Search

Under the long-term effect of mineral resource exploitation, especially open-pit mining, ecosystems are severely disturbed. Constructing and optimizing urban ecological networks influenced by open-pit mines based on mine–city coordination helps integrate ecological restoration and the construction of urban ecological environments. We applied an InVEST model to Fushun City to evaluate urban ecosystem services under the influence of large open-pit mines. Twenty-one key patches important for maintaining landscape connectivity were screened as the ecological sources in the network, from which ecological resistance surfaces were constructed by combining the impacts of mines on the environment. Minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) and gravity models were then used to extract and classify ecological corridors favorable to species migration and diffusion. Fushun City had large spatial differences in ecosystem service functions, with high-value areas concentrated in the forest-rich Dongzhou District and the northern Shuncheng District. Under the influence of open-pit mining, the ecosystem service capacity of the region south of the Hunhe River was poor and lacked ecological sources. Urban ecological resistance surfaces reached a maximum in the open-pit mining area, and 210 ecological corridors were estimated using the MCR model, of which 46 were important. Only two corridors crossed the West and East open pit, forming two "ecological fracture surfaces." The Dongzhou and eastern Shuncheng districts had complex network structures and stable ecological environments. In contrast, the central and southern parts of Fushun City lacked ecological corridors owing to the influence of mining pits and gangue mountains, had simple network structures, and low connectivities with other sources. Combined with Fushun City's development plan, we propose that ecological network optimization should add new ecological source sites, reconstruct and repair ecological corridors, and upgrade ecological breakpoints. This study provides reference and basis for ecological network research in mining cities influenced by open-pit mines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Although frailty is commonly considered as a syndrome of old individuals, recent studies show that it can affect younger adults, too. Whether and how frailty differs in younger adults compared to old is however unknown. To this end, we analyzed the prevalence, characteristics, and risk factors of early-life (aged <65) and late-life (aged ≥65) frailty. Methods: We analyzed individuals in the UK Biobank (N = 405,123) and Swedish Screening Across the Lifespan Twin (SALT; N = 43,641) study. Frailty index (FI) scores ≥0.21 were used to demarcate frailty. Characteristics of early-life versus late-life frailty were analyzed by collating the FI items (deficits) into domains and comparing the domain scores between younger and older frail individuals. Logistic regression was used to assess the risk factors of frailty. Results: The pooled prevalence rates of frailty were 10.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.7–32.7), 14.4% (95% CI: 4.5–37.2), 19.2% (95% CI: 2.5–68.5) in individuals aged ≤55, 55–64, 65–74, respectively. Younger frail adults (aged <65) had higher scores in immunological, mental wellbeing, and pain-related domains, whereas older frail adults (aged ≥65) had higher scores in cardiometabolic, cancer, musculoskeletal, and sensory-related domains. Higher age, female sex, smoking, lower alcohol consumption, lower education, obesity, overweight, low income, and maternal smoking were similarly associated with the risk of early-life and late-life frailty. Conclusion: Frailty is prevalent also in younger age groups (aged <65) but differs in some of its characteristics from the old. The risk factors of frailty are nevertheless largely similar for early-life and late-life frailty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the charges for COVID-19 diagnostic testing and antibody testing across different facility types and states. The study found that some healthcare providers charge significantly higher prices for these tests, which can create financial barriers for uninsured patients and lead to higher premiums for out-of-network private plans. The average charges for diagnostic testing ranged from $0.01 to $14,750.00, with independent laboratories and hospital outpatient settings being the most common facility types. For antibody testing, the average charges ranged from $4.37 to $1515.00, with independent laboratories performing the majority of tests. The study did not find a significant association between testing charges and state-level testing rates, infection rates, or mortality rates. However, the results may underestimate the national variation in testing charges. [Extracted from the article]

Strategically upcycling industrial wastes such as petroleum coke and dye wastewater into value-added materials through scalable and economic processes is an effective way to simultaneously tackle energy and environmental issues. Doping carbon electrodes with heteroatoms proves effective in significantly enhancing electrochemical performance through alterations in electrode wettability and electrical conductivity. This work reports the use of dye wastewater as the sole dopant source to synthesize N and S co-doped petroleum coke-based activated carbon (NS-AC) by the one-step pyrolysis method. More importantly, our wastewater and petroleum coke-derived activated carbon produced on a large scale (20 kg/batch) shows a specific surface area of 2582 m2 g−1 and an energy density of about 95 Wh kg−1 in a soft-packaged full cell with 1 M TEATFB/PC as the electrolyte. The scalable production method, together with the green and sustainable process, can be easily adopted and scaled by industry without the need for complex processes and/or units, which offers a convenient and green route to produce functionalized carbons from wastes at a low cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In response to the declining utilization and patient revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. hospital industry furloughed at least 1.4 million health care workers to contain their clinical-related expenses. However, it remains unclear how hospitals responded by adjusting their administrative expenses, which account for more than a quarter of U.S. hospitals' spending, a proportion substantially higher than that of other industrialized countries. Examining changes in hospitals' administrative expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic is important for understanding hospitals' cost-containment behaviors under operational shocks during a pandemic. Objective: To assess changes in hospitals' administrative expenses and clinical expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Design: Time-series observational study. Participants: 1420 Medicare-certified general acute-care hospitals with fiscal years starting in January and continuously operating during 2016–2020. Main Measures: Hospitals' annual administrative expenses and clinical expenses. Key Results: Hospitals' median administrative and clinical expenses both increased consistently around 4% each year from 2016 to 2019. From 2019 to 2020, the median administrative expenses grew by 6.2% while the median clinical expenses grew by 0.6%. The interrupted time-series regression estimated an additional 6.4% (95% CI, 4.5 to 8.2%) increase in administrative expenses in 2020, relative to the pre-COVID annual increase of 3.9% (95% CI, 3.3 to 4.4%), while an additional increase in clinical expenses in 2020 (0.5%; 95% CI, −0.3 to 1.4%) did not differ from the pre-COVID annual increase of 3.7% (95% CI, 3.5 to 4%). Stratified analysis showed hospitals with larger utilization volume, located in states with lower COVID-19 burden, or situated in counties with higher median household income experienced larger increase in administrative expenses in 2020. Conclusions: In 2020, administrative expenses grew much faster than clinical expenses, resulting in a larger share of hospital financial resources allocated to administrative activities. Higher administrative expenses might reflect hospitals' operational effort in response to the pandemic or inefficient cost management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Processing can affect milk properties and alter the composition of milk metabolites, which has corresponding effects on milk flavor and quality. It is quite important to study the safe quality control of milk processing. