that the maximum sensitivity of the sensor is 21,000 nm/RIU with the narrowest FWHM of 31 nm. Therefore, measuring the refractive index simultaneously with two sensing channels increases the detection accuracy of the measurement. In addition, the findings further indicate that variations in structural parameters do not significantly impact the sensing performance of the sensor, which makes the production of the sensor relatively simple. In conclusion, our work provides a new research method for realizing high sensitivity and a narrow FWHM simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pediatric mitral regurgitation (MR), especially with bileaflet prolapse, is relatively rare, of high complexity, and frequently associated with other congenital cardiac abnormalities. It remains a major therapeutic challenge for surgeons. This study reports our experience of surgical treatment of this mitral disease and midterm follow-up results.Methods: Between January 2016 and April 2020, nine pediatric patients, six females and three males, age ranged from 3 to 12 years (median age was 6 years) with a weight range of 12-36 kg (median weight was 25 kg), who all had over moderate regurgitation caused by bileaflet prolapse with mean distance of leaflet coaptation beyond annular plane 5.89 ± 1.66 mm (4-9 mm), received mitral valve (MV) repair. Various surgical techniques were used to repair MV.Results: The median follow-up period was 23(6-51) months, only one patient had moderately severe recurrent of MR, no patient developed systolic anterior motion (SAM) or mitral stenosis. Freedom from reoperation was 100% during the follow-up period. Compared to preoperation, the left atrial (LA) diameter and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) decreased significantly from 2.94 ± 0.49 cm to 2.37 ± 0.38 cm (LA, p < .01) and from 4.13 ± 0.73 cm to 3.62 ± 0.49 cm (LVEDD, p < .01) respectively, ejection fraction (EF) decreased significantly (p < .05) from 68.56 ± 3.98% to 62.89 ± 4.48% before discharged.Conclusion: We share our experience of surgical repair of mitral valve bileaflet prolapse in pediatric patients. Several surgical methods are considered to be used to repair the MV due to the high complexity of lesions. Anatomic correction or functional correction in our reports almost reaches the same result, while functional correction means simpler operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A preterm infant with birth weight 1,550 g had an intravenous foreign body between the external iliac vein and the common iliac vein, which accidentally happened during peripheral intravascular central catheter insertion by the Seldinger technique. The infant initially received conservative management and close monitoring. Antibiotics were administered 4 weeks to treat culture positive sepsis and meningitis. The infant was clinically stable till the cannula fragment migrated to the heart 34 days later. At that time, his weight was 2,200 g, and he was full fed. The cannula fragment was retrieved by emergency interventional radiology via the right femoral access, with no complications. The infant was discharged at 45 days of age and closely followed up post-discharge. He is currently 6 months old, with normal development. This is the first case of successful percutaneous retrieval of an intracardiac intravenous cannula fragment via femoral access in a premature infant in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of elderly care services brought about by the aging population is a serious problem faced by modern society. For example, in many countries, false are the biggest cause of death due to injuries among the elderly. Therefore, how to perform automatic fall detection for the elderly has become an urgent problem to be solved in elderly care services. At present, in the SIIM of indoor fall detection, mainstream fall detection methods based on wearable devices and environmental sensors are facing problems such as complex equipment and high cost. In view of this, this paper introduces human body posture estimation into the SIIM of fall detection, and proposes a fall detection method based on two-dimensional video. Firstly, the Open Pose data set is used to extract the positions of human points in the original data. Secondly, these data with enhanced features are used to build static classification modes and dynamic classification modes. Finally, model training and fall detection are tested on three pubic fall data sets, achieving good results. The results of this research can provide a certain reference for the related research of fall detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hyperlipidemia, defined as elevated lipid levels, is the primary and major risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Several studies have evaluated the effects of Chinese medicine (CM) on hyperlipidemia. However, due to the varied designs and methods of these studies, data synthesis has been difficult, restricting the practical value of the findings. Developing a core outcome set (COS) could solve these methodological concerns. In this paper, we report a protocol to develop a COS for CM clinical trials for hyperlipidemia (COS-CM-Hyperlipidemia).Methods: The development of COS-CM-Hyperlipidemia will include four stages: (1) a systematic review to identify potential important outcomes-a study advisory group, composed of core stakeholders of hyperlipidemia, will be set up afterwards to evaluate the identified outcomes and a candidate outcome set will be developed accordingly; (2) a panel of experts will be invited to conduct a three-round Delphi survey, so that the experts' opinions on the importance of outcomes for treating hyperlipidemia with CM will be collected; (3) a consensus meeting with clinicians, patients, and other key stakeholders will be conducted to finalize the items and definitions; and (4) COS-CM-Hyperlipidemia will be promoted and updated.Discussion: The development of this COS will improve the design and operation of CM trials on hyperlipidemia, keeping them in compliance with international standards, as well as the comparability and utility of their results.Trial Registration: The Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials Initiative (COMET): http://www.comet-initiative.org/studies/details/983 . Registered on 25 April 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A CNT-SAE cement composite with self-sensing capability. • The effect of the SAE content on the electrical properties at various ages. • The effect of different SAE doping concentrations on the piezoresistive and stress sensitivity of CNT-cement sensors. Carbon nanotube (CNT) cementitious composite sensors are considered as an effective method for monitoring the health of building structures owing to their good self-sensing properties. However, previous studies have shown that the high electrical conductivity imparted by CNTs to cement-based materials can increase the risk of steel corrosion. To overcome this drawback and further enhance the piezoresistive performance of the material, a new method has been proposed in this study to improve the self-sensing properties of CNT-cement composites by incorporating styrene-acrylic emulsion (SAE) in them. The results show that the electrical resistivity of CNT-cement composites increases significantly with the addition of SAE, which is attributed to the polymer film hindering the mutual contact of the CNTs and ion migration. In addition, the piezoresistive properties of the composite sensor are significantly improved owing to the CNT/SAE three- dimensional network structure of the conductive system established in the cement matrix. The CNT-cement composite sensor containing 10 wt% SAE exhibits the best self-sensing properties and can reach a stress sensitivity of 22.1 × 10–3 MPa−1. The utilization of polymers as reinforcement for CNT-cementitious materials presents an economical and efficient approach for fabricating piezoresistive stress sensors intended for SHM applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the imaging features, lymph node metastasis, and genetic mutations in micropapillary lung adenocarcinoma (imaging with mixed ground‐glass nodules) ≤2 cm, to provide a more precise and refined basis for the selection of lung segment resection. