Search

Background. Archery exercise exerts a rehabilitative effect on patients with paraplegia and might potentially serve as complementary physiotherapy for patients with Parkinson's disease. Objective. This study aimed to examine the rehabilitative effects of an archery intervention. Methods. A randomized controlled trial of a 12-week intervention was performed in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Thirty-one of the 39 eligible patients recruited from a medical center in Taiwan participated in the trial, of whom 16 were in the experimental group practicing archery exercises and 15 were in the control group at the beginning; twenty-nine completed the whole process. The Purdue pegboard test (PPT), the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale I to III (UPDRS I to III), physical fitness test, and timed up and go test (TUG) were used to assess the intervention effects of archery exercise. Results. Compared to the control group, the outcome differences between the posthoc and baseline tests in PPT, UPDRS I to III, lower extremity muscular strength, and TUG in the experimental group (between-group difference in difference's mean: 2.07, 1.59, 1.36, −2.25, −3.81, −9.10, 3.57, and −1.51, respectively) did show positive changes and their effect sizes examined from Mann–Whitney U tests (η: 0.631, 0.544, 0.555, 0.372, 0.411, 0.470, 0.601, and 0.381, respectively; Ps < 0.05) were medium to large, indicating that the archery intervention exerted promising effects on improving hand flexibility and finger dexterity, activity functions in motor movement, lower extremity muscular strength, and gait and balance ability. Conclusions. Traditional archery exercise was suggested to have a rehabilitative effect for mild to moderate Parkinson's disease and could be a form of physiotherapy. Nevertheless, studies with larger sample sizes and extended intervention periods are needed to ascertain the long-term effects of archery exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Understanding the association between social determinants of health (SDoHs) and microbial keratitis (MK) can inform underlying risk for patients and identify risk factors associated with worse disease, such as presenting visual acuity (VA) and time to initial presentation. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study was conducted with patients presenting with MK to the cornea clinic at a tertiary care hospital in Madurai, India. Patient demographics, SDoH survey responses, geographic pollution, and clinical features at presentation were collected. Descriptive statistics, univariate analysis, multi-variable linear regression models, and Poisson regression models were utilized. Results: There were 51 patients evaluated. The mean age was 51.2 years (SD = 13.3); 33.3% were female and 55% did not visit a vision center (VC) prior to presenting to the clinic. The median presenting logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) VA was 1.1 [Snellen 20/240, inter-quartile range (IQR) = 20/80 to 20/4000]. The median time to presentation was 7 days (IQR = 4.5 to 10). The average particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) concentration, a measure of air pollution, for the districts from which the patients traveled was 24.3 µg/m3 (SD = 1.6). Age- and sex-adjusted linear regression and Poisson regression results showed that higher levels of PM2.5 were associated with 0.28 worse presenting logMAR VA (Snellen 2.8 lines, P = 0.002). Patients who did not visit a VC had a 100% longer time to presentation compared to those who did (incidence rate ratio = 2.0, 95% confidence interval = 1.3--3.0, P = 0.001). Conclusion: Patient SDoH and environmental exposures can impact MK presentation. Understanding SDoH is important for public health and policy implications to mitigate eye health disparities in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metasurfaces are optically thin 2D arrays of subwavelength scatterers that modify scalar and vector properties of incident electromagnetic fields. Metasurface lenses are of particular interest for imaging applications for their flat form factor, compatibility with CMOS fabrication processes, and potential for correcting aberrations with a small number of elements. We advance this capability by realizing a millimeter-diameter, polarization-independent metalens triplet system with chromatic aberration correction over the wavelength range of 1.30–1.60 μm and monochromatic aberration correction enabling a field of view of 50°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transdermal drug delivery is a new means of delivering drugs through the skin to achieve therapeutic effects. Microneedles have several advantages, including low cost, easy self-administration, and high delivery efficiency. Different polymers affect the morphology, mechanical properties, and drug delivery efficiency of microneedles. To study the performance and limitations of microneedles (MNs), we prepared different ratios of polymers. MNs were fabricated from polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-Na) using the centrifugal molding method. Needle morphology, formability, and other properties of the polymers were evaluated to compare the performances of MNs with different ratios. PVP and CMC-Na were intermixed at different ratios with water as the solvent. The soluble MNs were prepared by mold casting. The morphology, thermodynamic properties, and crystallinity were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), differential scanning calorimetric analysis (DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that composite microneedles have good thermal stability. Among the different compositions tested, the 10% PVP/2% CMC-Na composite microneedle demonstrated the best performance with a regular surface morphology and relatively high thermal decomposition and melting temperatures. These results indicate that microneedles with appropriate ratios of two different materials possess good formability and other properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurement of topological insulators is usually achieved by measuring spectra, which is inadequate in higher-order topological insulators because the separation of bandgaps may be blurred, such as body boundaries and corner state hybridization, and the above measurement requires that the energy of the topological mode must be located in the bulk bandgap to be measured. Recent experiments have shown a strong relationship between the fractional mode charge and the location of the Wannier center in the crystal body. The fractional quantization of the corner charge originates from the filling anomaly, and the fractional mode charge can be calculated from experimental measurements of the local density of states to describe the topological state of the system, which has been demonstrated in optical systems. We have achieved a similar effect in acoustics by utilizing a coupled acoustic-cavity system featuring C3, C4, and C6 symmetries for simulation. Furthermore, we extended our study to 3D third-order topological crystalline insulators to validate the fractional-corner charge approach. The simulation and theoretical results demonstrate that the fractional mode charge can clearly identify the high-order topology, even without gap states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapidly emerging field of computational pathology has demonstrated promise in developing objective prognostic models from histology images. However, most prognostic models are either based on histology or genomics alone