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify metabolites at different steps of ultra‐high‐temperature‐sterilized (UHT) milk processing using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). These steps included raw milk, pasteurized milk (80°C for 15 s), semi‐finished milk (after pasteurizing, it was homogenized at 75°C with pressure of 250 bar), UHT milk (at 140°C for 10 s), and finished milk (homogenized UHT milk). A total of 66 metabolites were identified across all samples, including 30 metabolites in the chloroform layers of the milk samples and 41 metabolites in the water layers; 5 metabolites were found in both layers. The metabolites were primarily fatty acids, amino acids, sugars, and organic acids. For example, pasteurized and ultra‐high‐temperature‐sterilized kinds of milk had lactose contents similar to those of raw milk, with increases in saturated fatty acids such as hexadecanoic acid and octadecanoic acid. Additionally, these findings indicated that these methods of processing can affect the contents of some components of milk. Therefore, from the perspective of milk's nutritional value and consumer health, the excessive heating of dairy products should be avoided and the milk heat treatment process should be standardized from the source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explains the complex and opaque pricing structure of drugs in the United States; how it exposes patients to higher out-of-pocket payments, including for drugs such as insulin; and policy changes that may offer relief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted the first profitability comparison study across health care industries in the United States, using the DuPont Analysis framework. The combination of Return on Equity (ROE) and ROE volatility was used to provide a comprehensive "risk-return" approach for profitability comparison. Based on the 2010–2019 financial disclosures of 1,231 publicly traded health care companies in the U.S. that reported positive assets and equity, we estimated the industry-specific fixed effects on ROE and its three components—profit margin, asset utilization, and financial leverage—for ten industries in the health care sector, classified by the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS). For each industry, we also estimated its fixed effects on ROE volatility. We found that the pharmaceuticals industry and biotechnology industry have lower ROE—mainly driven by their relatively low profit margin and low assets utilization—and higher ROE volatility than other health care industries. We also found that the health care facilities industry relies most on debt financing. This study demonstrates a holistic approach for profitability comparison across industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical service charges, which remain consistent across all payers, do not affect the statutorily determined reimbursements from public payers, such as Medicare and Medicaid fee-for-service programs.[1], [2] These charges, however, have important implications for the price paid by private payers, uninsured patients, and out-of-network patients.[1], [2] Prior research found that service charges relative to Medicare payment varied across medical specialties in 2014 and the trend of charges relative to the Medicare payment differed among a few major medical specialties from 2012 to 2018.[1], [3] The specific trend for each individual medical specialty, however, remains unknown. 2010 USD were converted to 2019 USD using the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index SP b sp 2010 charge to Medicare payment ratio is not associated with % change in weighted average charge, 2010-2019 (correlation coefficient: 0.16; I P i = 0.25), or with % change in weighted average Medicare payment, 2010-2019 (correlation coefficient: 0.18; I P i = 0.20) Across all 51 specialties, the 2010-2019 percent change in weighted average charge is highly positively associated with the percent change in weighted average Medicare payment (correlation coefficient: 0.87; I P i < 0.001). [Extracted from the article]

Freezing is a way to preserve the quality of fruit for a long time. Nanguo pear stored at low temperature is prone to browning and lignification. In this study, freeze–thaw cycles were used to simulate the temperature fluctuation in the process, storage, and transportation. The texture properties were taken as the research focus to analyze the lignification phenomenon of Nanguo pear under freeze–thaw cycles. The results showed that freeze–thaw treatment significantly reduced the firmness and propectin content of Nanguo pear, increased the content of stone cells in the fruit, but also destroyed the size of stone cells in the fruit. However, with the increase of freezing–thawing cycles, the content of lignin, stone cell content, and PAL activity increased significantly, while the content of chlorogenic acid increased first and then decreased. These results are helpful to further understand the correlation between texture change with fruit firmness and formation mechanism of stone cells during freeze–thaw cycles of Nanguo pear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unpredictable release behavior of metal nanoparticles/metal ions from metal nanoparticle-loaded hydrogels, without a suitable in situ detection method, is resulting in serious cytotoxicity. To optimize the preparation and design of antibacterial hydrogels for in situ detection of metal nanoparticles, an in-situ detection platform based on the fluorescence signal change caused by the potential surface energy transfer of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and carbon dots (CD) through silver mirror reaction and Schiff base reaction was established. The antimicrobial test results show that the composite antimicrobial hydrogel, with lower dosages of AgNPs and CD, exhibited a higher inhibition rate of 99.1 % against E. coli and 99.8 % against S. aureus compared to the single antimicrobial component. This suggests a potential synergistic antimicrobial activity. Furthermore, the fluorescence detection platform was established with a difference of <3 μg between detected values and actual values over a period of 72 h. This demonstrates the excellent in situ detection capability of the hydrogel in antimicrobial-related applications. [Display omitted] • The energy transfer within the hydrogels enables in-situ monitoring of the dynamic release behavior of silver nanoparticles. • Schiff base bond, hydrogen bonds, and electrostatic interactions collectively enhance the network structure of hydrogels. • Silver nanoparticles were prepared through the silver mirror reaction without the use of chemical reductants or surfactants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Cis9, trans11-conjugated linoleic acid (c9, t11-CLA) is a bioactive compound that is mainly found in ruminant products and has a variety of beneficial biological functions in human health. However, the gene network of c9, t11-CLA biosynthesis in the mammary gland is still not well documented. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase (SCD1)-dependent gene network of c9, t11-CLA biosynthesis in MAC-T cells from the perspective of energy metabolism. The results showed that the deficiency of stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase (SCD1), led by CAY10566, blocked the biosynthesis of c9, t11-CLA. In total, 60 SCD1-related proteins that were mainly involved in energy metabolism pathways were primary screened by Tandem mass tag-based quantitative proteomics analysis. Moreover, 17 proteins were validated under the parallel reaction monitoring analysis. Then, 11 genes involved in energy metabolism pathways were verified to have negative relationships with SCD1 after small RNA interference analysis. Based on the above results, we concluded that the 11 genes involved in energy metabolism pathways had an impact on the SCD1-dependent molecular mechanism of c9, t11-CLA biosynthesis. This study provided a fresh understanding of the gene network of c9, t11-CLA biosynthesis in the mammary gland from a metabolism perspective. The objective of the study was to elucidate the stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase (SCD1)-dependent gene network of c9, t11-CLA biosynthesis in MAC-T cells from an energy metabolism perspective. The cells were divided into the CAY group (firstly incubated with CAY10566, a chemical inhibitor of SCD1, then incubated with trans-11-octadecenoic acid, (TVA)), the TVA group (only TVA), and the control group (without CAY, TVA). The c9, t11-CLA, and TVA contents were determined by gas chromatography. The mRNA levels of SCD1 and candidate genes were analyzed via real-time PCR. Tandem mass tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomics, bioinformatic analysis, parallel reaction monitoring (PRM), and small RNA interference were used to explore genes involved in the SCD1-dependent c9, t11-CLA biosynthesis. The results showed that the SCD1 deficiency led by CAY10566 blocked the biosynthesis of c9, t11-CLA. In total, 60 SCD1-related proteins mainly involved in energy metabolism pathways were primarily screened by TMT-based quantitative proteomics analysis. Moreover, 17 proteins were validated using