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 162 patients with surgically resected pathologically confirmed cancers ≤2.0 cm in diameter (50 cases of micropapillary mixed ground‐glass nodules [mGGNs], 50 cases of nonmicropapillary mGGNs, and 62 cases of micropapillary SNs [solid nodules]) was performed. mGGNs were classified into five categories according to imaging features. The distribution of these five morphologies in micropapillary with mGGN and nonmicropapillary with mGGN was analyzed. The postoperative pathology and prognosis of lymph node metastasis were also compared between micropapillary mGGNs and micropapillary with SNs. After searching the TCGA database, we demonstrated heterogeneity, high malignancy and high risk of microcapillary lung cancer cancers. Results: Different pathological subtypes of mGGN differed in morphological features (p < 0.05). The rate of lymph node metastasis was significantly higher in micropapillary mGGNs than in nonmicropapillary mGGNs. In the TCGA database samples, lactate transmembrane protein activity, collagen transcription score, and fibroblast EMT score were remarkably higher in micropapillary adenocarcinoma. Other pathological subtypes had a better survival prognosis and longer disease‐free survival compared with micropapillary adenocarcinoma. Conclusion: mGGNs ≤2 cm with a micropapillary pattern have a higher risk of lymph node metastasis compared with SNs, and computed tomography (CT) imaging features can assist in their diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practical application of solid‐state lithium‐metal batteries (SSLMBs) based on polymer solid electrolytes has been hampered by their low ion conductivity and lithium‐dendrite‐induced short circuits. This study innovatively introduces 1D ferroelectric ceramic‐based Bi4Ti3O12‐BiOBr heterojunction nanofibers (BIT‐BOB HNFs) into poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) matrix, constructing lithium‐ion conduction highways with "dissociators" and "accelerating regions." BIT‐BOB HNFs, as 1D ceramic fillers, not only can construct long‐range organic/inorganic interfaces as ion transport pathways, but also install "dissociators" and "accelerating regions" for these pathways through the electric dipole layer and built‐in electric field of BIT‐BOB HNFs, promoting the dissociation of lithium salts and the transfer of lithium ions. The working mechanisms of BIT‐BOB HNFs in the polymer matrix are verified by experimental tests and density functional theory calculations. The obtained composite solid electrolytes exhibit excellent lithium‐ion conductivity and migration number (6.67 × 10−4 S cm−1 and 0.54 at 50 °C, respectively). The assembled lithium symmetric battery achieves good cycling stability of over 4500 h. The LiFePO4||Li full battery delivers a high Coulombic efficiency (>99.9%) and discharge capacity retention rate (>87%) after 2200 cycles. In addition, the prepared composite polymer solid electrolyte demonstrates good practical application potential in flexible pouch batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A negative curvature hollow core fiber (NCHCF) refractive index (RI) sensor based on localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is proposed. The gold nanowires are deposited in four cladding tubes in the y-direction, with the core region serving as the analyte channel. The full vector finite element method (FEM) is used to analyze the influence of various structural parameters on this sensor, and the structural parameters are optimized and selected. Ultimately, an average sensitivity of 9356.59 nm/RIU is accomplished within a spacious refractive index detection scope of RI = 1.28–1.43. The sensor attained a maximum sensitivity of 10,220 nm/RIU at RI = 1.36. In the bargain, there is an excellent linear correlation between the resonance wavelength and the refractive index of the analyte, with a value of 0.99901 and a factor of merit (FOM) range of 119.9563–155.9432 RIU−1, achieving a resolution of 10−6 RIU. The sensor has potential applications in various fields such as environmental protection, food safety, and medical diagnostics due to its high sensitivity, spacious detection scope, and positive linear response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of endovascular treatment for massive haemoptysis caused by pulmonary pseudoaneurysm (PAP). Methods: The clinical data, imaging data, and endovascular treatment protocol of 23 patients with massive haemoptysis caused by continuous PAP were retrospectively analysed. The success, complications, postoperative recurrence rate, and influence of the treatment on pulmonary artery pressure were also evaluated. Results: Nineteen patients with a bronchial artery-pulmonary artery (BA-PA) and/or nonbronchial systemic artery-pulmonary artery (NBSA-PA) fistula underwent bronchial artery embolization (BAE) and/or nonbronchial systemic artery embolization (NBSAE) + pulmonary artery embolization (PAE). The pulmonary artery (PA) pressures before and after embolization were 52.11 ± 2.12 (35–69 cmH2O) and 33.58 ± 1.63 (22–44 cmH2O), respectively (P = 0.001). Four patients did not have a BA-PA and/or NBSA-PA fistula. Embolization was performed in two patients with a distal PAP of the pulmonalis lobar arteria. Bare stent-assisted microcoils embolization was performed in the other two patients with a PAP of the main pulmonary lobar arteries. The PA pressures of the four patients before and after treatment were 24.50 ± 1.32 (22–28 cmH2O) and 24.75 ± 1.70 (22–29 cmH2O), respectively (P = 0.850). The technique had a 100% success rate with no serious complications and a postoperative recurrence rate of 30%. Conclusion: Endovascular treatment is safe and effective for massive haemoptysis caused by PAP. BAE and/or NBSAE can effectively reduce pulmonary hypertension in patients with a BA-PA and/or NBSA-PA fistula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edible bird's nest (EBN) mainly made of saliva that secreted by a variety of swiftlets is a kind of precious traditional Chinese medicine. EBNs from different biological and geographical origins exhibit varieties in morphology, material composition, nutritive value and commercial value. Here, we collected four different EBN samples from Huaiji, China (Grass EBN), Nha Trang, Vietnam (Imperial EBN) and East Kalimantan, Indonesia (White EBN and Feather EBN) respectively, and applied label-free quantitative MS-based proteomics technique to identify its protein composition. First, phylogenetic analysis was performed based on cytb gene to identify its biological origin. Second, a total of 37 proteins of EBNs were identified, among which there were six common proteins that detected in all samples and exhibited relatively higher content. Gene ontology analysis revealed the possible function of EBN proteins, and principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis based on 37 proteins were performed to compare the difference of various EBNs. In summary, our study deciphered the common and characteristic protein components of EBNs of different origins and described their possible functions by GO enrichment analysis, which helps to establish an objective and reliable quality evaluation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study used an atrial septal shunt to compare the treatment progress and prognosis for patients with heart failure (HF) who have different ejection fractions. Methods: Twenty HF patients with pulmonary hypertension, who required atrial septal shunt therapy, were included in this study. The patients underwent surgery between December 2012 and December 2020. They were divided into two groups based on their ejection fraction: a group with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and a group with preserved ejection fraction(HFpEF) + mid-range ejection fraction (HfmrEF). Echocardiography