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Background and Aims Drug-coated balloons (DCBs) have demonstrated favourable outcomes following endovascular therapy for femoropopliteal artery (FPA) disease. However, uncertainty remains whether the use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) can improve the outcomes of DCBs. Methods This prospective, multicentre, randomized trial, conducted at seven centres in South Korea, compared the outcomes of IVUS-guided vs. angiography-guided angioplasty for treating FPA disease with DCBs. Patients were assigned to receive IVUS-guided (n = 119) or angiography-guided (n = 118) angioplasty using DCBs. The primary endpoint was 12-month primary patency. Results Between May 2016 and August 2022, 237 patients were enrolled and 204 (86.0%) completed the trial (median follow-up; 363 days). The IVUS guidance group showed significantly higher primary patency [83.8% vs. 70.1%; cumulative difference 19.6% (95% confidence interval 6.8 to 32.3); P =.01] and increased freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization [92.4% vs. 83.0%; difference 11.6% (95% confidence interval 3.1 to 20.1); P =.02], sustained clinical improvement (89.1% vs. 76.3%, P =.01), and haemodynamic improvement (82.4% vs. 66.9%, P =.01) at 12 months compared with the angiography guidance group. The IVUS group utilized larger balloon diameters and pressures for pre-dilation, more frequent post-dilation, and higher pressures for post-dilation, resulting in a greater post-procedural minimum lumen diameter (3.90 ± 0.59 vs. 3.71 ± 0.73 mm, P =.03). Conclusions Intravascular ultrasound guidance significantly improved the outcomes of DCBs for FPA disease in terms of primary patency, freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization, and sustained clinical and haemodynamic improvement at 12 months. These benefits may be attributed to IVUS-guided optimization of the lesion before and after DCB treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the synthesis of α-hemihydrate gypsum (α-HH) through semiliquid autoclaving of phosphogypsum (PG) using various carboxylic acids as modifying agents. The impact of carboxyl group spatial location, auxiliary functional group type, and the number of carboxyl groups within the carboxylic acid modifiers on the mechanical strength and crystal morphology of α-HH was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), strength testing, and molecular dynamics simulations. The results revealed a significant influence of the carboxylic acid molecular structure on the α-HH crystal morphology. Monocarboxylic acids and dicarboxylic acids with a long carbon chain length between carboxyl groups exhibited preferential adsorption on the (200), (110), and (-110) crystal planes, promoting crystal growth along the c-axis. In contrast, hydroxyl groups and cis double bonds in the modifier structure induced selective adsorption on the (001) plane, hindering growth along the c-axis. Conversely, trans double bonds favored adsorption on the (200), (110), and (-110) planes, enhancing growth along the c-axis. Based on these observations, screening principles for carboxylic acid modifiers were established, suggesting that: 1) the number of carboxyl groups should exceed 2; 2) the optimal carbon atom spacing between carboxyl groups is 3; and 3) auxiliary functional groups such as hydroxyl groups and cis double bonds should be introduced. Modifiers like citric acid, ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), and pyromellitic acid, within concentration ranges of 0.05%-0.1%, 0.1%-0.15%, and 0.05%-0.1%, respectively, yielded α-HH with flexural strengths exceeding 4 MPa and compressive strengths greater than 35 MPa, demonstrating the validity of these principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with suicidal ideation in schizophrenia patients in China using decision tree and logistic regression models. From October 2020 to March 2022, patients with schizophrenia were chosen from Chifeng Anding Hospital and Daqing Third Hospital in Heilongjiang Province. A total of 300 patients with schizophrenia who met the inclusion criteria were investigated by questionnaire. The questionnaire covered general data, suicidal ideation, childhood trauma, social support, depressive symptoms and psychological resilience. Logistic regression analysis revealed that childhood trauma and depressive symptoms were risk factors for suicidal ideation in schizophrenia (OR = 2.330, 95%CI: 1.177 ~ 4.614; OR = 10.619, 95%CI: 5.199 ~ 21.688), while psychological resilience was a protective factor for suicidal ideation in schizophrenia (OR = 0.173, 95%CI: 0.073 ~ 0.409). The results of the decision tree model analysis demonstrated that depressive symptoms, psychological resilience and childhood trauma were influential factors for suicidal ideation in patients with schizophrenia (p < 0.05). The area under the ROC for the logistic regression model and the