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High theoretical capacity, stabilized and layered 2H phase molybdenum disulfide (2H) is regarded as a promising material for superior kinetics anode in sodium ion battery, but the inherent semiconducting properties and sluggish sodium ions diffusion limit the development of 2H based anode. Hence, this study builds a unique metalloid phase with high electronic conductivity and suitable layer structure by screening non‐metallic carbon atoms doped in 2H (2H‐C). As experimental and simulation results, 2H‐C of metalloid properties after carbon atom modulation exhibit superior sodium storage kinetics and reversibility by a unique mechanism that promotes ion intercalation under high voltage window, and further good for the later uniformly conversion at lower voltage (intercalation‐conversion mechanism). The 2H‐C anode material delivers a remarkable reversible capacity of 156 mAh g−1 at ultra‐high 100.0 A g−1, long‐term life of 6000 cycles, and superior performance at low temperatures of −10 °C. Otherwise, 2H‐C/Na3V2(PO4)3 full cell also performs charge/discharge capacity of 80.0/76.7 mAh g−1 with 87% capacity retention after 140 cycles at 0 °C. This discovery further explores the unique mechanism and application of 2D layered materials in sodium‐ion battery anodes for fast kinetics under extreme conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interline power flow controller (IPFC) is one of the most versatile integrated flexible alternating current transmission systems (FACTS) controllers and can realize power flow control for multiple transmission lines in modern power systems. However, control characteristics are ignored in conventional IPFC models, in which unreasonable assumptions about injected voltages may lead to security problems in realistic operation. Besides, preventive security constraints considering IPFC control modes are not included in optimal power flow (OPF) control of the system with IPFC, squandering IPFC control potential. To solve these problems, a preventive-security-constrained optimal power flow (PSCOPF) model considering IPFC control modes is proposed in this paper. IPFC control characteristics under different control modes are analyzed and employed as constraints of the optimization model. The iterative updates of converter output voltages for different control modes are derived respectively for power flow calculation, and the power and voltages required in the objective function and constraints of the proposed model can then be obtained. Through optimal selection of IPFC control modes and control parameters, the proposed model can better reconcile the economical and secure operation of the system. Numerical results demonstrate the efficient performance and superiority of the PSCOPF model considering IPFC control modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Demethylzeylasteral (T-96), a new extract of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, exerted immunomodulatory properties in autoimmune diseases, but its effect on airway inflammatory diseases remains unclear. Our study aims to explore the protective effect and underlying mechanism of T-96 in allergic asthma. Methods: The OVA-induced asthmatic mice were administered by gavage with T-96 (0.1 mg/10 g, 0.3 mg/10 g, or 0.6 mg/10 g) 1 h before each challenge. The airway hyperresponsiveness was assessed, pathological changes were evaluated by HE and PAS staining, and expressions of Th2 cytokines were determined by PCR and ELISA. The activation of MAPK/ERK and NF-κB pathway was assessed by western blot. Results: T-96 significantly relieved airway hyperresponsiveness in asthmatic mice, evidenced by reduced airway resistance (Raw) and increased lung compliance dynamic compliance (Cdyn). Also, enhanced inflammatory infiltration and mucus hypersecretion were ameliorated in lungs of asthmatic mice following increasing doses of T-96 treatment, accompanied by decreased eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), IgE and OVA-specific IgE levels in serum, and downregulated IL-5 and IL-13 expressions in BALF and lung tissues as well. Notably, phosphorylation levels of p38 MAPK, ERK, and p65 NF-κB were obviously increased in asthmatic mice compared with the control group, which were then abrogated upon T-96 treatment. Conclusion: This study first revealed that T-96 alleviated allergic airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness via inhibiting MAPK/ERK and NF-κB pathway. Thus, T-96 could potentially act as a new anti-inflammatory agent in allergic asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease which is easily misdiagnosed. Vascular endothelial growth factor D (VEGF-D), as the most common biomarker, however, is not so perfect for the diagnosis and severity assessment of LAM. Materials and methods: The isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based method was used to identify a cytoskeleton protein, moesin. 