was utilized to evaluate parameters such as left ventricular dimension (LVD), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV). Hemodynamic parameters were measured using cardiac catheterization. The patient's cardiac function was assessed using the six-minute walking test (6MWT), KCCQ score, NYHA classification, and the degree of functional mitral regurgitation (FMR). Followed-up visits were conducted at 1, 3, and 6 months, and any adverse effects were recorded. Results: The LVEF values were consistently higher in the HFpEF+HFmrEF group than HFrEF group at all periods (P < 0.05). Differences in LVD were observed between the two groups before the surgery. Statistically, significant differences were found at the preoperative stage, 1 month, and 3 months (P < 0.05, respectively). However, the LVEDV showed a significant difference between the two groups only at 3 months (P = 0.049). Notably, there were notable variations in LAPm, LAPs, and the pressure gradient between the LA-RA gradient at baeline, after implantation, and during the 6 months follow-up (all P < 0.05). Conclusion: Following treatment, the HFpEF+HFmrEF group exhibited more significant improvements in echocardiographic and cardiac catheterization indices than the HFrEF group. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding the 6MWT and KCCQ scores. It is important to note that the findings of this study still require further investigation in a large sample size of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In nature, plants are exposed to a dynamic light environment. Fluctuations in light decreased the photosynthetic light utilization efficiency (PLUE) of leaves, and much more severely in C4 species than in C3 species. However, little is known about the plasticity of PLUE under dynamic light in C4 species. Present study focused on the influence of planting density to the photosynthesis under dynamic light in maize (Zea mays L.), a most important C4 crop. In addition, the molecular mechanism behind photosynthetic adaptation to planting density were also explored by quantitative proteomics analysis. Results revealed that as planting density increases, maize leaves receive less light that fluctuates more. The maize planted at high density (HD) improved the PLUE under dynamic light, especially in the middle and later growth stages. Quantitative proteomics analysis showed that the transfer of nitrogen from Rubisco to RuBP regeneration and C4 pathway related enzymes contributes to the photosynthetic adaptation to lower and more fluctuating light environment in HD maize. This study provides potential ways to further improve the light energy utilization efficiency of maize in HD. Summary statement: 1.As planting density increases, maize leaves receive less light that fluctuates more.2.The maize grown at high density improved the light utilization efficiency under dynamic light, especially in the middle and later growth stages.3.The transfer of nitrogen from Rubisco to RuBP regeneration and C4 pathway related enzymes contributes to the photosynthetic adaptation to lower and more fluctuating light environment in maize grown at high density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase separation of polymer blends has attracted much interest in designing high-performance materials with specific mechanical and dielectric properties. To this end, three types of poly(methacrylic ester)s, including poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA), and poly(isobutyl methacrylate) [P(iBMA)], have been incorporated in the poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) [P(VDF-HFP)] matrix, respectively. As exemplified in P(VDF-HFP)/P(iBMA) blended films, a conspicuous phase separation is experimentally observed and the blended film presents an enhanced Young's modulus and a one-fold increment in the elongation over the pristine P(VDF-HFP). The excellent plasticity is benefited from the interfacial regions between the two phases, which could effectively pin the cracks and retard the slippage under deformation. Simultaneously, an ultra-high Weibull breakdown strength (∼774 MV/m) is obtained in the blends, benefiting from the improved Young's modulus and excellent plasticity. The blends are endowed with an excellent energy storage density (∼21 J/cm3 at 830 MV/m), along with an impressive cycling stability. In contrary, P(VDF-HFP)/PMMA and P(VDF-HFP)/PBMA blended films sacrifice the plasticity due to the scarcity of phase separation; therefore, even though Young's moduli have been improved, there is no remarkable improvement for breakdown strengths and energy storage performances. The experimental results are augmented by molecular dynamics simulations. This contribution provides a facile approach to develop high-performance polymer dielectric materials through a phase separation design and emphasize the importance of plasticity for breakdown strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most common headache disorder. Current treatments for TTH have been reported to be associated with insufficient long-term benefits and unwanted adverse events (AEs). The Chinese herbal formula Xuefu Zhuyu (XFZY) has been utilized in TTH treatment, but the evidence supporting its efficacy remains unclear. This study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of XFZY for TTH. Methods. This multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial will be undertaken in China. A total of 174 eligible participants will be randomly assigned to either an XFZY group or a placebo group (20 ml each dose, three times daily for 4 weeks) at a ratio of 1 : 1. The primary outcome is the change in mean headache intensity measured by a 10 cm visual analogue scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes include the area-under-the headache curve (AUC), headache frequency, rescue medication use, qi-stagnation and blood-stasis pattern measurement, quality of life measured by the EuroQol-5-Dimensions-5-Level (EQ-5D-5L), global evaluation of medication, and health economic indexes. Discussion. The results of the study are expected to provide evidence of high methodological and reporting quality on the efficacy and safety of XFZY for TTH. This trail is registered with ChiCTR1900026716 (registered on 19 October, 2019). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Stable angina (SA) in coronary heart disease is a common ischemic heart disease endangering the patient's quality of life and longevity. Clinical trials have demonstrated that the Chinese herbal formula Xuefu Zhuyu (XFZY) has benefits for SA patients. However, there remains a lack of high-quality evidence to support clinical decision-making. Therefore, we designed a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the efficacy and safety of XFZY for SA. Methods and Analysis. This multicenter, double-blinded RCT will be conducted in China. 152 eligible participants will be randomly assigned to either an XFZY group or a control group at a 1 : 1 ratio. Participants in the XFZY group will receive XFZY plus routine care, while those in the control group will receive placebo plus routine care. The study period is 26 weeks, including a 2-week run-in period, a 12-week treatment period, and a 12-week follow-up. The primary outcome is the change in visual analogue scale score for angina pain intensity from baseline to 12 weeks. The secondary outcomes are the angina attack frequency and duration, the nitroglycerin dosage consumed, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society grading of effort angina, the Seattle Angina Questionnaire, the EuroQol-5-Dimensions-5-Level, the incidence of major adverse cardiac events, health cost evaluation, and overall assessment for study drugs. Ethics and Dissemination. The study has been approved by the ethics committee of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine (approval no. BF2019-175-01). Results will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated at scientific conferences. This trial is registered with ChiCTR1900026899, registered on 26 October 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Due to the shortage of donor pool, there has been a need for organs with prolonged cold ischemic time. This study aims to evaluate the short-term results of different cold ischemic times in orthotopic heart transplantation based on a single-center experience in China.