decision tree model were 0.868 (95% CI: 0.821 ~ 0.916) and 0.863 (95% CI: 0.814 ~ 0.912) respectively, indicating excellent accuracy of the models. Meanwhile, the logistic regression model had a sensitivity of 0.834 and a specificity of 0.743 when the Youden index was at its maximum. The decision tree model had a sensitivity of 0.768 and a specificity of 0.8. Decision trees in combination with logistic regression models are of high value in the study of factors influencing suicidal ideation in schizophrenia patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Directional fracture blasting technology of the slit charge has broad application prospects in the drilling and blasting construction of the layered rock mass. In this paper, the method of model experiment and numerical simulation is used to preliminarily explore the fracture damage characteristics of slit charge blasting in the layered rock mass. The results show that the blasting effect of the slit charge in the layered rock mass is significantly different from that of the unlayered rock mass, and the pressure relief of the blasting gas at the layer is the main factor affecting the blasting effect. The length of directional cracks in the slit direction is significantly larger than that in other directions, and the directional fracture effect of the slit charge in the layered rock mass can still be played well. However, both the directional crack length and the damage range of rock mass in the slit direction gradually decrease along the detonation direction. In addition, the damage value of a single-layer rock mass also decreases gradually along the detonation direction. In engineering practice, the directional fracture effect of the layered rock mass can be improved by detonating at both ends of the slit charge at the same time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outbreaks of fowl adenoviruses (FAdVs) infection with the main clinical signs of hepatitis-hydropericardium-syndrome or inclusion body hepatitis have been frequently reported in ducks and geese in recent years, causing economic losses for the Chinese waterfowl industry. This study investigated 792 samples (391 fattening ducks, 192 breeder ducks and 209 fattening geese) of suspected FAdV-infected waterfowl from 38 farms (21 fattening duck farms, nine breeder duck farms and eight fattening geese farms) in Shandong Province between 2019 and 2022. The results showed a 60.23% infection rate for FAdVs (477/792), while the infection rate for breeder ducks was almost the same as that for fattening geese (55.73% vs. 54.55%). Notably, co-infection with avian influenza virus H9N2 (H9N2), Tembusu virus (TMUV), duck hepatitis virus (DHV), duck circovirus (DuCV), goose astrovirus (GAstV) and duck parvovirus (DPV)/goose parvovirus (GPV) was common among the 477 FAdVs positive cases. Phylogenetic analysis of complete hexon genes of 22 FAdV strains in Shandong Province showed the presence of four species (FAdV-A, C, D, E) and five serotypes (FAdV-1, 4, 8a, 8b, 11). These findings provide the first data on the prevalence and co-infection status of FAdVs in Shandong Province and can be used as a basis for FAdV prevention in the field. Samples of suspected FAdV-infected waterfowl from farms in Shandong Province were collected from 2019 to 2022. Single infections with FAdV were less frequent than mixed infections. 477 out of 792 samples (60.23%) tested positive for FAdV nucleic acids. Detection rate of FAdV was 65.47% in fattening duck farms, 55.73% in breeder duck farms and 54.55% in fattening geese farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chaff is a passive jammer widely used to disrupt radar or radio-frequency sensors. A mass of chaff fibers dispersed in the air is commonly referred to as a chaff cloud. It is nearly impossible to numerically simulate in real-time the enormous amount of chaff fibers composing the chaff cloud. In this paper, we model the behavior of numerically estimated chaff clouds as probability density functions (PDFs) and apply approximation techniques to estimate the radar cross-section (RCS) of the chaff cloud in real time. To model the aerodynamics of the chaff cloud, we represented the combination of PDFs as functions of time and wind speed. The applied approximation techniques—vector radiative transfer and generalized equivalent conductor method—showed a computation time that cannot be achieved by low-frequency methods such as the method of moments or finite-difference time-domain. Moreover, the dynamic RCS results of the approximation techniques showed a similar trend to those of other studies simulating similar situations. The proposed scheme is effective for real-time chaff cloud simulation, and the modeled dynamics and estimated dynamic RCSs can be a standard baseline for developing new analysis methods for chaff clouds. In the future, the proposed scheme will extend to more chaff fibers and more diverse environmental parameters.