and do not address how these data sources can be integrated to develop joint image-omic prognostic models. Additionally, identifying explainable morphological and molecular descriptors from these models that govern such prognosis is of interest. We use multimodal deep learning to jointly examine pathology whole-slide images and molecular profile data from 14 cancer types. Our weakly supervised, multimodal deep-learning algorithm is able to fuse these heterogeneous modalities to predict outcomes and discover prognostic features that correlate with poor and favorable outcomes. We present all analyses for morphological and molecular correlates of patient prognosis across the 14 cancer types at both a disease and a patient level in an interactive open-access database to allow for further exploration, biomarker discovery, and feature assessment. [Display omitted] • Multimodal data fusion improves prognostic models for a majority of cancer types • Multimodal attribution elucidates the importance of individual modalities • Model interpretability elucidates morphologic and molecular correlates of prognosis Chen et al. present a pan-cancer analysis that uses deep learning to integrate whole-slide pathology images and molecular features to predict cancer prognosis, with multimodal interpretability used to elucidate morphologic and molecular correlates of prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural, morphological, magnetic properties, and cation distribution of CoFeO nanoparticles were investigated by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer at room temperature. Single-phase CoFeO nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal method. The results indicated that the average crystallite size and the magnetic hyperfine field of CoFeO nanoparticles increased with increasing reaction time, which suggested the improved crystallinity and magnetic order. The relative absorption area of component B in Mössbauer spectra assigned to the Fe ions occupying the octahedral B sites decreased with increasing reaction time, indicating that more Co ions migrated from the tetrahedral A sites to the B sites. The saturation magnetization of the samples increased with increasing reaction time, which resulted from the increase in crystallite size with longer reaction time. The increase of coercivity was attributed to both increasing crystallite size and more Co ions migrating to the B sites with increasing reaction time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) twin pregnancies, unequal placental sharing does not always lead to adverse outcomes. The aim of this study is to investigate how unequal placental sharing may be compensated by placental anatomical changes. Methods: Between January 2012 and July 2013, a total of 60 uncomplicated MCDA pregnancies ending in live birth of healthy twins were studied. Placentas were divided into two groups; an equally shared placenta group (placenta territory discordance ≤25%,N = 40) and an unequally shared placenta group (placenta territory discordance >25%,N = 20). Angioarchitecture, cord insertion type and the distance between two cord insertions were compared. Results: Vascular anastomoses were seen in all 60 placentas, and 58 placentas (96.7%) had arterioarterial anastomoses (AA). The overall diameter of the AA was larger in the unequally shared placenta group as compared to the equally shared placentas (0.27 ± 0.12 cm versus 0.19 ± 0.1 cm,p < 0.05). The distance between the cord insertions was shorter in the unequally shared group (14.5 ± 6.0 cm versus 18.3 ± 6.5 cm,p < 0.05). Conclusion: The absence of adverse outcomes in unequally shared placenta group can be explained by the presence of large AA and shorter distance between cord insertions, protecting the twin with the smaller placental part against growth restriction and other pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Yb2 SiO5 is a promising material for thermal/environmental barrier coatings (T/ EBCs), and its mechanical and thermal properties, which are essential to the coating design and applications, are investigated in this work. Yb2 SiO5 has relatively high fracture toughness, bending and compressive strength, but low Young's modulus. It is also tolerant to damage, which is underpinned by grain delamination and cleavage along {100}, {001}, and {040} planes. The average linear coefficient of thermal expansion ( CTE) is 6.3 × 10−6 K−1 (473-1673 K) and the anisotropic CTEs are: αa = (2.98 ± 0.16) × 10−6 K−1,αb = (6.51 ± 0.19) × 10−6 K−1, and αc = (9.08 ± 0.16) × 10−6 K−1. The thermal conductivities are 2.3 and 1.5 W (m·K)−1 at 300 and 1200 K, respectively. The unique combination of these properties warrants Yb2 SiO5 promising for T/ EBCs applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis , is an important invasive pest with a strong tolerance for extreme temperatures; however, the molecular mechanisms that regulate thermotolerance in this insect remain unclear. In this study, four heat shock protein genes were cloned from F. occidentalis and named Fohsp90 , Fohsc701 , Fohsc702 and Fohsp60 . These four Hsps exhibited typical characteristics of heat shock proteins. Subcellular localization signals and phylogenetic analysis indicated that FoHsp90 and FoHsc701 localize to the cytosol, whereas FoHsc702 and FoHsp60 were located in the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, respectively. Analysis of genomic sequences revealed the presence of introns in the four genes (three, four, seven, and five introns for Fohsp90 , Fohsc701 , Fohsc702 and Fohsp60 , respectively). Both the number and position of introns in these four genes were quite different from analogous genes in other species. qRT-PCR indicated that the four Fohsps were detected in second-stage larvae, one-day-old pupae, and one-day-old adults, and mRNA expression levels were lowest in larvae and highest in pupae. Fohsc701 and Fohsc702 possessed similar expression patterns and were not induced by cold or heat stress. Expression of Fohsp60 was significantly elevated by heat, and Fohsp90 was rapidly up-regulated after exposure to both cold and heat stress. Exposure to −8 °C had no effect on expression of the four Fohsps ; however, expression of Fohsp90 and Fohsp60 was highest after a 2-h incubation at 39 °C. Furthermore, cold and heat hardening led to significant up-regulation of the four Fohsps compared to their respective controls. Collectively, our results indicate that the four FoHsps contribute to insect development and also function in rapid cold or heat hardening; furthermore, FoHsp90 and FoHsp60 contribute to thermotolerance in F. occidentalis . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In building information modeling (BIM), the model is a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility and contains enriched product information pertaining to the facility. This information is generally embedded into the BIM model as properties for parametric building objects, and is exchangeable among project stakeholders and BIM design programs – a key feature of BIM for enhancing communication and work efficiency. However, BIM itself is a purpose-built, product-centric information database and lacks domain semantics such that extracting construction-oriented quantity take-off information for the purpose of construction workface planning still remains a challenge. Moreover, some information crucial to construction practitioners, such as the topological relationships among building objects, remains implicit in the BIM design model. This restricts information extraction from the BIM model for downstream analyses in construction. To address identified limitations, this study proposes an ontology-based semantic approach to extracting construction-oriented quantity take-off information from a BIM design model. This approach allows users to semantically query the BIM design model using a domain vocabulary, capitalizing on building product ontology formalized from construction perspectives. As such, quantity take-off information relevant to construction practitioners can be readily extracted and visualized in 3D in order to serve application needs in the construction field. A prototype application is implemented in Autodesk Revit to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed new approach in the domain of light-frame building construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The association between type 1 diabetes and thyroid autoimmunity has been studied in various populations, but seldom on Taiwanese children and adolescents. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the incidence of autoimmune thyroid disorders in Taiwanese children and adolescent patients with type 1 diabetes, based on data from a nationwide, population-based, health claims database. Methods: Using Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified 3,652 patients with type 1 diabetes between 2000 and 2012. A comparison cohort was assembled, which consisted of five patients without type 1 diabetes, based on frequency matching for sex and 3-year age interval, for each patient with type 1 diabetes. Both groups were followed until diagnosis of thyroid disorders or the end of the follow-up period. Poisson regression models were used to calculate incidence rate ratios for the thyroid disorders between the type 1 diabetes cohort and the comparison cohort. Results: Simple and unspecified goiter (International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification [ICD-9-CM] code 240), thyrotoxicosis (ICD-9-CM code 242), unspecified hypothyroidism (ICD-9-CM code 244.9), and thyroiditis (ICD-9-CM code 245) showed significantly higher incidences in the type 1 diabetes cohort compared with the control cohort, with incidence rate ratios of 2.74, 6.95, 6.54, 16.07, respectively. Conclusions: Findings from this nationwide, population-based cohort study showed that the incidences of autoimmune thyroid disorders were significantly higher in Taiwanese children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes compared with those without the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let 풞 be a triangulated category which has Auslander-Reiten triangles, and ℛ a functorially finite rigid subcategory of 풞. It is well known that there exist Auslander-Reiten sequences in mod ℛ. In this paper, we give explicitly the relations between the Auslander-Reiten translations, sequences in mod ℛ and the Auslander-Reiten functors, triangles in 풞, respectively. Furthermore, if 풯 is a cluster-tilting subcategory of 풞 and mod 풯 is a Frobenius category, we also get the Auslander-Reiten functor and the translation functor of mod 풯 corresponding to the ones in 풞. As a consequence, we get that if the quotient of a d-Calabi-Yau triangulated category modulo a cluster tilting subcategory is Frobenius, then its stable category is (2d-1)-Calabi-Yau. This result was first proved by Keller and Reiten in the case d=2, and then by Dugas in the general case, using different methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UHTCs based coatings (ZrB 2 –SiC coating and ZrC–SiC coating) are prepared on the surface of PIP-C/SiC composites by slurry and CVD method, and the thermal stability is one of the key issues for C/SiC composites. This study aims to study thermal shock behavior of the coated composites. The results show the degradation of flexural strength without obvious variation, and the fracture mode and pull-out mechanism are also changed. The composition of coatings is characterized by XRD, SEM and XPS. The decrease of flexural strength during the tests is due to the debonding of the coating-matrix interfaces. Compared to uncoated C/SiC composites, the UHTCs based coatings are able to improve the mechanical properties of the composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a general and efficient method for aerobic oxidative synthesis of benzimidazoles from oximes catalyzed by Fe(NO)·9HO under air in water. This practical method uses air as an economic and green oxidant, water as a green solvent, and tolerates a wide range of substrates that can afford the target benzimidazoles in moderate to good yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Caspase-cleaved Cytokeratin-18 (CCCK-18) is released during apoptosis. Serum CCCK-18 concentrations are associated with prognosis of some critical illness. We investigated the potential relationships between serum CCCK-18 concentrations and disease severity and long-term clinical outcomes after intracerebral hemorrhage. Methods Serum CCCK-18 concentrations were determined in a total of 102 patients and 102 controls. Multivariate models were used to predict high concentration of CCCK-18 and 6-month clinical outcomes. The predictive values were evaluated based on areas under receiver operating curve. Results Compared with controls, serum CCCK-18 concentrations were increased in patients (245.8 ± 108.3 U/l vs. 23.6 ± 18.1 U/l, P < 0.001). National Institute of Health Stroke Scale scores [odds ratio (OR), 1.164; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.027–1.320; P = 0.003] and hematoma volumes (OR, 1.079; 95% CI, 1.018–1.205; P = 0.008) were independent predictors of high concentration of CCCK-18. CCCK-18 was identified as an independent predictor of 6-month mortality (OR, 1.019; 95% CI, 1.010–1.038; P = 0.013) and 6-month unfavorable outcome (OR, 1.017; 95% CI, 1.008–1.029; P = 0.032) and possessed high predictive values. Conclusion Increased serum CCCK-18 concentrations are associated with disease severity and clinical outcomes, suggesting that CCCK represent a novel prognostic predictive biomarker after intracerebral hemorrhage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although both the presupplementary motor area (pre-SMA) and the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) have been demonstrated to be critical for response inhibition, there is still considerable disagreement over the roles they play in the process. In the present study, we investigated the causal relations of the pre-SMA and the rIFG in a conditional stop-signal task by applying offline theta-burst transcranial magnetic stimulation. The task introduced a continue condition, which requires the same motor response as in a go trial but captures attention as in a stop trial. We found great individual differences in the amount of slowing on continue trials. Temporary suppression of pre-SMA activity prolonged the continue RT in participants who slowed little in response to continue trials, whereas disruption of the rIFG did not lead to significant changes in performance irrespective of the degree of slowing. Our results contribute to the understanding of the role of the pre-SMA by providing causal evidence that it is involved in response slowing on continue trials during conditional stopping, and it is likely that its efficiency in updating motor planning and reinitiating an inhibited response was associated with the amount of slowing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a progressive systemic autoimmune disorder with a strong female predominance. Hormonal influences are thought to play a role in the development of