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed outcomes of the heart transplant patients from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2017. The recipient population was divided into four groups. Group 1: cold ischemic time greater than 8 hours; group 2: the cold ischemic time between 6 and 8 hours; group 3: the cold ischemic time between 4 and 6 hours; and group 4: cold ischemic time less than 4 hours. Efficacy indicators included after transplant survival, infection rate, rejection rate, and complications.Results: The four groups have similar donor and recipient baseline characteristics (P > .05). Cold ischemic time greater than 8 hours had more cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time (127.62 ± 50.23 minutes; P = .003), CPB-assist time (86.14 ± 36.74 minutes; P = .047), and higher intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) usage rate postoperatively (47.36%; P = .010). Cold ischemic time greater than 8 hours witnessed a relatively higher mortality rate compared with the other three groups (P = .115, P =  .078, and P =  .114) during the 2-year follow-up. Survival rates of 1 and 2 years for the four groups were 78.95%, 87.13%, 87.32%, and 87.50% and 68.42%, 85.14%, 85.92%, and 83.93%, respectively.Conclusion: Cold ischemic time less than 8 hours can be reasonably applied to expand the heart transplantation donor pool. Cold ischemic time greater than 8 hours might result in longer CPB time, CPB-assist time, and higher IABP usage postoperatively. It might also affect the in-hospital and 2-years survival rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicalite-1 is a pure-silica MFI-type zeolite, which is widely used in the field of adsorption and separation of organic compounds. Herein, the high-micropore-volume silicalite-1 with less silanol defects was obtained under a near-neutral condition free of fluoride ions adjusted by anionic polyelectrolytes, which exhibited excellent adsorption of a wide variety of toxic volatile organic compounds. The performance for capturing VOCs could be improved along with the decrease of silanol defects in pure silica zeolites. Image 1 • Firstly synthesize pure-silica zeolites from a fluoride-free polyelectrolyte-containing near-neutral system • Zeolite from the neutral system had larger amounts of micropores than that from the traditional basic synthesis. • Displaying the better adsorption properties for volatile organic compounds at the high temperatures. • This novel polyelectrolyte-containing neutral system showed great potential for synthesizing other types of zeolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Based on the literature on information security (InfoSec) education and uses and gratifications theory, the purpose of this paper is to propose and test a research model to examine the impact of InfoSec education on social media usage. Design/methodology/approach: The authors employed structural equation modeling to test the research model, with a survey data set of 293 valid subjects from a WeChat subscription about InfoSec education named secrecy view. Findings: The results reveal the significant impacts of perceived content quality, perceived social influence and perceived entertainment on user satisfaction in the context of security education and social media. User satisfaction is significantly associated with user stickiness and security knowledge improvement. Additionally, the authors found that user's security awareness moderated the effect of perceived entertainment on user satisfaction. Research limitations/implications: Using a single sample might constrain the contributions of this study. Practical implications: The authors suggest practical guidelines for InfoSec education on social media by enhancing perceived content quality. Moreover, due to diverse user attributes, the social media operators should recommend targeted content to different users. Originality/value: This study contributes to studies on InfoSec education of social media usage and identifies factors that affect user satisfaction with social media. Furthermore, the study enriches the security education practices by uncovering differences in security awareness with regard to user satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An asymmetrical diphenylfonyl derivative with blue emission was developed. • Alternate strong-and-weak contact of the molecules in crystal boosted TTA-UC process. • Triplet excitons were promoted through TTA-UC to TADF with increasing the temperature. • High utilization of the triplet excitons realized low efficiency roll-off in OLEDs. The utilization of triplet excitons is greatly concerned in organic luminophores. For thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters, the reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) which activates the triplet excitons at low temperature remains challenging without thermal stimulation. Herein, a temperature-dependent promotion relay of the triplet excitons from TADF to self-sensitized triplet − triplet annihilation up-conversion (TTA-UC) was demonstrated in an asymmetrical TADF luminophore based on 9,9-dimethyl-9,10-dihydroacridine (DMAC) donor and diphenylfonyl (DPS) acceptor. Single-crystal structure analysis combined with theoretical calculations revealed that the alternate strong-and-weak contact of the molecules reduced the singlet–triplet splitting energy (Δ E ST), amplified the singlet–triplet coupling (SOC) strength and exciton coupling (EC), leading to highly efficient RISC process over a wide range of temperatures. Moreover, benefiting from the extreme small Δ E ST value and large SOC strength, highly efficient blue OLEDs were achieved with the highest CE max , PE max and EQE max of 32.0 cd A-1, 33.5 lm W−1 and 14.7%, and low efficiency roll-off. This work provides a design guidance for high utilization of the triplet excitons through RISC to improve the luminescence efficiency and reduce the device efficiency roll-off. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract To analyze the fixation strength of cannulated screws fixation in the treatment of femoral neck fracture with posterior tilt due to insufficient reduction. Two sets of digital models of anatomical reduction and 15° tilting reduction were established by CT data. Each group of models was modeled with two different fixation methods. One fixation method was fixed according to the standard cannulated screws recommended by AO. Another fixation method is to tilt the screw posterior tilt 15°. The final four groups of models were obtained: AO principle nailing posterior tilt model (Group A), posterior direction nailing posterior tilt model (Group B), AO principle nailing anatomic reduction model (Group C) and posterior direction nailing anatomic reduction model (Group D). The maximum displacement of the fracture end, the maximum Von-Mises stress and the stress distribution of the internal fixation were compared among the four groups. Four groups of models were established on artificial bone by 3D printing guide plate technology. The 600 N pressure test and yield test were performed on a biomechanical machine. The finite element and biomechanical models showed that groups B and C were more stable than groups A and D. The stability of group B was not worse than that of group C. When the femoral neck fracture produces a posterior tilt, a posterior reduction is allowed. The change of AO screw to posterior tilting screw fixation has more powerful advantages. No posterior tilt or posterior reduction, AO screw placement is still required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edible bird's nest (EBN) mainly made of saliva that secreted by a variety of swiftlets is a kind of precious traditional Chinese medicine. EBNs from different biological and