Cnidium officinale Makino, a perennial crop in the Umbeliperae family, is one of Korea’s representative forest medicinal plants. However, the growing area of C. officinale has been reduced by plant disease and soil sickness caused by fusarium wilt. This study isolated rhizosphere bacteria from C. officinale, and their antagonistic activity was evaluated against Fusarium solani. Particularly, four isolated strains, namely, PT1, ST7, ST8, and SP4, showed a significant antagonistic activity against F. solani. An in planta test showed that the mortality rates of shoots were significantly low in the PT1-inoculated group. The fresh and dry weights of the inoculated plants were also higher than that of the other groups. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified the strain PT1 as Leclercia adecarboxylata, and downstream studies confirmed the production of antagonism-related enzymes such as siderophore and N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase. The phosphorous solubilizing ability and secretion of related enzymes were also analyzed. The results showed that PT1 strain could be utilized as promising plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and biocontrol agents (BCAs).

Owing to the break-out of the COVID-19 pandemic, students have to take more online learning than offline, and large-scale education assessment programs have to be suspended or postponed. How could education assessment adapt to large-scale online learning? How could the effect and safety of online assessment be improved? What role should formative assessment play in student admissions? How could different assessment results be linked? Reflections on and trends of the Chinese experiences are presented in this article. Based on cross-cultural comparison research, measures to be recommended are as follows: reviewing previous theories, improving existing methods continuously, and developing assessment techniques innovatively according to new application scenarios.

Delays in early language development are characteristic of young autistic children, and one of the most recognizable first concerns that motivate parents to seek a diagnostic evaluation for their child. Although early language abilities are one of the strongest predictors of long-term outcomes, there is still much to be understood about the role of language impairment in the heterogeneous phenotypic presentation of autism. Using a person-centered, Latent Profile Analysis, we first aimed to identify distinct patterns of language and social communication ability in a clinic-based sample of 498 autistic children, ranging in age from 18 to 60 months (M = 33 mo, SD = 12 mo). Next, a multinomial logistic regression analysis was implemented to examine sociodemographic and child-based developmental differences among the identified language and social communication profiles. Three clinically meaningful profiles were identified from parent-rated and clinician-administered measures: Profile 1 (48% of the sample) “Relatively Low Language and Social Communication Abilities,” Profile 2 (34% of the sample) “Relatively Elevated Language and Social Communication Abilities,” and Profile 3 (18% of the sample) “Informant Discrepant Language and Relatively Elevated Social Communication Abilities.” Overall, young autistic children from the lowest-resource households exhibited the lowest language and social communication abilities, and the lowest non-verbal problem-solving and fine-motor skills, along with more features of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and atypical auditory processing. These findings highlight the need for effective community-based implementation strategies for young autistic children from low-resource households and underrepresented communities to improve access to individualized quality care.

Objective This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of feed processing and particle size on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass characteristics, and gastric health in growing-finishing pigs. Methods A total of 360 growing pigs (22.64±0.014 kg initial body weight [BW]) were allocated to 1 of 6 treatments with 6 replicates by BW and sex, and 10 pigs were housed in one pen in a randomized complete block design. The BW and feed intake were recorded to calculate growth performance. For the digestibility trial, a total of 24 barrows with an initial BW of 33.65±0.372 kg were split into 6 treatments with a completely randomized design. Dietary treatments were designed by a 2×3 factorial arrangement of treatments based on two main factors, particle size (600, 750, 900 μm) and feed form (mash and pellet) of diet. Experimental diets were formulated to contain the requirements of the NRC (2012). Results The BW and average daily gain were not changed by dietary treatments, and the feed intake of finishing pigs (wks 6 to 12) was increased when the pigs were fed a mash diet (p

Podoplanin (PDPN) promotes platelet aggregation and activation by interacting with C-type lectin-like receptor 2(CLEC-2) on platelets. The interaction between the upregulated PDPN and platelet CLEC-2 stimulates venous thrombosis. PDPN was identified as a risk factor for coagulation and thrombosis in inflammatory processes. Hypercoagulability is defined as the tendency to develop thrombosis according to fibrinogen and/or D dimer levels. Nephrotic syndrome is also considered to be a hypercoagulable state. The aim of this study is to investigate the association of soluble PDPN/CLEC-2 with hypercoagulability in nephrotic syndrome. Thirty-five patients with nephrotic syndrome and twenty-seven healthy volunteers were enrolled. PDPN, CLEC-2 and GPVI concentrations were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Patients with nephrotic syndrome showed higher serum levels of PDPN and GPVI in comparison to healthy controls ( P 5.88 ng/ml, the risk of hypercoagulability was significantly increased in nephrotic syndrome (OR = 22.79, 95% CI 5.92-87.69, P

Metallic clusters have received tremendous interest due to the unusual structure and bonding along with potential as the motif for novel nanomaterials. Herein, the global minimum structures of neutral and anionic Mgn0/− and CaMgn0/− (n = 2–15) clusters have been searched by utilizing the CALYPSO program with subsequent DFT calculations. For each cluster size, a large number of stable structures were converged, and then, the most stable ones were identified in light of the PES spectra and total energies. The results show that the most stable structures transform from planar to three-dimensional geometry at n = 3 and the hollow framework at n = 8, then to filled cage-like structure at n = 13. For all CaMgn0/− clusters, the Ca atom prefers to occupy the external capped site. The simulated PES, IR, and Raman spectra could provide additional ways to identify the structure of these clusters in the following experiments. In the range of studied size, a tower-like CaMg9 cluster is uncovered and proved to be a magic number cluster with superior stability. Analysis of charge transfer, molecular orbitals, multi-center bonds, and ELF reveals that the CaMg9 has 20 valence electrons of closed-shell 1S21P61D102S2 and more strong Ca-Mg bonds caused by spd hybridization.