pSS. However, no studies have specifically evaluated the association between irregular menstrual cycles and pSS. Therefore, using a health claims database, this study investigated the risk of pSS in women with irregular menstrual cycles. We conducted a case-control study using the Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. A total of 360 patients diagnosed with pSS (International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision, clinical modification, ICD-9-CM code 710.2) between 2001 and 2012 were identified. Controls were frequency-matched at a rate of 5:1 to the cases by five-year age interval and index year. Both cases and controls were retrospectively traced back until 2001 for the diagnosis of irregular menstrual cycles (ICD-9-CM code 626.4). The risk of pSS was assessed using multivariate logistic regression analyses. Irregular menstrual cycles were significantly associated with pSS [adjusted odds ratio, (AOR) = 1.38, p = 0.027], after adjusted for insured amount, urbanization level, and thyroid disorder. In addition, when the data were stratified by three age categories, only the patients in the age category of 45-55 years showed significant association between irregular menstrual cycles and pSS (AOR = 1.74, p = 0.005). In this nationwide, population-based case-control study, we found a significant increased risk of pSS in female patients with irregular menstrual cycles, particularly those in their mid-forties to mid-fifties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We hypothesized that anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) react with osteoblast surface citrullinated proteins and affect cell function, leading to joint damage in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). First, we purified ACPAs by cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP)-conjugated affinity column chromatography. The cognate antigens of ACPAs on Saos-2 cells, a sarcoma osteogenic cell line generated from human osteoblasts, were probed by ACPAs, and the reactive bands were analyzed using proteomic analyses. We found that ACPAs bind to Saos-2 cell membrane, and several protein candidates, including HSP60, were identified. We then cloned and purified recombinant heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) and citrullinated HSP60 (citHSP60) and investigated the effect of ACPAs on Saos-2 cell. We confirmed that HSP60 obtained from Saos-2 cell membrane were citrullinated and reacted with ACPAs, which induces Saos-2 cells apoptosis via binding to surface-expressed citHSP60 through Toll-like receptor 4 signaling. ACPAs promoted interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 expression in Saos-2 cells. Finally, sera from patients with RA and healthy controls were examined for their titers of anti-HSP60 and anti-citHSP60 antibodies using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The radiographic change in patients with RA was evaluated using the Genant-modified Sharp scoring system. Patients with RA showed higher sera titers of anti-citHSP60, but not anti-HSP60, antibodies when compared with controls. In addition, the anti-citHSP60 level was positively associated with increased joint damage in patients with RA. In conclusion, Saos-2 cell apoptosis was mediated by ACPAs via binding to cell surface-expressed citHSP60 and the titer of anti-citHSP60 in patients with RA positively associated with joint damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The pathogenesis of tremor in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET) is not fully understood. This study tested the role of primary motor cortex (M1), supplementary motor area (SMA) and cerebellar cortex on PD and ET tremor by single- and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Methods Ten PD patients with resting tremor, six of them also with postural tremor, and ten ET patients with postural tremor were studied. Randomized single- and paired-pulse TMS with an interstimulus interval of 100 ms were delivered over M1, SMA and cerebellum. TMS effects were evaluated by calculating a tremor-resetting index (RI). Results Single- vs. paired-pulse TMS showed no difference. M1-TMS and SMA-TMS but not by cerebellar TMS induced a significant RI in PD and ET. M1-TMS resulted in a significantly higher RI in PD than ET. Furthermore, M1-TMS in PD but not in ET resulted in a significantly higher RI than SMA-TMS. Conclusions Findings suggest a stronger involvement of M1 in resting and postural tremor in PD than postural tremor in ET. Significance RI provides a useful marker to explore the differential functional role of M1, SMA and cerebellum in PD vs. ET tremor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and efficient catalytic system including 3-methyl-4-oxa-5-azahomoadamantane and FeCl for aerobic oxidative synthesis of benzimidazoles from primary amines and o-phenylenediamine is presented. This process uses O as economic and green oxidant and water as green solvent, tolerates a wide range of substrates, and can afford the target products in moderate to excellent yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical fringes with a quadratic phase are often encountered in optical metrology. Parameter estimation of such fringes plays an important role in interferometric measurements. A novel method is proposed for accurate and direct parameter estimation using the fractional Fourier transform (FRFT), even in the presence of noise and obstacles. We take Newton׳s rings fringe patterns and electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI) interferograms as classic examples of optical fringes that have a quadratic phase and present simulation and experimental results demonstrating the performance of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine whether 2A protease of the enterovirus genus with type I internal ribosome entry site (IRES) effect on the viral replication of type II IRES, coxsackievirus B3(CVB3)-encoded protease 2A and encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) IRES (Type II)-dependent or cap-dependent report gene were transiently co-expressed in eukaryotic cells. We found that CVB3 2A protease not only inhibited translation of cap-dependent reporter genes through the cleavage of eIF4GI, but also conferred high EMCV IRES-dependent translation ability and promoted EMCV replication. Moreover, deletions of short motif (aa13–18 RVVNRH, aa65–70 KNKHYP, or aa88–93 PRRYQSH) resembling the nuclear localization signals (NLS) or COOH-terminal acidic amino acid motif (aa133–147 DIRDLLWLEDDAMEQ) of CVB3 2A protease decreased both its EMCV IRES-dependent translation efficiency and destroy its cleavage on eukaryotic initiation factor 4G (eIF4G) I. Our results may provide better understanding into more effective interventions and treatments for co-infection of viral diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and efficient protocol for preparing benzimidazoles via Fe(NO3)3 · 9H2O-catalyzed aerobic oxidation reaction of imine derivatives witho-phenylenediamine. This process uses air as an economical and green oxidant, tolerates a wide range of substrates, and affords the targeted benzimidazoles in moderate to excellent yields. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The structural and magnetic properties of L1-FePt/Ag films were studied by X-ray diffraction and a vibrating sample magnetometer. The FeAg/Pt films were obtained by depositing FeAg thin films on thermally oxidized Si (001) substrates via magnetron sputtering and Pt layers on their surface after annealing FeAg thin films at 400 °C with and without an out-of-plane magnetic field of 10 kOe. These films were further annealed at various temperatures to obtain L1-FePt phase. The results indicated that the pre-annealing of FeAg thin films under 10 kOe magnetic field caused (001) orientation of Fe particles, and the deposition of Pt layer on such orientated underlayers reduced the ordering temperature of FePt in FeAg/Pt films, realizing the L1-FePt phase at 400 °C. The higher coercivity and ordering degree were also observed in the samples, compared with those pre-annealed without magnetic field at the same annealing condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positive psychology is a useful framework to understand Latina/o students’ experiences. In the current study, we examined how presence of meaning in life, search for meaning in life, hope, and family importance influenced 128 Latina/o college students’ psychological grit. We used the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), Subjective Happiness Scale, Hope Scale, Pan-Hispanic Familism Scale, and Short Grit Scale to measure the aforementioned factors. Using multiple regression analysis, findings indicated that hope and search for meaning in life were significant predictors of psychological grit. Higher levels of hope positively predicted psychological grit, while higher levels of search for meaning in life negatively predicted psychological grit. We provide a discussion regarding the importance of these findings as well as recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study synthesized the In(OH) 3 –In 2 S 3 nanosheet via a simple hydrothermal method. The different amounts of In(OH) 3 –In 2 S 3 nanosheet used to synthesize In(OH) 3 –In 2 S 3 –Cu 2 O composite by a wet chemical method. FESEM, FETEM, XRD, XPS, BET, UV–vis DRS, and PL spectroscopy characterized the In(OH) 3 –In 2 S 3 –Cu 2 O composite. Compared with In(OH) 3 –In 2 S 3 nanosheet, In(OH) 3 –In 2 S 3 –Cu 2 O composite can exhibit the synergistic effects of higher specific surface area, higher light-harvesting capacity, and accelerating the separation and migration of photogenerated charge carriers. In addition, In(OH) 3 –In 2 S 3 –Cu 2 O nanofiber was fabricated via a facile electrospinning process at the different amounts of In(OH) 3 –In 2 S 3 nanosheet. The manufacturing process offers many advantages, such as simplicity, low temperature, and without templates. The effect of operational parameters (such as the reaction conditions of photocatalysts, pH values, sacrificial reagents, and light sources) on the photocatalytic hydrogen production of In(OH) 3 –In 2 S 3 –Cu 2 O nanofiber was investigated. The results indicate that the appropriate reaction conditions of In(OH) 3 –In 2 S 3 –Cu 2 O nanofiber can reveal higher efficient photocatalytic water splitting than commercial TiO 2 or ZnO nanofiber under blue light LED excitation. Furthermore, In(OH) 3 –In 2 S 3 –Cu 2 O nanofiber can provide a simple fabrication process, high photocatalytic activity, and high reusability shall be beneficial for the practical application of photocatalytic hydrogen production. [Display omitted] • In 2 S 3 –In(OH) 3 –Cu 2 O nanofiber (NF) was prepared using the electrospinning method. • In 2 S 3 –In(OH) 3 –Cu 2 O NF exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity for H 2 evolution. • The HER of In 2 S 3 –In(OH) 3 –Cu 2 O NF is 14.5 times higher than In(OH) 3 NF. • Cu 2 O nanoparticles can enhance charge-carries separation and transfer efficiency. • The mechanism for the photocatalytic H 2 production with In 2 S 3 –In(OH) 3 –Cu 2 O was explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) functions to maintain cellular and organismal homeostasis by regulating the expression of target genes, including those encoding heat shock proteins (HSPs). In the present study, the gene encoding HSF1 was cloned from the rice pest Chilo suppressalis, and designated Cshsf1. The deduced protein product, CsHSF1, contained conserved domains typical of the HSF1 family, including a DNA‐binding domain, two hydrophobic heptad repeat domains, and a C‐terminal transactivation domain. Real‐time quantitative PCR showed that Cshsf1 was highly expressed in hemocytes. Expression analysis in different developmental stages of C. suppressalis revealed that Cshsf1 was most highly expressed in male adults. RNAi‐mediated silencing of Cshsf1 expression reduced C. suppressalis survival at high temperatures. To investigate the regulatory interactions between Cshsf1 and Cshsps, the promoters and expression patterns of 18 identified Cshsps in C. suppressalis were analysed; four types of heat shock elements (HSEs) were identified in promoter regions including canonical, tail–tail, head–head, and step/gap. The expression of Cshsp19.0, Cshsp21.7B, Cshsp60, Cshsp70 and Cshsp90 was positively regulated by Cshsf1; however, Cshsp22.8, Cshsp702, Cshsp705 and Cshsp706 gene expression was not altered. This study provides a foundation for future studies of HSF1 in insects during thermal stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • DBD plasma pretreatment was beneficial to the production of SCFAs and acetic acid. • The biodegradability of dissolved organic matter was improved. • The degradation effect of MC-LR in fermentation broth was improved. • Chemical oxidation and biodegradation worked together on MC-LR. The recycling of high value carbon resources from cyanobacteria has become a research hotspot. This work investigated the possibility of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma pretreatment to improve the anaerobic fermentation performance of cyanobacteria. The maximum accumulations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and acetic acid in DBD group were 3.30 and 1.49 times of that in control group. The physical effects of DBD plasma and the oxidative stress response of cyanobacteria cells could improve the solubilization of cyanobacteria polymer. The destruction of humus by DBD plasma can reduce the negative impact of humus on the early stage of anaerobic fermentation, thus facilitating the rapid start of anaerobic fermentation. The contents of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Chloroflexi in DBD group were higher than those in control group, while the content of Proteobacteria was on the contrary, which was conducive to the hydrolysis and acidification process. The decrease of Methanosaeta sp. and Methanosarcina sp. abundance in DBD group might be another reason for the increase of acetic acid ratio. Under the joint action of plasma chemical oxidation and microbial degradation, the degradation effect of microcystin-LR in the anaerobic fermentation supernatant of DBD group was better than that of the control group, which was conducive to the recycling of cyanobacteria anaerobic fermentation supernatant. Therefore, DBD pretreatment was conductive to recycling valuable carbon source from cyanobacteria and can be further developed as a potential new pretreatment technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T helper cells play an important role in the aetiology of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Vitamin D has an anti-inflammatory effect on T helper cells and can affect onset and pathogenesis of MS. Two genes of the metabolic Vitamin D pathway expressed by activated T helper (Th) cells have been identified as MS risk genes by genome-wide association studies, CYP27B1 (25(OH)D 3 1-alpha-hydroxylase) and CYP24A1 (1,25(OH) 2 D 3 24-alpha-hydroxylase). Therefore, we hypothesize that the MS risk alleles around gene CYP27B1 and CYP24A1 are associated