geographical origins exhibit varieties in morphology, material composition, nutritive value and commercial value. Here, we collected four different EBN samples from Huaiji, China (Grass EBN), Nha Trang, Vietnam (Imperial EBN) and East Kalimantan, Indonesia (White EBN and Feather EBN) respectively, and applied label-free quantitative MS-based proteomics technique to identify its protein composition. First, phylogenetic analysis was performed based on cytb gene to identify its biological origin. Second, a total of 37 proteins of EBNs were identified, among which there were six common proteins that detected in all samples and exhibited relatively higher content. Gene ontology analysis revealed the possible function of EBN proteins, and principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis based on 37 proteins were performed to compare the difference of various EBNs. In summary, our study deciphered the common and characteristic protein components of EBNs of different origins and described their possible functions by GO enrichment analysis, which helps to establish an objective and reliable quality evaluation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction is an appealing way to alleviate energy and environmental crisis. Perovskite oxides are supposed as attractive low-cost alternative electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction relative to the IrO 2 and RuO 2 electrocatalysts. In this study, Fe-Ni coupled perovskite oxides, Pr 0.5 Ba 0.5 Fe 1-x Ni x O 3-δ , are proposed as novel electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline solution. The electrocatalytic activity of perovskites are optimized by engineering the couple of Fe-Ni cations. We identify a possible correlation between the enhancement in the activity and the amount of surface oxygen vacancies, OH− adsorption, charge transfer kinetics as well as e g -filling. The Pr 0.5 Ba 0.5 Fe 0.975 Ni 0.025 O 3-δ electrocatalyst demonstrates excellent activity for oxygen evolution reaction, favorably compared to other the state-of-the-art perovskite electrocatalysts. The encouraging results indicate that Pr 0.5 Ba 0.5 Fe 1-x Ni x O 3-δ series is a promising class of electrocatalysts for practical application of oxygen evolution reaction. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • A novel family of perovskite electrocatalysts is proposed for OER. • The activity and stability for OER is enhanced by engineering Fe-Ni couple. • The performance of PBFN2.5 rivals other perovskite electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen electrocatalysis, including the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), is one of the most important electrochemical processes for sustainable energy conversion and storage technologies. Herein, nickel‐based bicarbonates are, for the first time, developed as catalysts for oxygen electrocatalysis, and demonstrate superior electrocatalytic performance in alkaline media. Iron doping can significantly tune the real valence of nickel ions, and consequently tailor the electrocatalytic ability of bicarbonates. Among the nickel‐based bicarbonates, Ni0.9Fe0.1(HCO3)2 exhibits the highest bifunctional catalytic activity, with a potential difference of 0.86 V between the OER potential at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and the ORR potential at a current density of −1 mA cm−2, which outperforms most of the reported precious‐metal‐free catalysts. The present work provides new insights into exploring efficient catalysts for oxygen electrocatalysis, and it suggests that, in addition to the extensively studied transition metal hydroxides and oxides, bicarbonates and carbonates also show great potential as precious metal‐free catalysts. Hot ORR not? Nickel‐based bicarbonates are, for the first time, proposed as bifunctional catalysts for oxygen electrocatalysis, and demonstrate excellent electrocatalytic performance in alkaline media. This study opens a new strategy for developing cost‐effective and highly efficient catalysts towards oxygen electrocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reviews our recent works about the density functional theory (DFT) calculational aspects of electronic properties in silicene-based nanostructures with the modulation of external fields, such as electric field, strain, etc. For the two-dimensional (2D) silicene-based nonostructures, the magnetic moment of Fe-doped silicene shows a sharp jump at a threshold electric field, which indicates a good switching effect, implying potential applications as a magnetoelectric (ME) diode. With the electric field, the good controllability and sharp switching of the magnetism may offer a potential applications in the ME devices. For the one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures, the silicene nanoribbons with sawtooth edges (SSiNRs) are more stable than the zigzag silicene nanoribbons (ZSiNRs) and show spin-semiconducting features. Under external electric field or uniaxial compressive strain, the gapless spin-semiconductors are gained, which is significant in designing qubits for quantum computing in spintronics. The superlattice structures of silicene-based armchair nanoribbons (ASiSLs) is another example for 1D silicene nanostructures. The band structures of ASiSLs can be modulated by the size and strain of the superlattices. With the stain increased, the related energy gaps of ASiSLs will change, which are significantly different with that of the constituent nanoribbons. The results suggest potential applications in designing quantum wells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral hybrid metal halides have grabbed extensive attention in linear and nonlinear chiroptics. Herein, 0D chiral zinc halides, (R-/S-2-MP)ZnCl4, have been fabricated, which demonstrate high efficiency second-order nonlinear optical responses. Incorporating Sb3+ into the chiral zinc halide matrix triggers the circularly polarized luminescence effectively with a balance between quantum yield and luminescence dissymmetry factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imidazole-based compounds are a series of heterocyclic compounds that exhibit a wide range of biological and pharmaceutical activities. However, those extant syntheses using conventional protocols can be time-costly, require harsh conditions, and result in low yields. As a novel and green technique, sonochemistry has emerged as a promising method for organic synthesis with several advantages over conventional methods, including enhancing reaction rates, improving yields, and reducing the use of hazardous solvents. Contemporarily, a growing body of ultrasound-assisted reactions have been applied in the preparation of imidazole derivatives, which demonstrated greater benefits and provided a new strategy. Herein, we introduce the brief history of sonochemistry and focus on the discussion of the multifarious approaches for the synthesis of imidazole-based compounds under ultrasonic irradiation and its advantages in comparison with conventional protocols, including typical name-reactions and various sorts of catalysts in those reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory molecules play important roles in atherosclerosis. We aimed to illustrate the roles of serum amyloid A (SAA), and interleukin (IL)-1β in low density lipoproteins (LDL) transcytosis and atherosclerosis. Effects of SAA and IL-1β on transcytosis of LDL were measured by an in vitro LDL transcytosis model. NF-κB/caveolin-1/cavin-1 pathway activation was investigated by Western blots and ELISA. Effects of SAA and IL-1β on the retention of LDL in aorta of C57BL/6J mice were detected by IVIS spectrum. Effects of SAA and IL-1β on atherosclerosis in Apoe −/− mice were examined by Oil Red O staining. SAA and IL-1β stimulated LDL transcytosis across endothelial cells (ECs), which was accompanied by an increase in LDL uptake by ECs. SAA and IL-1β enhanced the activity of nuclear factor (NF)-κB, consequently facilitating an up-regulation of proteins involved in caveolae formation, including caveolin-1 and cavin-1, along