PRM analysis. Then, 11 genes were verified to have negative relationships with SCD1 after the small RNA interference analysis. Based on the above results, we concluded that genes involved in energy metabolism pathways have an impact on the SCD1-dependent molecular mechanism of c9, t11-CLA biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonprofit hospitals provide charity care to financially disadvantaged patients according to their self-designed eligibility policies. The Affordable Care Act may have prompted nonprofit hospitals to adopt more generous eligibility policies, but no prior research has examined the longitudinal trend. The expansion of Medicaid coverage in many states has been found to reduce charity care provision, but it is unclear whether the change in charity care eligibility policies differed between Medicaid expansion and nonexpansion states. Using mandatory tax filings, we found that both hospitals in Medicaid expansion states and hospital in nonexpansion states adopted more generous eligibility policies in 2018 than in 2010, but the change was greater in the former for discounted charity care; while the former provided less charity care regardless of their policy changes, the latter provided more when their policies became more generous. This study has implications for policy discussions on the justification of nonprofit hospitals' tax-exempt status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most general patterns in ecology is the positive relationship between environmental heterogeneity and local diversity. On the one hand, increased resource heterogeneity provides more resources for diverse consumers in the community. On the other hand, increased structural heterogeneity creates variation in the environment's physical structure, thus allowing the coexistence of diverse species with different environmental requirements. Here, we examined the relative importance of resource and structural heterogeneity in determining the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of nut‐nesting ants in natural rainforest and rubber plantation. The species richness of nut‐nesting ants was 70% higher in rainforest than in rubber plantation. The clustered functional and phylogenetic structure in rubber plantation suggested a strong effect of environmental filtering in shaping ant functional and phylogenetic structure. Nesting heterogeneity (nut diversity) was the major factor explaining variation in taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity, suggesting that resource heterogeneity plays a major role in shaping the biodiversity patterns of nut‐nesting ants. Overall, these results indicate that decreased resource diversity following the conversion of rainforest to rubber plantation can drive biodiversity loss in nut‐nesting ants, through its effect on reducing both ant species, functional, and phylogenetic diversity. The decline in species richness and functional and phylogenetic diversity in the local ant community might have major effects on ecosystem functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insurance agents and brokers play an important role in facilitating the contracting of fully insured health insurance and pharmacy benefit plans for U.S. employers. They are primarily compensated with a commission charged back to the plan. Using a national sample that covered 11.7 million employees enrolled in 33,689 health plans in 2017, we found that a plan's commission (median: $178) was positively associated with a plan's premium (coefficient: 0.01 for the full sample and 0.03 for small plans, p <.001) after controlling for the number of enrollees. The commission-to-premium ratio was greater for smaller plans and plans offered by nonmajor insurance companies, and varied by geographic region. Policy makers should consider improving transparency of the commission to facilitate employers making efficient broker contracting and plan purchasing decisions. The fee-based brokerage model has the potential to help employers and workers contain health care spending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZNF468 is a relatively unexplored gene that has been implicated in potential oncogenic properties in various cancer types. However, the exact role of ZNF468 in radiotherapy resistance of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCCs) is not well understood. Bioinformatic analysis was performed using the TCGA database to assess ZNF468 expression and prognostic significance in pan-cancer and ESCC. Functional experiments were conducted using ZNF468 overexpressing and knockdown cell lines to assess its impact on cell survival, DNA damage response, cell cycle, and apoptosis upon radiation. A luciferase reporter assay was utilized to validate ZNF468 binding to the AURKA promoter. ZNF468 was significantly upregulated in diverse cancer types, including ESCC, and its high expression correlated with adverse prognosis in specific tumors. In the ESCC cohort, ZNF468 exhibited substantial upregulation in post-radiotherapy tissues, indicating its potential role in conferring radiotherapy resistance. Functional experiments revealed that ZNF468 enhances cell viability and facilitates DNA damage repair in radiotherapy-treated ESCC cells, while dampening the G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induced by radiation. Moreover, ZNF468 facilitated AURKA transcription, resulting in upregulated Aurora A expression, and subsequently inhibited P53 expression, unveiling key molecular mechanisms underlying radiotherapy resistance in ESCC. Conclusion : ZNF468 plays an oncogenic role in ESCC and contributes to radiotherapy resistance. It enhances cell survival while dampening radiation-induced G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. By modulating AURKA and P53 expression, ZNF468 represents a promising therapeutic target for enhancing radiotherapy efficacy in ESCC. • ZNF468 demonstrates significantly elevated expression at the pan-cancer level. • Elevated ZNF468 expression in radiotherapy-resistant esophageal cancer is associated with cell cycle regulation. • ZNF468 enhances the cell proliferation and DNA damage repair in radiotherapy-induced ESCC cell lines. • ZNF468 attenuated the radiation-induced G2M cell cycle arrest and reduced apoptosis in ESCC cells. • ZNF468 promotes AURORA transcription, thereby inhibiting P53 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, all possible numerical solutions are provided when the matching conditions for Doherty power amplifier (DPA) back-off and saturation states are met. Firstly, this article presents an impedance expression of the DPA. Then all circuit parameter solutions can be solved for the load modulation of DPA using this expression. In the process of solving circuit parameters, the impedance matching of the DPA at the saturation level is established through the analysis of the S-parameter matrix. Then by limiting the impedance solution range of DPA at the output power back-off (OBO) level, the circuit parameter solutions that satisfy the specified conditions are meticulously screened. The output matching network of the DPA is designed according to the obtained circuit parameter solutions for broadband operation. To validate the proposed design method, a broadband DPA operating from 1.2 to 2.4 GHz is designed and measured based on the proposed method. Under the continuous wave excitation, the measured drain efficiency at 6 dB OBO level and saturation (SAT) level are 44%–56% and 51%-65.4% from 1.2 to 2.2 GHz, respectively. The peak output power is 45.1–46.3 dBm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background frailty shows an upward trajectory with age, and higher levels increase the risk of mortality. However, it is less known whether the shape of frailty trajectories differs by age at death or whether the rate of change in frailty is associated with mortality. Objectives to assess population frailty trajectories by age at death and to analyse whether the current level of the frailty index (FI) i.e. the most recent measurement or the person-specific rate of change is more predictive of mortality. Methods 3,689 individuals from three population-based cohorts with up to 15 repeated measurements of the Rockwood frailty index were analysed. The FI trajectories were assessed by stratifying the sample into four age-at-death groups: <70, 70–80, 80–90 and >90 years. Generalised survival models were used in the survival analysis. Results the FI trajectories by age at death showed that those who died at <70 years had a steadily increasing trajectory throughout the 40 years before death, whereas those who died at the oldest ages only accrued deficits from age ~75 onwards. Higher level of FI was independently associated with increased risk of mortality (hazard ratio 1.68, 95% confidence interval 1.47–1.91), whereas the rate of change was no longer significant after accounting for the current FI