with the altered inflammatory profile of peripheral Th cells in PBMCs both ex vivo and in vitro potentially influencing the pathogenesis of MS. PBMCs from MS patients (41 RRMS patients in their remitting stage and 4 SPMS patients) and 12 healthy controls were collected, subpopulation of Th cells in PBMCs and cytokine profile were tested by Flow cytometry and Cytometric Bead Array (CBA), respectively. MS risk SNPs were genotyped by allele-specific PCR analysis. Data were analysed using nonparametric tests and linear regression for adjusting multiple factors. The proportion of Th17.1, Th17 and Th1 cells were all associated with MS while the proportions of Th2 (significant) and Th17 (near significant) cells were correlated with the expanded disability scale score of MS patients. Additionally, we found a MS-specific dysregulation in the IL-6 and TNF production of Th cells in Concanavalin A-stimulated PBMCs. Furthermore, the risk allele rs2248359-C (near gene CYP24A1) showed a consistent inhibitory effect on the proportions of Th1 and Th17.1 cells, and the presence of the homozygous risk allele rs703842-AA (near gene CYP27B1) reduced the production of IL-2. In conclusion, both MS disease and its risk alleles near Vitamin D metabolism genes influence the inflammatory profile of T helper cells in PBMCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The splitter is resistor-free and eliminates the safety concern of local resistors. • The splitter is a one-board-fits-all design and does not require for cable/microstrip line libraries. • Splitting ratio can be continuously adjusted to any ratio. • Phase delays at two outputs are always the same regardless of splitting ratios. • The circuit was validated by EM simulation, bench test, and MRI experiments. Ratio adjustable power splitter (RAPS) circuits were recently proposed for add-on RF shimming. Previous RAPSs split the input RF signal with a Wilkinson splitter or 50-Ω-terminated hybrid coupler into two branches, delay these two signals with cable/microstrip line phase shifters, and recombine them with another hybrid coupler. They require resistors to provide high output isolation and a cable/microstrip line library to realize desired splitting ratios. Here we propose a novel resistor-free RAPS circuit in which the Wilkinson splitter/50-Ω-terminated hybrid is replaced with a resistor-free T-junction splitter. A novel sliding mechanism was employed to further combine the T-junction's output arms with subsequent phase shifters and realize a one-board-fits-all design. The resistor-free RAPS was theoretically analyzed, simulated, and validated on workbench and MRI experiments. The resistor-free RAPS's splitting ratio has a tan/cot dependence on the phase/length difference between the T-junction output arms. The ratio can be continuously adjusted to any value by sliding the input arm without additional cable/microstrip libraries, largely saving time and effort when determining the best RF weights in practice. The fabricated resistor-free RAPS has a compact size, excellent input impedance matching, and a low insertion loss. Potential safety concerns caused by unwanted power dissipation on RF resistors are eliminated. The simulation and MRI experiments demonstrated that the resistor-free RAPS functions well on a widely-used Tx coil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a new explanation for China’s low consumption-to-GDP ratio by highlighting the constraints of the “household registration system” ( Hukou ) on China’s household consumption. Our baseline results show that the consumption of migrants is 16–20% lower than that of local urban residents. We further find evidence suggesting that, caused by Hukou restrictions, migrants save more for precautionary purposes, have lower expectation of permanent income, and consume much less durable goods because of high mobility. Moreover, we have found no evidence that the consumption heterogeneity can be explained by migration effects, culture, or other forms of household heterogeneity. As both the number and income level of migrants are rising quickly, the constraining effects of Hukou on household consumption is increasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We generalize results on existence of recollement situations of singularity categories of lower triangular Gorenstein algebras and stable monomorphism categories of Cohen–Macaulay modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Slow transit constipation is a common disorder in children, which often does not respond well to ordinary treatments. We have conducted a systematic review of reported studies in order to better define the current state of knowledge about electrical stimulation treatment of slow transit constipation in children. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, BioMed Central, and ISI Web of Knowledge with relevant terms; six studies, all from one center, met the criteria for inclusion. Two trials were randomized clinical trials, and four were prospective studies. The number of subjects included in the studies was 8 to 39, with ages 3 to 18 years. Results: Treatment sessions varied from 20 to 30 min 3 times per week to 1 h daily, and duration of therapy varied from 3 weeks to 6 months. Statistically significant improvements after electrical stimulation therapy were recorded in one to four outcome measures in each of the studies: frequency of defecation, soiling, Bristol Stool Scale, radionuclear transit studies, and quality of life; however, the improvements were of modest degree and of uncertain clinical significance. Quality assessment of the studies found various levels of bias, with attrition bias and reporting bias in all six. Conclusions: This systemic review found moderate support for the effectiveness of electrical stimulation therapy in slow transit constipation in children. However, better-designed studies, with larger and more diverse patient populations followed for longer time periods, will be needed in order to reliably determine the efficacy of electrical stimulation therapy in the treatment of this disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boiling is commonly used in daily life and is an efficient heat removal method. During pool boiling, the critical heat flux (CHF) establishes the upper limit of efficient heat removal. Although, numerous studies have explored CHF, its exact mechanisms remain ambiguous. The hydrodynamic instability model is the most prominent CHF model, but it fails to explain the evident dependence of CHF on surface properties. The authors proposed modifying the hydrodynamic model to account for how nucleation site density and finite heater size affect the CHF. The experimental CHF values obtained from evaluating various types of surfaces qualitatively agreed with the predictions of the modified hydrodynamic model. This suggests that the CHFs on these surfaces were due to the hydrodynamic limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure, magnetic properties and cation distribution of Co 1− x Mg x Fe 2 O 4 /SiO 2 ( x =0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8) nanocomposites synthesized by the sol–gel method were studied at room temperature by using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The lattice constant of Co 1− x Mg x Fe 2 O 4 in the nanocomposite decreased with increasing the Mg 2+ content, and average crystallite size was in the range of 33–39 nm. The saturation magnetization of the samples decreased with increasing composition x , while the coercivtiy increased firstly and then decreased, showing a