with an assembly of NLRP3 inflammasome. Furthermore, SAA- and IL-1β-induced effects were blocked by NF-κB subunit p65 siRNA. Meanwhile, SAA- and IL-1β-induced LDL transcytosis were effectively blocked by caveolin-1 siRNA or cavin-1 siRNA. Interestingly, SAA and IL-1β facilitated LDL entering into the aorta of C57BL/6J mice. In Apoe −/− mice, SAA and IL-1β increased the areas of lipid-rich atherosclerotic lesions in the both ascending and root of aorta. Furthermore, a significant increase in the NLRP3 inflammasome, accompanied by accumulation of cavin-1 and caveolin-1, was observed in the aortic endothelium of Apoe −/− mice. SAA and IL-1β accelerated LDL transcytosis via the NF-κB/caveolin-1/cavin-1 axis. [Display omitted] • SAA and IL-1β increase the expression of cavin-1 and caveolin-1 via activation of NF-κB. • SAA and IL-1β promote LDL transcytosis across endothelial cells. • SAA and IL-1β accelerate the formation of atherosclerotic lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructing a reliable solid‐electrolyte interphase (SEI) is imperative for enabling highly reversible zinc metal (Zn0) electrodes. Contrary to conventional "bulk solvation" mechanism, we found the SEI structure is dominated by electric double layer (EDL) adsorption. We manipulate the EDL adsorption and Zn2+ solvation with ether additives (i.e. 15‐crown‐5, 12‐crown‐4, and triglyme). The 12‐crown‐4 with medium adsorption on EDL leads to a layer‐structured SEI with inner inorganic ZnFx/ZnSx and outer organic C−O−C components. This structure endows SEI with high rigidness and strong toughness enabling the 100 cm2 Zn||Zn pouch cell to exhibit a cumulative capacity of 4250 mAh cm−2 at areal‐capacity of 10 mAh cm−2. More importantly, a 2.3 Ah Zn||Zn0.25V2O5⋅n H2O pouch cell delivers a recorded energy density of 104 Wh Lcell−1 and runs for >70 days under the harsh conditions of low negative/positive electrode ratio (2.2 : 1), lean electrolyte (8 g Ah−1), and high‐areal‐capacity (≈13 mAh cm−2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructing a reliable solid‐electrolyte interphase (SEI) is imperative for enabling highly reversible zinc metal (Zn0) electrodes. Contrary to conventional "bulk solvation" mechanism, we found the SEI structure is dominated by electric double layer (EDL) adsorption. We manipulate the EDL adsorption and Zn2+ solvation with ether additives (i.e. 15‐crown‐5, 12‐crown‐4, and triglyme). The 12‐crown‐4 with medium adsorption on EDL leads to a layer‐structured SEI with inner inorganic ZnFx/ZnSx and outer organic C−O−C components. This structure endows SEI with high rigidness and strong toughness enabling the 100 cm2 Zn||Zn pouch cell to exhibit a cumulative capacity of 4250 mAh cm−2 at areal‐capacity of 10 mAh cm−2. More importantly, a 2.3 Ah Zn||Zn0.25V2O5⋅n H2O pouch cell delivers a recorded energy density of 104 Wh Lcell−1 and runs for >70 days under the harsh conditions of low negative/positive electrode ratio (2.2 : 1), lean electrolyte (8 g Ah−1), and high‐areal‐capacity (≈13 mAh cm−2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory molecules play important roles in atherosclerosis. We aimed to illustrate the roles of serum amyloid A (SAA), and interleukin (IL)-1β in low density lipoproteins (LDL) transcytosis and atherosclerosis. Effects of SAA and IL-1β on transcytosis of LDL were measured by an in vitro LDL transcytosis model. NF-κB/caveolin-1/cavin-1 pathway activation was investigated by Western blots and ELISA. Effects of SAA and IL-1β on the retention of LDL in aorta of C57BL/6J mice were detected by IVIS spectrum. Effects of SAA and IL-1β on atherosclerosis in Apoe −/− mice were examined by Oil Red O staining. SAA and IL-1β stimulated LDL transcytosis across endothelial cells (ECs), which was accompanied by an increase in LDL uptake by ECs. SAA and IL-1β enhanced the activity of nuclear factor (NF)-κB, consequently facilitating an up-regulation of proteins involved in caveolae formation, including caveolin-1 and cavin-1, along with an assembly of NLRP3 inflammasome. Furthermore, SAA- and IL-1β-induced effects were blocked by NF-κB subunit p65 siRNA. Meanwhile, SAA- and IL-1β-induced LDL transcytosis were effectively blocked by caveolin-1 siRNA or cavin-1 siRNA. Interestingly, SAA and IL-1β facilitated LDL entering into the aorta of C57BL/6J mice. In Apoe −/− mice, SAA and IL-1β increased the areas of lipid-rich atherosclerotic lesions in the both ascending and root of aorta. Furthermore, a significant increase in the NLRP3 inflammasome, accompanied by accumulation of cavin-1 and caveolin-1, was observed in the aortic endothelium of Apoe −/− mice. SAA and IL-1β accelerated LDL transcytosis via the NF-κB/caveolin-1/cavin-1 axis. [Display omitted] • SAA and IL-1β increase the expression of cavin-1 and caveolin-1 via activation of NF-κB. • SAA and IL-1β promote LDL transcytosis across endothelial cells. • SAA and IL-1β accelerate the formation of atherosclerotic lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac mass is rare in the clinic and can be primary or secondary. It is quite rare to find a mass only on the cardiac surface. Today we report a patient with a cardiac mass grown on the cardiac surface and also had a coronary aneurysm combined a coronary fistula, pathology examination showed that the mass was not a tumor but an aneurysm with thrombosis. This is the first time that a primary thrombus discovered on the surface of the heart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ring laser gyro (RLG) dither axis will bend and exhibit errors due to the specific forces acting on the instrument, which are known as g-sensitive misalignments of the gyros. The g-sensitive misalignments of the RLG triad will cause severe attitude error in vibration or maneuver environments where large-amplitude specific forces and angular rates coexist. However, g-sensitive misalignments are usually ignored when calibrating the strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS). This paper proposes a novel method to calibrate the g-sensitive misalignments of an RLG triad in linear vibration environments. With the SINS is attached to a linear vibration bench through outer rubber dampers, rocking of the SINS can occur when the linear vibration is performed on the SINS. Therefore, linear vibration environments can be created to simulate the harsh environment during aircraft flight. By analyzing the mathematical model of g-sensitive misalignments, the relationship between attitude errors and specific forces as well as angular rates is established, whereby a calibration scheme with approximately optimal observations is designed. Vibration experiments are conducted to calibrate g-sensitive misalignments of the RLG triad. Vibration tests also show that SINS velocity error decreases significantly after g-sensitive misalignments compensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximate entropy (ApEn) was developed to quantify the effects of welding parameters on the process stability of narrow gap laser-arc hybrid welding (NGHW). The smaller the ApEn of arc current, the higher the welding stability. A dimensionless parameter, η , which was the ApEn increment of the NGHW to the hybrid welding without narrow gap, was proposed to quantitatively characterize the effects of space constraint on the process stability. All the η were negative. It had a good agreement with the experimental values and demonstrated that the process could be stabilized by space constraint. The η was minimized to be −16.7%, but usually at the range from −8 to −1%. Increasing arc current, laser-arc distance, and welding speed, or decreasing laser power, all increased the η by weakening the space constraint. Finally, the stabilization mechanism was discussed in terms of the effects of space constraint on the behaviors of laser keyhole and arc droplet transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive approach for evaluating agroecosystems based on an embodied cosmic exergy investigation. This novel methodology is applied to three distinctive systems: farmland-biogas (F-B), farmland-dairy (F-D) and farmland-dairy-biogas (F-D-B) systems. A comparison of renewability and sustainability among the F-B, F-D and F-D-B systems is conducted to demonstrate this framework. The results show that over 50% of the total cosmic exergy inputs for the F-D-B system can be ascribed to purchased and free renewable resources, which is much higher than the other two systems. The net present ecological value ( NPEV ) of the F-D-B system is approximately 6 times higher than that of the F-B and F-D systems. The sustainability of the F-D-B system is 2.76 and 2.08 times higher than that of the F-D and F-B systems, respectively. The economic benefit ( EB ) of the F-D-B system is the highest of all three systems. These results suggest that the F-D-B system is superior to the other two systems. This study contributes to providing a theoretical foundation for policy-making in the rural regions of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine if MR neurography of the common peroneal nerve (CPN) predicts a residual motor deficit at 12-month clinical follow-up in patients presenting with foot drop. Materials and methods: A retrospective search for MR neurography cases evaluating the CPN at the knee was performed. Patients were included if they had electrodiagnostic testing (EDX) within 3 months of imaging, ankle and/or forefoot dorsiflexion weakness at presentation, and at least 12-month follow-up. Two radiologists individually evaluated nerve size (enlarged/normal), nerve signal (T2 hyperintense/normal), muscle signal (T2 hyperintense/normal), muscle bulk (normal/Goutallier 1/Goutallier > 1), and nerve and muscle enhancement. Discrepancies were resolved via consensus review. Multivariable logistical regression was used to evaluate for association between each imaging finding and a residual motor deficit at 12-month follow-up. Results: Twenty-three 3 T MRIs in 22 patients (1 bilateral, mean age 52 years, 16 male) met inclusion criteria. Eighteen cases demonstrated common peroneal neuropathy on EDX, and median duration of symptoms was 5 months. Six cases demonstrated a residual motor deficit at 12-month follow-up. Fourteen cases underwent CPN decompression (1 bilateral) within 1 year of presentation. Three cases demonstrated Goutallier > 1 anterior compartment muscle bulk. Multivariable logistical regression did not show a statistically significant association between any of the imaging findings and a residual motor deficit at 12-month follow-up. Conclusion: MR neurography did not predict a residual motor deficit at 12-month follow-up in patients presenting with foot drop, though few patients demonstrated muscle atrophy in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In autonomous vehicles (AVs), especially in fully AVs, “drivers” perceive vehicle operation from a passenger’s perspective. This study focuses on the perspective change of drivers especially in fully AVs. To investigate the effect of change in perspective on drivers’ assessment of AVs, this study conducted a driving simulator experiment and a survey using different samples. The driving simulator experiment was a within-subjects design including 40 participants. The experimental results indicated that although AVs drive exactly the same as the drivers, 85% of these drivers had different assessments for AVs compared to driving themselves (self-AV bias). Among these biased drivers, 80% changed the direction of their assessments (e.g., satisfied with their own driving behaviors but dissatisfied with the same behaviors from the AVs). Additionally, self-AV bias increased with the level of self-evaluation of their own driving skills. The higher the level of self-evaluation, the higher the optimism bias (drivers think they drive better than AVs) of drivers. Thereafter, to show whether and how self-AV bias affects drivers’ intuitive acceptance of AVs, a survey was conducted, which included 381 valid questionnaires. The survey results showed that self-AV bias was a critical factor promoting perceived usefulness of AVs; particularly, highly self-AV-biased drivers responded more to the perceived usefulness of AVs. Moreover, drivers who could accept more risky driving behaviors of AVs compared to themselves also perceived AVs to be more useful. The findings from this study provide insights for understanding drivers’ assessment and acceptance of AVs’ driving behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ethyl chloride spray as a common cooling modality has been widely used in acute sports injuries and joint injection procedures. Several clinical studies reported that use of ethyl chloride has positive effects on swelling, pain reduction and recovery from sports injuries. The main aim of present study was to analyze whether postoperative use of ethyl chloride spray benefits results after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA).Methods: Between April 1, 2014 and October 21, 2015, 306 subjects undergoing primary TKA used ethyl chloride spray for improving recovery from the damage from surgery. After exclusion of 31 subjects due to adverse events including periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), deep venous thrombosis (DVT), acute myocardial infarction, finally 275 subjects' data regarding pain score, knee range of motion (ROM), knee girth, time of being able to reach 90° knee flexion and analgesic consumption were analyzed.Results: Significant differences in pain score, knee ROM at each time point and knee girth at on 21st and 28th postoperatively were detected without increased incidence of adverse events. Besides, time of being able to reach 90° knee flexion and analgesic consumption in the treatment group were significantly decreased in comparison to the control group.Conclusion: Use of ethyl chloride spray can help patients recovery from the damage from TKA safely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a well-known biomarker to predict cardiac events following orthopedic procedures. However, further information regarding BNP can be completed. The present study aims to determine which of preoperative, postoperative or the difference between them (DVPPB) can best predict adverse cardiac events following TKA procedure and detect possible risk factors of high level of BNP.Methods: Between Jan. 2012 and Jan. 2014. 1120 included patients in 3 institutions have a minimum of 2-years follow-up. All clinical characteristics related to TKA procedure were put in total joint arthroplasty registry system and analyzed finally. The cut-off value of BNP predicting patients at increased risks of cardiac events after TKA was evaluated by the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.Results: Our results reveal DVPPB in comparison to preoperative and postoperative BNP can best predict cardiac events following primary TKA, and the optimal cut-off value was 825.5 pg/ml with the highest Youden index of 0.62. Cigarette smoking, ASA III/IV/V, prior history of cardiac events, general anesthesia, surgery time, and tourniquet time are risk factors for DVPPB > 825.5 pg/ml.Conclusions: DVPPB in comparison to preoperative and postoperative BNP can best predict cardiac events following primary TKA. Cigarette smoking, ASA III/IV/V, prior history of cardiac events, general anesthesia, surgery time, and tourniquet time are risk factors for DVPPB > 825.5 pg/ml. We hope these results could be helpful to optimize health care among patients undergoing primary TKA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous microspheres fabricated from bioceramics have great potential for cell delivery in injectable tissue engineering application. The size and structure of pores in the microspheres are important for the effective protection and transportation of cells. In this study, porous hydroxyapatite microspheres are fabricated through the water-in-oil emulsion method followed by a calcination treatment at the high temperature. Both self-made resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) composite spheres and camphene are used as pore-forming agents to produce big pores corresponding to the size of