84 patients with LAM, 44 patients with other cystic lung diseases (OCLDs), and 37 healthy control subjects were recruited for collecting blood samples and clinical data. The levels of moesin in serum were evaluated by ELISA. The relationships of moesin with lymphatic involvement, lung function, and treatment decision were explored in patients with LAM. Results: The candidate protein moesin was identified by the proteomics-based bioinformatic analysis. The serum levels of moesin were higher in patients with LAM [219.0 (118.7–260.5) pg/mL] than in patients with OCLDs (125.8 ± 59.9 pg/mL, P < 0.0001) and healthy women [49.6 (35.5–78.9) ng/mL, P < 0.0001]. Moesin had an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.929 for predicting LAM diagnosis compared to healthy women (sensitivity 81.0%, specificity 94.6%). The combination of moesin and VEGF-D made a better prediction in differentiating LAM from OCLDs than moesin or VEGF-D alone. Moreover, elevated levels of moesin were related to lymphatic involvement in patients with LAM. Moesin was found negatively correlated with FEV1%pred, FEV1/FVC, and DLCO%pred (P = 0.0181, r = − 0.3398; P = 0.0067, r = − 0.3863; P = 0.0010, r = − 0.4744). A composite score combining moesin and VEGF-D improved prediction for sirolimus treatment, compared with each biomarker alone. Conclusion: Higher levels of moesin in serum may indicate impaired lung function and lymphatic involvement in patients with LAM, suggest a more serious condition, and provide clinical guidance for sirolimus treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cleaving the C–C bonds in lignin to afford value-added low-molecular-weight aromatic products is promising but a challenging project. In this contribution, a mild and efficient strategy for one-step selective C–C bond cleavage in β-O-4 and β-1 lignin models has been developed over pyridinium-based photocatalysts. The strong electron-accepting ability of the pyridinium core unit and the neutral nitrogen atom of the pyridazine substituent group provide a proton coupled electron transfer (PCET) channel to promote hydrogen dissociation from the OH or CH groups to form the corresponding free radical intermediates, thus directly triggering the cleavage of C–C bonds via a β-scission process. Benzaldehyde and phenyl formate are eventually formed as the main products. This work not only enriches the application of the pyridinium family as a low-cost, eco-friendly, and sustainable alternative for producing value-added chemicals from renewable biomass resources, but also provides a new idea for designing novel organic catalysts with PCET features to decrease the consumption of precious metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Evaluate the relationship between nurses' perception of the long-term care (LTC) environment, specifically having visible and accessible hand hygiene stations (HHS), and nurses' fatigue during the COVID-19 pandemic. Background: LTC nurses experience not only heavy workloads and fatigue but also a high risk of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic. Few studies have evaluated the relationship between safety measures such as having visible and accessible HHS and nurses' fatigue. Methods: The cross-sectional COVID-19 Impact on Nurses Study (COINS) was an online survey distributed to members of the American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing through the REDCap survey platform, between June 1, 2020, and January 31, 2021. Logistic regression modeling was conducted to identify the relationship between nurses' perception of having visible and accessible HHS and fatigue among LTC nurses. Results: The majority of LTC nurse respondents (78.35%) reported having moderate to very severe fatigue. Nurses who reported not having enough visible and accessible HHS in their work environment have statistically significantly higher odds (odds ratio [ OR ] = 0.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.20, 0.70], p =.002) of reporting experiencing moderate to very severe fatigue compared to nurses who perceived there was adequate HHS. The logistic regression is significant while controlling for sociodemographic differences, guilt for family and patients, support from work, and confidence in the future of LTC. Conclusions: This study reveals the LTC environment that incorporates better considerations of more visible and accessible HHS might mitigate nurses' fatigue during the pandemic. A conceptual framework has been proposed for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In thermodynamics, absolute zero is the coldest temperature and will never be reached because the thermal motion of microscopic particles never ceases. However, this situation could be changed for a collection of macroscopic particles. In the present paper, an experimental study was performed to explore the possible lowest temperature in a vertically vibrated granular system. It was found that the granular "absolute zero" temperature