maximum value of 2604 Oe at x =0.6. The Mössbauer spectra were fitted with two Zeeman sextets, indicating that all the samples were completely magnetically ordered. The cation distribution was discussed and the variations of the magnetic moment per formula unit indicated that Co 1− x Mg x Fe 2 O 4 in the nanocomposite was a collinear ferrimagnetic structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the difficulty of detecting the fault condition of copper flotation in real-time, a new fault condition detection method based on the wavelet multiscale binary image is proposed. Firstly, the froth gray image is decomposed into approximation sub-images and detailed sub-images by wavelet transformation, whereby the approximation sub-images of different scales are restructured and binarized. Then a new feature that is directly related to froth morphology, namely the equivalent size feature, is obtained by calculating the white area of each binary image according to the space-frequency relationship of a two-dimensional wavelet transformation. After this, the equivalent size distribution of the froth image can be obtained through the equivalent size feature. At last, the equivalent size distributions of different froth images are compared in order to classify the froth images under different flotation conditions. Experiment results, together with the industrial field data, show that this method can simply and effectively detect fault conditions in the copper flotation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recombinant expression in Escherichia coli allows the simple, economical, and effective production of bioactive peptides. On the other hand, the production of native peptides, particularly those rich in disulfide bonds, is a major problem. Previous studies have reported that the use of carrier proteins for fusion expression can result in good peptide yields, but few are folded correctly. In this study, two transmembrane small proteins in E. coli, YoaJ and YkgR, which both orientate with their N-termini in cytoplasm and their C-termini in periplasm, were used for fusion expression. The recombinant production of two peptides, asteropsin A (ASPA) and β-defensin (BD), was induced in the periplasm of E. coli using a selected carrier protein. Both peptides were expressed at high levels, at yields of approximately 5-10 mg/L of culture. Mass spectrometry showed that the resulting peptide had the same molecular weight as their natural forms. After purification, single peaks were observed by reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), demonstrating the absence of isoforms. Furthermore, cytoplasmically expressed fusion proteins with a carrier at their C-termini did not contain disulfide bonds. This study provides new carrier proteins for fusion expression of disulfide bond-rich peptides in E. coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant evidence demonstrates that oxidative stress can impair insulin secretion and contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are reported to be positively related to insulin secretion. This study aimed to determine how oxidative stress affects the function of islets and whether BCAAs can ameliorate the oxidative stress, and accompanying c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), protein kinase D1 (PKD1), and pancreatic/duodenal homeobox-1 (PDX-1) changes induced by streptozotocin (STZ). Plasma glucose, plasma insulin, and JNK, PKD1 and PDX-1 mRNA and protein expression were measured in rats treated with STZ and BCAAs. The glucose level in STZ-induced diabetic rats was much higher than that in control animals, and the elevated plasma glucose level in diabetic rats could be significantly inhibited by BCAAs treatment. Consistent with the change in glucose levels, the levels of insulin were also affected by BCAAs treatment. The mRNA and protein expression of JNK, PDX-1, and PKD1 were significantly altered in diabetic rats compared with the control group (P < 0.01) and treatment with a low dose of BCAA reversed these changes in those above markers significantly (P < 0.01). The present study demonstrated that STZ-induced oxidative stress could reduce serum insulin levels and alter the JNK, PDX-1, and PKD1 expression. BCAAs restored the levels of serum insulin reversed changes in JNK, PDX-1, and PKD1 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the pathogenic role of calcium (Ca2+) influx-regulated microRNAs (miRNAs) in T cells from patients with SLE.Methods. Expression profiles of 270 human miRNAs in Jurkat cells co-cultured with or without ionomycin were analysed by real-time PCR. Differential expression of miRNAs in T cell samples from 28 patients with SLE (SLE T cells) and 20 healthy controls were investigated using western blot analysis of proteins expressed by respective miRNA target transcripts. Transfection studies were conducted to investigate miRNA-specific biological functions.Results. Initial analysis revealed differential expression of nine miRNAs in Jurkat cells after co-culture with ionomycin. Of these, miR-524-5p and miR-449b were overexpressed in SLE T cells. Levels of expressed miR-524-5p showed a significant direct correlation with the SLEDAI. Transfection of Jurkat cells with miR-524-5p mimic suppressed Jagged-1 and Hes-1 protein expression. Likewise, expression of both Jagged-1 and Hes-1 proteins were diminished in SLE T cells. Upon activation of Jurkat cells transfected with miR-524-5p mimic, production of IFN-γ increased but the apoptotic rate was unaffected.Conclusion. In SLE T cells, miR-524-5p and miR-449b (both regulated by Ca2+ influx) were overexpressed. Moreover, increased miR-524-5p expression, as shown by patients with SLE, directly paralleled disease activity (SLEDAI). Transfection of miR-524-5p also enhanced IFN-γ production in activated Jurkat cells. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In a number of electromagnetic actuators, the stator and translator are structured to create highly nonlinear fringing flux to generate force that varies linearly with displacement. Reliable prediction of such force requires an accurate model for the fringing flux. Assuming that saturation is neglected and the fringings are elliptical, a reluctance model for fringing flux is derived that depends on displacement, material properties, and one tuning parameter describing the shape of the ellipse. Fringing-related reluctances are assembled with the reluctances of the regions with linear flux to predict magnetic field, energy, and force. Upon tuning, the force predicted by the model is within 10% of the simulated and measured forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pink stem borer, Sesamia inferens, which is endemic in China and other parts of Asia, is a major pest of rice and causes significant yield loss in this host plant. Very few studies have addressed gene expression in S. inferens. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is currently the most accurate and sensitive method for gene expression analysis. In qRT-PCR, data are normalized using reference genes, which help control for internal differences and reduce error between samples. In this study, seven candidate reference genes, 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA), elongation factor 1 (EF1), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), ribosomal protein S13 (RPS13), ribosomal protein S20 (RPS20), tubulin (TUB), and β-actin (ACTB) were evaluated for their suitability in normalizing gene expression under different experimental conditions. The results indicated that three genes (RPS13, RPS20, and EF1) were optimal for normalizing gene expression in different insect tissues (head, epidermis, fat body, foregut, midgut, hindgut, Malpighian tubules, haemocytes, and salivary glands). 