RF spheres and connected channel among big pores in hydroxyapatite matrix. The properties of the microspheres are characterized using X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry analysis, universal material machine, field emission scanning electron microscopy. Cell assays are carried out to evaluate the cellular compatibility of the microspheres. The results showed that the hydroxyapatite microspheres with controllable pore structure and high porosity could be fabricated by this method, which have better strength to resist the compressive force. The microspheres are conducive to support adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells. The results indicate that the obtained porous hydroxyapatite microspheres can be a permeable microenvironment for cell delivery in injectable tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is primarily preformed among the elderly population who is commonly affected by cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a very common heart disease and its prevalence increases significantly with age. Therefore, we decided to evaluate the outcomes of patients with AF following TKA and analyze the risk factors of AF patients who underwent postoperative complication.Methods: We designed a retrospective cohort study using data from three institutions in China. We evaluated a total of 453 AF patients who received primary TKA and 453 matched control patients. Comparisons of specific parameters between AF and non-AF cohorts were performed.Results: Our results demonstrated that AF patients had significantly higher odds of more intraoperative bleeding, periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), post-operative cerebral stroke (POCS), post-operative cardiovascular events (POCE) and worse SF-36 physical component score and mental score at mean 24-month after surgery, but had no increased incidence of post-operative gastrointestinal events, DVT and PE in comparison to patients without AF than those without AF disease. Additionally, multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors of patients who underwent severe complication. Smoking, diabetes mellitus and persistent AF were common risk factors of PJI, POCS, and POCE. Heart rate＞70/min and absence of Beta blocker use were common risk factors of POCS and POCE. Absence of LMWH bridging was risk factor of POCS. BMI >25 kg/m2 and hypertension were risk factors of POCE.Conclusions: These findings should be taken into consideration when discussing the expected outcomes of AF patients after TKA. AF disease impaired SF-36 physical component score (PCS) and mental component score (MCS) of patient after TKA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper firstly show that 2 Dimensional Intelligent Driver Model (Jiang et al., 2014) is not able to replicate the synchronized traffic flow. Then we propose an improved model by considering the difference between the driving behaviors at high speeds and that at low speeds, which is in the framework of three-phase traffic theory. Simulations show that the improved model can reproduce the phase transition from synchronized flow to wide moving jams, the spatiotemporal patterns of traffic flow induced by traffic bottleneck, and the concave growth pattern of traffic oscillations (i.e. the standard deviation of the velocities of vehicles increases in a concave/linear way along the platoon). Validating results show that the empirical time series of traffic speed obtained from Floating Car Data can be well simulated as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Protein lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation (Khib) is a novel post-translational modification (PTM) discovered in cells or tissues of animals, microorganisms and plants in recent years. Proteome-wide identification of Khib-modified proteins has been performed in several plant species, suggesting that Khib-modified proteins are involved in a variety of biological processes and metabolic pathways. However, the protein Khib modification in soybean, a globally important legume crop that provides the rich source of plant protein and oil, remains unclear. Results: In this study, the Khib-modified proteins in soybean leaves were identified for the first time using affinity enrichment and high-resolution mass spectrometry-based proteomic techniques, and a systematic bioinformatics analysis of these Khib-modified proteins was performed. Our results showed that a total of 4251 Khib sites in 1532 proteins were identified as overlapping in three replicates (the raw mass spectrometry data are available via ProteomeXchange with the identifier of PXD03650). These Khib-modified proteins are involved in a wide range of cellular processes, particularly enriched in biosynthesis, central carbon metabolism and photosynthesis, and are widely distributed in subcellular locations, mainly in chloroplasts, cytoplasm and nucleus. In addition, a total of 12 sequence motifs were extracted from all identified Khib peptides, and a basic amino acid residue (K), an acidic amino acid residue (E) and three aliphatic amino acid residues with small side chains (G/A/V) were found to be more preferred around the Khib site. Furthermore, 16 highly-connected clusters of Khib proteins were retrieved from the global PPI network, which suggest that Khib modifications tend to occur in proteins associated with specific functional clusters. Conclusions: These findings suggest that Khib modification is an abundant and conserved PTM in soybean and that this modification may play an important role in regulating physiological processes in soybean leaves. The Khib proteomic data obtained in this study will help to further elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of Khib modification in soybean in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an RNA-enveloped virus that belongs to the Flavivirus genus, and ZIKV infections potentially induce severe neurodegenerative diseases and impair male fertility. Palmitoylation is an important post-translational modification of proteins that is mediated by a series of DHHC-palmitoyl transferases, which are implicated in various biological processes and viral infections. However, it remains to be investigated whether palmitoylation regulates ZIKV infections. In this study, we initially observed that the inhibition of palmitoylation by 2-bromopalmitate (2-BP) enhanced ZIKV infections, and determined that the envelope protein of ZIKV is palmitoylated at Cys308. ZDHHC11 was identified as the predominant enzyme that interacts with the ZIKV envelope protein and catalyzes its palmitoylation. Notably, ZDHHC11 suppressed ZIKV infections in an enzymatic activity-dependent manner and ZDHHC11 knockdown promoted ZIKV infection. In conclusion, we proposed that the envelope protein of ZIKV undergoes a novel post-translational modification and identified a distinct mechanism in which ZDHHC11 suppresses ZIKV infections via palmitoylation of the ZIKV envelope protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years, Burkholderia species have emerged as a new source of natural products (NPs) with increasing attractions. Genome mining suggests the Burkholderia genomes include many natural product biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) which are new targets for drug discovery. In order to collect more Burkholderia, here, a strain S-53 was isolated from the soil samples on a mountain area in Changde, P.R. China and verified by comparative genetic analysis to belong to Burkholderia. The complete genome of Burkholderia strain S-53 is 8.2 Mbps in size with an average G + C content of 66.35%. Its taxonomy was both characterized by 16S rRNA- and whole genome-based phylogenetic trees. Bioinformatic prediction in silico revealed it has a total of 15 NP BGCs, some of which may encode unknown products. It is expectable that availability of these BGCs will speed up the identification of new secondary metabolites from Burkholderia and help us understand how sophisticated BGC regulation works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]