level. The effect of the FI level did not weaken with time elapsed since the last measurement. Conclusions Frailty trajectories differ as a function of age-at-death category. The current level of FI is a stronger marker for risk stratification than the rate of change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Frailty has been identified as a risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia. However, it is not known whether familial factors, such as genetics and shared environmental factors, underlie this association. We analyzed the association between frailty and the risk of dementia in a large twin cohort and examined the role of familial factors in the association.Methods: The Rockwood frailty index (FI) based on 44 health deficits was used to assess frailty. The population-level association between FI and the risk of all-cause dementia was analyzed in 41,550 participants of the Screening Across the Lifespan Twin (SALT) study (full sample, aged 41-97 years at baseline), using Cox and competing risk models. A subsample of 10,487 SALT participants aged 65 and older who received a cognitive assessment (cognitive sample) was used in a sensitivity analysis to assess the effect of baseline cognitive level on the FI-dementia association. To analyze the influence of familial effects on the FI-dementia association, a within-pair analysis was performed. The within-pair model was also used to assess whether the risk conferred by frailty varies by age at FI assessment.Results: A total of 3183 individuals were diagnosed with dementia during the 19-year follow-up. A 10% increase in FI was associated with an increased risk of dementia (hazard ratio [HR] 1.17 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07, 1.18)) in the full sample adjusted for age, sex, education, and tobacco use. A significant association was likewise found in the cognitive sample, with an HR of 1.13 (95% CI 1.09, 1.20), adjusted for age, sex, and cognitive level at baseline. The associations were not attenuated when adjusted for APOE ɛ4 carrier status or considering the competing risk of death. After adjusting for familial effects, we found no evidence for statistically significant attenuation of the effect. The risk conferred by higher FI on dementia was constant after age 50 until very old age.Conclusions: A higher level of frailty predicts the risk of dementia and the association appears independent of familial factors. Targeting frailty might thus contribute to preventing or delaying dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human‐induced habitat conversion and degradation, along with accelerating climatic change, have resulted in considerable global biodiversity loss. Nevertheless, how local ecological assemblages respond to the interplay between climate and land‐use change remains poorly understood. Here, we examined the effects of climate and land‐use interactions on butterfly diversity in different ecosystems of southwestern China. Specifically, we investigated variation in the alpha and beta diversities of butterflies in different landscapes along human‐modified and climate gradients. We found that increasing land‐use intensity not only caused a dramatic decrease in butterfly alpha diversity but also significantly simplified butterfly species composition in tropical rainforest and savanna ecosystems. These findings suggest that habitat modification by agricultural activities increases the importance of deterministic processes and leads to biotic homogenization. The land‐use intensity model best explained species richness variation in the tropical rainforest, whereas the climate and land‐use intensity interaction model best explained species richness variation in the savanna. These results indicate that climate modulates the effects of land‐use intensity on butterfly alpha diversity in the savanna ecosystem. We also found that the response of species composition to climate varied between sites: specifically, species composition was strongly correlated with climatic distance in the tropical rainforest but not in the savanna. Taken together, our long‐term butterfly monitoring data reveal that interactions between human‐modified habitat change and climate change have shaped butterfly diversity in tropical rainforest and savanna. These findings also have important implications for biodiversity conservation under the current era of rapid human‐induced habitat loss and climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antihypertensive, lipid‐lowering, and blood glucose‐lowering drugs have slowed down the aging process in animal models. In humans, studies are limited, have short follow‐up times, and show mixed results. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the effects of commonly used medications on functional aging, cognitive function, and frailty. We included information on individuals from three Swedish longitudinal population‐based studies collected between 1986 and 2014. Our exposures were the 21 most used groups of medications among individuals aged 65 years and older in the Swedish population in 2022. Functional aging index (n = 1191), cognitive function (n = 1094), and frailty index (n = 1361) were the outcomes of interest. To estimate the medication effects, we used a self‐controlled analysis, where each individual is his/her own control, thereby adjusting for all time‐stable confounders. The analysis was additionally adjusted for time‐varying confounders (chronological age, Charlson Comorbidity Index, smoking, body mass index, and the number of drugs). The participants were 65.5–82.8 years at the first in‐person assessment. Adrenergics/inhalants (effect size = 0.089) and lipid‐modifying agents/plain (effect size = 0.082) were associated with higher values of cognitive function (improvement), and selective calcium channel blockers with mainly vascular effects (effect size = −0.129) were associated with lower values of the functional aging index (improvement). No beneficial effects were found on the frailty index. Adrenergics/inhalants, lipid‐modifying agents/plain, and selective calcium channel blockers with mainly vascular effects may benefit functional biomarkers of aging. More research is needed to investigate their clinical value in preventing adverse aging outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Phytosterols are partly removed during oil refining, and the magnitude of phytosterols loss largely depends on the refining conditions applied and the molecular conformation. The aim of this research was to study the effect of deodorization conditions and molecular unsaturation on the esterification of phytosterols during deodorization of corn oil. RESULTS: In the chemical model, free fatty acids (FFAs) were the major provider of acyl groups during the formation of phytosteryl fatty acid esters (PEs) under deodorization conditions. Among the main parameters of the deodorization, temperature played a role in the formation of PEs with a time‐dependent manner. In comparison, saturated palmitic acid had a higher capability of esterifying free phytosterols (FPs) to PEs than unsaturated oleic acid and linoleic acid. Moreover, the influence of FFA unsaturation on the degradation of FPs depended on temperature. Besides, the formation of stigmasteryl ester had a competitive advantage over that of sitosteryl ester by quantum chemistry simulation. CONCLUSION: For laboratory‐scale deodorization of corn oil, saturated fatty acids and deodorization process with steam as stripping gas could obviously esterify FPs to PEs. FPs were abundantly enriched in distillate during the deodorization process with nitrogen as stripping gas, whereas FPs and PEs were distilled simultaneously during the deodorization process with steam. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the vulnerability of the US generic drug supply chain to foreign production. Many policies have been proposed to mitigate this vulnerability. In this article, we argue that nonprofit drug manufacturers have the potential to make important contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Charges of COVID-19 Diagnostic Testing and Antibody Testing Across Facility Types and States." The correction addresses some coloring inconsistencies in Figure 2a and provides a revised figure. The figure shows the average charges for COVID-19 testing, specifically diagnostic testing and antibody testing, in different states. It also includes information on the Medicare reimbursement rates for these tests. The correction notice is authored by Mark K. Meiselbach, Ge Bai, and Gerard F. Anderson. [Extracted from the article]

The article reports on the question of whether nonprofit hospitals deserve their tax exemption in the United States. Despite their charitable origins, many nonprofit hospitals now generate significant revenue, raising concerns about whether they provide enough community benefit to justify their favorable tax treatment.