18S rRNA, EF1, and GAPDH were best for normalizing expression with respect to developmental stages and sex (egg masses; first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth instar larvae; male and female pupae; and one-day-old male and female adults). 18S rRNA, RPS20, and TUB were optimal for fifth instars exposed to different temperatures (−8, −6, −4, −2, 0, and 27°C). To validate this recommendation, the expression profile of a target gene heat shock protein 83 gene (hsp83) was investigated, and results showed the selection was necessary and effective. In conclusion, this study describes reference gene sets that can be used to accurately measure gene expression in S. inferens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the authors first reviewed related literature on possible factors that influence learning between an online learning (OL) course format and a face-to-face (F2F) course format. The authors investigated OL and F2F learning perceptions and effectiveness of a graduate-level research methods course at a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI). Thirty-three graduate students who took the same introductory research methods course in different formats participated in this exploratory study. The authors conducted content analysis for qualitative data and exploratory data analysis, bivariate correlation analysis, and mean comparisons for quantitative data using SPSS. Similarities and differences between OL and F2F in a research methods course from HSI learners’ perspectives were presented. Findings also revealed that perceived difficulty of coursework and perceived time involvement were important factors in delivering course content when designing either OL or F2F courses. Future directions, study limitations, and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the utilization of ambulatory dental services in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) prior to their diagnosis using a population-based health claim database in Taiwan. From the Registry of Catastrophic Illness database in the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan, we identified 389 patients who were diagnosed with pSS from 2005 to 2010. We also obtained 1,945 control subjects frequency-matched on sex, 10-year age interval, and enrollment date from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database. Both groups were retrospectively traced to 1997 to obtain any records of utilization of dental care services that occurred preceding the index date. Patients with pSS had significantly higher utilization of annual ambulatory dental services over an eight-year interval preceding diagnosis. A significantly higher proportion of patients with pSS (95.1 %) had utilized ambulatory dental services over the whole eight-year interval preceding diagnosis compared with the controls (88.8 %) ( p < 0.001). Utilization of ambulatory dental services for dental caries, pulpitis, gingivitis, stomatitis, and periodontitis were significantly greater in patients with pSS over a three-year period prior to diagnosis compared with the controls. In conclusion, the utilization of ambulatory dental services was significantly increased in patients with pSS preceding its diagnosis. Health professionals can play an important role in the early recognition of pSS by including it in the differential diagnosis for xerostomia-related complaints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the synergetic approach to research education for graduate students in a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). A group of cross-disciplinary faculty members developed a series of graduate-level research methods-related workshops for pre- and in-service teachers. The investigators conducted pre–post tests and survey methods to evaluate all the initiative’s workshops. The findings indicated that student learning was increased and that the synergetic approach was effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG) has been performed to reduce postprandial symptoms for some early gastric cancer (EGC) cases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible advantages after PPG for middle-third EGC in comparison with distal gastrectomy. Materials and Methods: We searched Medline, Embase, and Science Citation Index Expanded for relevant studies. Statistical analyses were conducted to calculate the summary weighted mean differences (WMDs) and odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) using random-effects models. Results: We identified 15 nonrandomized controlled trials (16 studies) with 1774 patients, which consisted of 11 studies for conventional PPG (CPPG) versus conventional distal gastrectomy (CDG) and 5 studies for laparoscopy-assisted PPG (LAPPG) versus laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG). Meta-analysis of CPPG versus CDG revealed that CPPG had the advantage of prevention of early dumping syndrome (OR=0.18; 95% CI 0.12, 0.27), gastritis (OR=0.19; 95% CI 0.07, 0.53), duodenal juice reflux (OR=0.20; 95% CI 0.06, 0.66), and regaining of weight (WMD=3.53; 95% CI 2.34, 4.72). However, the incidence of gastric stasis was higher in the CPPG group than in the CDG group (OR=1.70; 95% CI 1.13, 2.57). Meta-analysis of LAPPG versus LADG revealed that LAPPG shortened the operation time (WMD=−21.12; 95% CI −31.33, −10.90) and did not increase the occurrence of postoperative complication (OR=0.72; 95% CI 0.41, 1.27). Conclusions: With the benefits of prevention of early dumping syndrome, duodenal juice reflux, gastritis, and regaining of weight, PPG can be an excellent option for middle-third EGC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct injection-enhanced annealing of defects in a GaInP top cell for GaInP/GaAs/Ge triple-junction solar cells irradiated with 1.8 MeV electrons with a fluence of 1 x 1015 cm-2 has been observed and analyzed using electroluminescence (EL) spectra. Minority-carrier injection under forward bias conditions is observed to enhance defect annealing in the GaInP top cell, and recovery of the EL intensity of the GaInP top cell was observed even at room temperature. Moreover, the injection-enhanced defect annealing rates obey a simple Arrhenius law; therefore, the annealing activation energy was determined and is equal to 0.51 eV. Lastly, the H2 defect has been identified as the primary non-radiative recombination center based on a comparison of the annealing activation energies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a one-pot method of polymer-mediating process is proposed to synthesize high voltage spinels (LiNi1/2Mn3/2O4) with tunable particle size and high-crystallization. The primary particle size can be controlled from nanometer to micrometer via changing different type of polymer additives. Relationships between particle sizes and electrochemical performances at wide temperature ranges (−20 °C–55 °C) are investigated. Nano-sized spinel delivers a good rate capability and higher capacitance at both room and low temperatures, while the micro-sized spinel performs better in capacity retention, especially at elevated temperature. The correlations among the particle size, temperature durability and cycling stability are demonstrated. Besides, the influence of polymer-mediation on the morphology transformation of spinel is also probed and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]