appears when the vibrating intensity is adjusted to about 4.6 times the gravitational acceleration. At this temperature, the macroscopic particles are arranged closely and behave like a rigid body without relative motions during the vibration. Near the absolute zero, inelastic collisions and energy transfer are responsible for the variation of granular temperature with time and vibrating parameters. Interestingly, the temperature variation reveals that the vibrated macroscopic particles are neither a crystal nor an amorphous system. This study introduces the granular entropy, including entropy generation and entropy flow, to describe the order of the vibrated particles. The entropy change could be illustrated by the temperature profiles of the granular system and its outside. It was also found that, unlike microscopic particles, which could maintain their entropy at a constant temperature, a granular system necessarily behaves completely disordered unless the system achieves the absolute zero granular temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Megacystis microcolon intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome (MMIHS) is a rare and serious congenital disorder with poor outcomes, where a heterozygous missense mutation is present in the ACTG2 gene. Here, we aimed to investigate the pathogenesis of ACTG2 in MMIHS. Methods: A cohort with 20 patients with MMIHS was screened. Actg2R257C heterozygous mutant mice were generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Gastrointestinal (GI) motility, voluntary urination, collagen gel contraction, and G‐actin/F‐actin analysis were performed. Key Results: The R257C variant of ACTG2 most frequently occurred in patients with MMIHS and demonstrated the typical symptoms of MMIHS. Actg2R257C heterozygous mutant mice had dilated intestines and bladders. The functional assay showed a prolonged total time of GI transit and decreased urine spot area. Collagen gel contraction assay and G‐actin/F‐actin analysis indicated that mutant mice showed reduced area of contraction of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and impaired actin polymerization. Conclusions & Inferences: A mouse model demonstrating MMIHS‐like symptoms was generated. The Actg2R257C heterozygous variant impairs SMCs contraction by interfering with actin polymerization, leading to GI motility disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the frame of radiotherapy treatment of cancer, radioresistance remains a major issue that still needs solutions to be overcome. To effectively improve the radiosensitivity of tumors and reduce the damage of radiation to neighboring normal tissues, radiosensitizers have been given increasing attention in recent years. As nanoparticles based on the metal element gadolinium, AGuIX nanoparticles have been shown to increase the radiosensitivity of cancers. Although it is a rare nanomaterial that has entered preclinical trials, the unclear biological mechanism hinders its further clinical application. In this study, we demonstrated the effectiveness of AGuIX nanoparticles in the radiosensitization of triple-negative breast cancer. We found that AGuIX nanoparticles increased the level of DNA damage by compromising the homologous recombination repair pathway instead of the non-homologous end joining pathway. Moreover, the results showed that AGuIX nanoparticles induced apoptosis, but the degree of apoptosis ability was very low, which cannot fully explain their strong radiosensitizing effect. Ferroptosis, the other mode of cell death, was also discovered to play a significant role in radiation sensitization, and AGuIX nanoparticles may regulate the anti-ferroptosis system by inhibiting the NRF2-GSH-GPX4 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic limb threat ischemia is associated with cardiovascular events, resulting in high amputation, morbidity and mortality rates. This study aims to accomplish a comprehensive summary of randomized controlled trials and single-center trials related to drug-coated balloons (DCBs) in the treatment of below-the-knee (BTK) artery disease, and to provide a recommendation for the application of DCBs in BTK artery disease. Five electronic databases were used to retrieve relevant articles on the safety and effectiveness of DCBs in the treatment of BTK artery disease. A random-effects model was applied to calculate the standard mean deviation, odds ratio (OR) and their 95% of confidence interval (CI). As of April 8, 2021, a total of 241 articles were retrieved, but only 13 articles were finally included for meta-analysis. The 12 mo follow-up study found that major adverse events , all-cause mortality, major amputation ,and target lesion revascularization had no statistically significant difference between the DCBs group and the control group (target lesion revascularization: OR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.36, 1.31; all-cause mortality: OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 