This paper presents a novel spread spectrum (SS) method with a pseudo-natural sampling technique for filterless digital class-D audio amplifiers. This method is proposed to reduce the electromagnetic interference (EMI) emissions of amplifiers by lowering the output out-of-band spectral amplitudes around the pulse width modulator carrier frequency and its multiples. The main idea of this method is that the sampling frequency of the modulating signal and the carrier frequency are varied synchronously and randomly among three different values. Since the carrier frequency is variable, the polynomial interpolation Newton–Raphson (PI-NR) algorithm is modified to correct the harmonic distortion caused by uniform-sampling pulse width modulation (UPWM). Based on a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an experimental system is established to analyze the performances of the proposed method and other six reported SS methods. Experimental results show that the proposed method features the lowest total harmonic distortion (THD) of 0.009% with a 6.6 kHz, 0 dBFS (full scale) input, a relatively high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 52.68 dB and a relatively high output out-of-band peak spectral amplitude reduction of 17.75 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the direct financial burden of COVID-19 testing on patients is largely removed by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, and most insurers to eliminate cost sharing to hospitals for testing patients. Topics include the hospitals also are prohibited by the Department of Health and Human Services from balance billing patients, and the high hospital charges can lead to high payment by private insurance plans.

We design quantum compression algorithms for parametric families of tensor network states. We first establish an upper bound on the amount of memory needed to store an arbitrary state from a given state family. The bound is determined by the minimum cut of a suitable flow network, and is related to the flow of information from the manifold of parameters that specify the states to the physical systems in which the states are embodied. For given network topology and given edge dimensions, our upper bound is tight when all edge dimensions are powers of the same integer. When this condition is not met, the bound is optimal up to a multiplicative factor smaller than 1.585. We then provide a compression algorithm for general state families, and show that the algorithm runs in polynomial time for matrix product states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United States relies primarily on market forces to determine prices for drugs, whereas most other industrialized countries use a variety of approaches to determine drug prices. Branded drug companies have patents and market exclusivity periods in most industrialized countries. During this period, pharmaceutical companies are allowed to set their list price as high as they prefer in the United States owing to the absence of government price control mechanisms that exist in other countries. Insured patients often pay a percentage of the list price, and cost sharing creates some pressure to lower the list price. Pharmacy benefit managers negotiate with drug companies for lower prices by offering the drug company favorable formulary placement and fewer utilization controls. However, these approaches appear to be less effective, compared with other countries' approaches to containing branded drug prices, because prices are substantially higher in the United States. Other industrialized countries employ various forms of rate setting and price regulation, such as external reference pricing, therapeutic valuation, and health technology assessment to determine the appropriate price. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most mutualisms are exploited by parasites, which must strike an evolutionary balance between virulence and long‐term persistence. Fig‐associated nematodes, living inside figs and dispersed by fig wasps, are thought to be exploiters of the fig–fig wasp mutualism. The life history of nematodes is synchronized with the fig development and adapted to particular developmental characteristics of figs. We expect host breeding systems (monoecious vs. gynodioecious figs) and seasonality to be central to this adaptation. However, the details of the adaptation are largely unknown. Here, we conducted the first field surveys on the prevalence of nematodes from monoecious Ficus microcarpa L.f. (Moraceae), gynodioecious Ficus hispida L.f., and their pollinating fig wasps in two seasons and two developmental stages of figs in Xishuangbanna, China. We followed this up by quantifying the effects of nematodes on fitness‐related traits on fig wasps (e.g., egg loads, pollen grains, and longevity) and fig trees (seed production) in gynodioecious F. hispida. The magnitude of nematode infection was compared between pre‐ and post‐dispersal pollinators to quantify the probability of nematodes being transported to new hosts. Our results showed that Ficophagus microcarpus (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae) was the only nematode in F. microcarpa. In F. hispida, Martininema guangzhouensis (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae) was the dominant nematode species, whereas Ficophagus centerae was rare. For both species of Ficus, rainy season and inter‐floral figs had higher rates of nematode infection than the dry‐hot season and receptive figs. Nematodes did not affect the number of pollen grains or egg loads of female wasps. We did not detect a correlation between seed production and nematode infection. However, carrying nematodes reduced the lifespan and dispersal ability of pollinator wasps, indicating higher rates of post‐emergence mortality in infected fig wasps. Severely infected fig wasps were likely 'filtered out', preventing the overexploitation of figs by wasps and stabilizing the interaction over evolutionary time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Species interactions in tightly bound ecological mutualisms often feature highly specialised species' roles in which competitive exclusion may preclude multi‐species coexistence. Among the 800 fig (Ficus) species, it was originally considered that each was pollinated by their own wasp (Agaonidae). However, recent investigations show that this 'one‐to‐one' rule often breaks down, as fig species regularly host multiple agaonids but in ways suggesting that competitive processes still mediate biodiversity outcomes. 2. A phenological survey was conducted of the fig–fig wasp pair, Ficus microcarpa and its associated pollinating wasp, alongside its sister species, the cheating wasp, in Xishuangbanna, China. 3. Reproductive output underwent extreme seasonal variation. Seed and pollinator production fell markedly during cooler, drier months, although high levels of fig production continued. However, this resource was predominantly utilised by the cheater species, which offers no pollination services. Pollinators and cheaters rarely co‐occur, suggesting that temporal coexistence is constrained by competition for access to figs. 4. The overall findings indicate periodic rearrangements of mutualism dynamics, probably resulting from a strongly seasonal environment. Sympatric co‐occurrence may result from a window of opportunity for a functionally divergent agaonid, potentially due to constraints on the main pollinator in adapting to variable year‐round conditions that prevent competitive exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The optimal nanocomposite screened by FNP. • A facile FNP strategy coordinating heterocycles and Zn2+ was proposed. • The nanocomposite possessed the charged switchable characteristic. • The nanocomposite with a dual inhibitory effect against both fungi and bacteria. Bacterial and fungal infections have resulted in serious crop diseases, posing severe threats to food security. There is an urgent need to develop innovative antibacterial strategies to manage microbial infections. Herein, we fabricated a novel charge-switchable nanocomposite demonstrating pH-responsive infiltration into an acidic biofilm for heterocycles synergistic Zn2+ eradication of the Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli), Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus) and fungi (R. Solani) biofilm with negligible harm to normal tissues. Originally, by stabilizing the Zn2+/heterocycles nanocomposite with the pH-sensitive functional carboxymethyl chitosan (DA-CMCS) via a facile aqueous one pot flash nanoprecipitation (FNP), the nanocomposite DA-CMCS@Zn2+@heterocycles was finely prepared. Due to the amide group of DA-CMCS was sensitive to pH variations and could be rapidly hydrolyzed, the DA-CMCS@Zn2+@heterocycles nanocomposite shows perfect surface charge change from negative charge at healthy pH (7.4) to positive charge at acidic biofilm pH (5.5). Thus, the nanocomposite with nano-scale size and positive charge are favorable for enhanced strong adherence to the negatively charged surfaces of microorganisms against plant disease. The present research contributes a prospective idea to the development of charge-switchable heterocycles/metal nanocomposites for effective inhibition microbial infections, showing a great potential of application in the modern agricultural industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the extensive use of epidemic control drugs such as Arbidol (ARB) and Acyclovir (ACV) has significantly increased and the environmental pollution caused by these residues has attracted increasing attention. In this article, a novel montmorillonite graphene-like carbon hybrid Fe 3 O 4 compound (Mt/GH/Fe 3 O 4) as particle electrode catalyst was prepared and applied in three-dimensional-electro-Fenton (3D-EF) for the ARB and ACV degradation. The structure and composition of the compound catalyst were characterized. The degradation efficiency of targets was significantly increased in the 3D-EF degradation system and even more thorough for the degradation of targets, compared with simple 2D, 3D, and EF catalytic degradation systems. The degradation rate of antiviral drugs can reach >90% in 5 min with excellent stability. The research demonstrated that the clay mineral with a special structure loaded with graphene-like carbon and Fe 3 O 4 had supplied an ideal reaction medium for the electro-Fenton reaction. Mt./GH/Fe 3 O 4 -based 3D-EF degradation system would have promising applications in the degradation and removal of antiviral drug residuals in the environment. • A novel montmorillonite based composite catalyst as particle electrode was firstly used in 3D-EF catalytic system • The composite catalyst showed high performance for degradation of antiviral drugs • Montmorillonite based electroFenton catalytic system represented high cycle stability in optimal conditions • The generation of HO• in electroFenton catalytic system played an important role for the degradation of targets [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Dense and stoichiometric NaNbO 3 ceramics was prepared by flash sintering. • The volatility of Na 2 O was suppressed under flash sintering. • The onset temperature of the flash sintering was determined by electrical field. • The electrical field had a great influence on the grain size. Abstract Dense and stoichiometric NaNbO 3 ceramics were difficult to be prepared by conventional sintering methods because Na 2 O easily volatilized at elevated temperature. In this work, the volatility of Na 2 O was suppressed by applying an electrical field assisted sintering method. Flash sintering was preformed successfully on NaNbO 3 ceramics under the electrical fields ranging from 400 to 700 V/cm. The Na/Nb ratio of dense ceramic remained similar to that of the green sample. Our work demonstrated that flash sintering was an alternative technique for fabricating dense and high-purity ceramics with highly volatile species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to investigate the relationship between paratexts and the translation product with a case study of Lolita translations in China. Since Lolita has been one of the most frequently retranslated literary works in China over the past three decades, it can serve as a bellwether of the changes that have taken place in the translation field as well as those in the social, cultural and historical context. Therefore, a comparative study of the paratextual elements of Lolita translations acts as a reflection of the negotiations between the translation activity and the changing socio-political context. The analysis of paratexts locates translation as a social activity in which many agents are involved other than simply the translator and the source text. Through their organic integration with the translation products, the paratextual elements, functioning as genre indicators, work to promote the translation while potentially predicting its target readership. In the translation and retranslation of the same source text, a discussion of the paratexts may provide new insights into understanding the relationship between translations and retranslations as well as the evolution of the translation field in relation to Chinese society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To develop a set of structure and process indicators to evaluate tertiary hospitals’ performance in the Healthcare Improvement Initiative, a national program with a goal to improve quality of patient-centered care. Methods: A modified Delphi technique, including literature review, multidisciplinary panel meeting and anonymous rating, was used to generate a set of indicators. A practice test involving both general and special hospitals was conducted to ensure the feasibility of data collection for these indicators. Results: 62 indicators were generated by literature review. The panel review procedure involving 39 panelists with diverse backgrounds resulted in a total of 59 indicators, which included 40 qualitative indicators and 19 quantitative indicators. In the practice test, six quantitative indicators were found unfeasible. According to the suggestion of the experts in the hospital evaluation committee, three of those indicators were kept by adjusting their data collection methods, while other three ones were discarded. Discussion: A set of 56 structure and process indicators was developed to evaluate hospitals’ performance in the implementation of the Healthcare Improvement Initiative, which could be used in both general and special tertiary hospitals. Results of the indicator measurement could present a panorama of the quality of patient-centered care in tertiary hospitals nation-wide, and inform health administrators of the ways to attain the goal of the Initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flash sintering of lead zirconate titanate ceramics were investigated under DC electric fields ranging from 300 to 600 V/cm. The onset temperature for flash sintering significantly decreased with the electrical field to a lower limit of furnace temperature of 538 °C at 600 V/cm. The retardation of grain growth was observed, and the grain size decreased with increasing the electrical field. The current limit had a great influence on the density and grain size of specimen. During the flash sintering process, power dissipation first rose abruptly to a maximum value, then declined sharply to a steady state. Meanwhile, optical glow of specimen was observed. Using black body radiation model, the actual specimen temperature was estimated, which was too low to obtain the full dense ceramics in 30 s. It was suggested that Joule heating, ultra-high heating rate and high concentrations of defects were responsible for flash sintering of PZT ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant diseases prompted by fungi and bacteria are one of the most serious threats to global crop production and food security. The destruction of these infections posed a major challenge to plant protection by chemical control. Herein, we develop CMCS/PA/Zn2+ nanoparticles (NPs) using carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS), phytic acid (PA) and metal ions (Zn2+) via flash nanoprecipitation (FNP) strategy. Metal complexes of PA with specified antibacterial and antifungal activities are expected to hold the potential and play a significant role in antimicrobial treatment. The size and size distribution of NPs was confirmed through Dynamic and Static Light Scatterer (DSLS). In acidic-infection microenvironment, the CMCS/PA/Zn2+ NPs can disintegrate and release Zn2+ in situ thus stimulated the corresponding antimicrobial activity. These CMCS/PA/Zn2+ NPs showed outstanding antibacterial efficacy (98 %) against S. aureus and E. coli bacteria in vitro, as well as an impressive antifungal efficacy of 98 % and 81 % against R. solani and B. cinerea at 50 μg/mL respectively. This study contributes a prospective idea to the development of organic-inorganic hybrid NPs as environmentally-friendly and safe agricultural antimicrobials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Phytosterols found in oils have health benefit, but bleaching removes them. • Higher processing times and temperatures increase free phytosterol degradation. • Air and activated clay also promote phytosterol loss. • FPs adsorbed at acidic activated sites are also degraded. • These findings may help develop healthier and more nutritious oils. Phytosterols have health benefits; however, they are partially removed during the bleaching of corn oil. We evaluated the chemical conversion of free phytosterols (FPs) during bleaching. FP degradation accelerated with increased time and temperature, following a first-order kinetic model. In the n -heptane system, air and activated clay promoted the chemical conversion of the FPs. Sterenes formation was analysed under different conditions using a zero-order kinetic model. The apparent activation energies revealed sterene formation decreasing in the following order: campesta-3,5-diene ≈ stigmasta-3,5,22-triene > stigmasta-3,5-diene. Isomers of the above were not detected, indicating that these sterenes were the only primary products of FPs. The desorption test indicated that the FP loss from corn oil was not only due to FPs being adsorbed the activated clay, but also FPs adsorbed at acidic activated sites being degraded. This study presents a vital scientific foundation for retaining FPs to develop healthier and more nutritious oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• In male figs agaonid wasps deposit a single pollen grain each time they oviposit. • Stigma shape and pollen transfer to the hypopygium ensure very precise pollination. • In female figs wasp behaviour is less precise than in male figs. • In female figs exposed stigmatic papillae and synstigma ensure efficient seed set. • Plant morphology stabilises the mutualism. Active pollination has evolved four times in brood site pollination mutualisms. When pollination is active, the pollinator's behaviour specifically evolves to ensure flower fertilisation. In functionally dioecious Ficus species, the male figs host pollinating wasp larvae, while wasps cannot breed in the female figs because the styles are longer than the wasp ovipositor. Here we investigate the dioecious Ficus hispida. We show that in male figs, every time the wasp has laid an egg into a pistillate flower, it removes one pollen grain from its pollen pockets and places it on the hypopygium. When the wasp inserts its ovipositor into the next flower, the pollen grain is deposited deep within the style. Each ovipositor insertion results in flower pollination and insect oviposition. Because of systematic pollination of the flowers into which the eggs are laid, the wasp larvae benefit from feeding on fertilised endosperm while no seed are produced. In female figs, after probing a flower, the wasp presents pollination behaviour only every five visits. However, if it does occur, this behaviour lasts longer than in male figs and results in the deposition of on average 10 pollen grains on the hypopygium. The exposed sticky papillae on the stigmatic surface collect pollen from the hypopygium and pollen tubes may grow to neighbouring stigmas, ensuring secondary dispersal and efficient ovule fertilisation. Overall, our study demonstrates that the floral morphology of male figs facilitates precise pollen deposition, beneficial for the wasp progeny, while the floral morphology of female figs compensates for wasp pollination behaviour that is not selected in those figs. We conclude that the morphology of the arena in which interactions with its pollinator are played out is the result of selection on the plant to maximize its male and female fitness. Incidentally, this morphology stabilises the mutualistic interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the compression of $n$ quantum systems, each prepared in the same state belonging to a given parametric family of quantum states. For a family of states with $f$ independent parameters, we devise an asymptotically faithful protocol that requires a hybrid memory of size $(f/2)\log n$ , including both quantum and classical bits. Our construction uses a quantum version of local asymptotic normality and, as an intermediate step, solves the problem of compressing displaced thermal states of $n$ identically prepared modes. In both cases, we show that $(f/2)\log n$ is the minimum amount of memory needed to achieve asymptotic faithfulness. In addition, we analyze how much of the memory needs to be quantum. We find that the ratio between quantum and classical bits can be made arbitrarily small, but cannot reach zero: unless all the quantum states in the family commute, no protocol using only classical bits can be faithful, even if it uses an arbitrarily large number of classical bits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a polyacrylamide gel method, phase pure and well-dispersed MgTiO 3 nanopowders were prepared at 800 °C for 2 h. It was found that a high mole ratio of monomers to precursors resulted in low formation temperature of MgTiO 3 , due to the highly mixing homogeneity and smaller particle sizes of precursors. Sintering behaviors of MgTiO 3 nanopowders under DC electric field from 500 to 800 V/cm were investigated. Nearly full dense MgTiO 3 ceramics can be prepared in 30 s. An abrupt and simultaneous increase in current density and power dissipation were observed in sintering process, which are characteristics of flash sintering. The power dissipation for the flash sintering was found to be 82 mW/mm 3 . The densities and average grain sizes of samples increase with the increase of the electrical field strength. It was suggested that Joule heating was the main mechanism of flash sintering of MgTiO 3 ceramics. Our work provides a useful route for the fabrication of dense MgTiO 3 ceramics at low temperature in short time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progestin and adipoQ receptor family member 3 (PAQR3) is a novel tumor suppressor; however, its function in esophageal cancer is not well understood. The present study explored the association between PAQR3, and the survival and clinical phenotype in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The expression of PAQR3 in 80 cases of ESCC and its corresponding adjacent tissues was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results demonstrated that PAQR3 expression in cancer tissues was significantly lower compared with that in adjacent tissues. Clinicopathological analysis indicated that PAQR3 expression was significantly correlated with ethnicity (P=0.032), tumor length (P=0.019), lymph node metastasis (P=0.011) and local recurrence (P=0.009). Notably, the Kaplan-Meier survival curve demonstrated that a decrease in PAQR3 expression was associated with poor prognosis in patients with ESCC. Multivariate analysis indicated that PAQR3 expression was an independent prognostic indicator for patients with ESCC. PAQR3 may serve an important role in the progress of ESCC and become a potential candidate for ESCC targeted therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Our research investigated the role of Hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) on the Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) pathway and the effect of HRS on tissue injury in small Bama pig model of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion combined with partial hepatectomy. Main methods Eighteen healthy Bama miniature pigs were randomly divided equally into three groups: Sham, IRI, and HRS. Laparoscopic technique was employed to establish the model of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion combined with partial hepatectomy. HRS (10 mL/kg) was injected into the portal vein 10 min before perfusion. Histological examinations of the liver tissues were performed after HE staining. Additionally, transmission electron microscopy was performed to detect liver cell microstructure. Real-time PCR, Western blotting, and immunohistochemical staining were performed to analyze various ERS molecules including GRP78, p-eIF2α, XBP-1s, Full-length ATF6α, p-JNK, ATF4, and CHOP. Key findings We observed that HRS visibly improved ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) by reducing various parameters of ERS stress as evidenced by down-regulation of the mRNA as well as protein levels of GRP78, p-eIF2α, XBP-1s, p-JNK, and CHOP, and reducing the cleavage of Full-length ATF6α. Significance Our study demonstrates that HRS protects the liver from IRI by inhibiting ERS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hospital executives are under continual pressure to control spending and improve quality. While prior studies have focused on the relationship between overall hospital spending and quality, the relationship between spending on specific services and quality has received minimal attention. The literature thus provides executives limited guidance regarding how they should allocate scarce resources. Using Medicare claims and cost report data, we examined the association between hospital spending for specific services and 30-day readmission rates for heart failure, pneumonia, and acute myocardial infarction. We found that occupational therapy is the only spending category where additional spending has a statistically significant association with lower readmission rates for all three medical conditions. One possible explanation is that occupational therapy places a unique and immediate focus on patients' functional and social needs, which can be important drivers of readmission if left unaddressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progestin and adipoQ receptor family member 3 (PAQR3) has exhibited anticancer activity in multiple malignancies. However, its expression and function in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is still elusive. In this work, we examined the expression of PAQR3 in 40 surgically resected ESCC specimens and their adjacent normal tissues. The expression of PAQR3 in ESCC cell lines was measured after treatment with the demethylating agent 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR). The effects of overexpression of PAQR3 on cell proliferation, colony formation, invasion, and tumorigenesis were investigated. It was found that the PAQR3 mRNA level was significantly lower in ESCC than that in adjacent normal tissues ( P = 0.0318). Low PAQR3 expression was significantly associated with more advanced TNM stage ( P = 0.0093) and absent lymph node involvement ( P = 0.0324). Compared to normal esophageal epithelial cells, ESCC cells had significantly lower levels of PAQR3. 5-Aza-CdR treatment led to an induction of PAQR3 in ESCC cells. Enforced expression of PAQR3 significantly inhibited ESCC cell proliferation, colony formation and invasion. Moreover, PAQR3 overexpression blocked cell cycle transition from G1 to S phase, which was associated with induction of p27 and p21 and reduction of cyclin D1, CDK4, and CDK2. Mechanistically, overexpression of PAQR3 suppressed the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 in ESCC cells. In vivo tumorigenic studies confirmed that PAQR3 overexpression retarded the growth of ECA-109 xenograft tumors and inhibited the activation of ERK signaling. Taken together, PAQR3 is epigenetically silenced in ESCC and restoration of PAQR3 suppresses the aggressive phenotype of ESCC cells. Therefore, PAQR3 may represent a potential target for the treatment of ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While we applaud the effort to promote health equity and ensure hospital accountability, in this Letter, we highlight some potential limitations of the effectiveness of these measures for evaluating hospitals' health equity performance. Comment & Response B To the Editor b In a recent Viewpoint,[1] authors from I US News & World Report i described several health equity measures to be used to evaluate hospitals' performance on 3 dimensions: access, outcome, and social determinants of health. We are concerned that the proposed hospital health equity measures outlined in the Viewpoint[1] might induce hospitals to act in ways that do not necessarily improve health equity. [Extracted from the article]

The microstructured optical fiber (MOF) sensor based on the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) has a compact structure, high sensitivity, and real-time monitoring advantages. Beyond that, the SPR effect could improve the sensitivity of the sensor. In this paper, the self-made grapefruit MOF was polished in a D-shaped and coated with a silver film on the polished surface by silver mirror reaction. After that, the MOF was spliced with the multimode fiber (MMF) and finally formed the MMF–MOF–MMF sensing structure. The experimental study found that the resonance coupling between the cladding mode and the metal film can be enhanced, and the SPR effect between the transmission field and the silver film can be strengthened by D-shaped polishing. According to that, the highest sensitivity of the sensor was increased from 4821 nm/RIU to 5431 nm/RIU when the refractive index is 1.3921, and the polished sensor can reach the highest sensitivity of 6338 nm/RIU when the refractive index is 1.4083. In addition, the analyte's measurement range was extended from 1.33-1.3921 to 1.33-1.4083. In addition to the high sensitivity and wide measurement range, the proposed D-shaped sensor also has the advantages of easy manufacturing, good stability, and compact structure. • This paper proposes a D-shaped refractive index sensor based on the multimode fiber (MMF)–microstructured optical fiber (MOF)–MMF structure. We experimentally fabricated a D-shaped MOF sensor, and discussed the fabrication method in detail in the paper. • In this paper, the self-made D-shaped sensor was coated with a silver film on the polished surface, the superiority of this sensor is presented. • The experimental study found that the resonance coupling between the cladding mode and the metal film can be enhanced, and the SPR effect between the transmission field and the silver film can be strengthened by D-shaped polishing. • We compared the sensor performance before and after polishing, it was found that the sensitivity and detection range of the sensor were significantly improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]