0.69, 2.46; major amputation: OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 0.64, 2.79; target lesion revascularization: OR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.35, 1.45). The meta-analysis results of randomized controlled trials focusing on comparing DCBs and other treatments suggest that DCBs do not have significant advantages in the treatment of BTK artery disease when compare with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), but better than control intervention except PTA in both safety and efficacy end points. However, the results of meta-analysis of single-arm trial reported DCBs in treating BTK artery lesions are significantly improved compared with the meta-analysis concentrating on PTA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By combining the double identity of a redox center and a Lewis acid site of the pyridinium derivative, the first bifunctional small molecule photocatalyst has been developed for the one-pot tandem oxidation–acetalization reaction. A mechanism study reveals that pyridinium-mediated electron transfer and the photoactivation of molecular oxygen greatly facilitate the transformation of benzyl alcohols into the corresponding aldehydes, while the Lewis acid site of this bifunctional photocatalyst promotes a highly efficient acetalization reaction without any significant loss in activity after multiple reaction cycles, thus achieving the direct conversion of various alcohols into either cyclic or acyclic acetals in good yields under mild conditions without any additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new calibration device for an air flow sensor of the VAV terminal unit is designed. Multi-aperture air outlets are designed to meet the calibration requirements of the air flow sensor in a variety of measurement range. The device can calibrate the air flow sensors of different types of VAV terminal unit by a movable flow rectifier without repeating the design of a different calibration pipeline. The Raspberry PI is used to design the high-performance GUI interface and controlling algorithm to achieve a one-button intelligent calibration. The air flow sensors in three different types of VAV terminal units are used to calibrate the experiment. After testing, the differential pressure value measured by the air flow sensor can accurately measure the air flow within the accuracy of 5% after the formula conversion. The conversion from differential pressure values to air flow values requires precise calibration in order to establish an accurate air flow equation, and here the calibration device plays a key role. The negative effect caused by the distance between the flow rectifiers and the VAV terminal unit is discovered. In other words, the distance between the inlet flow rectifier and the air inlet of VAV terminal unit should be kept as close as possible, or within a range of 2~3 cm. Moreover, the distance between the air outlet of VAV terminal unit and the middle-flow rectifier should be kept as close as possible; otherwise, any slight gap will cause a huge error in the calibration result. The research contributes to the further study of airflow sensing technology through the conversion and calibration of differential pressure measurements to accurate air flow values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The four stages of the heat dissipation law of vibration fatigue of blade structure based on infrared thermography are proposed. • The advantages of infrared thermography in predicting the vibration fatigue limit with low cost, high accuracy, and convenience are verified. • Infrared thermography can be used as evidence and a complementary analytical tool of crack expansion during blade vibration fatigue. • Infrared thermography is beneficial to timely discover potential weaknesses in the blades and further optimize the structure, thus reducing maintenance costs. In recent years, infrared thermography has been widely used in mechanical testing because of its non-contact, rapidity and high accuracy. In order to explore the advantages of infrared thermography in vibration fatigue monitoring of blade structures, the characterization of the vibration fatigue behavior of blade structures is carried out based on infrared thermography with the validation and assistance of laser vibrometry. Firstly, the numerical simulation and experimental analysis were used to determine the size and location of the maximum stress in blade structures. Afterwards, the linear relationship between the stress and amplitude(σ ν - A curve) of blade structures was calibrated by laser vibrometry, and thus the S-N curve was fitted. Eventually, the heat dissipation law and crack extension process for vibration fatigue of blade structures was analyzed by infrared thermography, and the fatigue limit of the blade structure was predicted by combining infrared thermography and the Luong bilinear method. It is shown that the heat dissipation law and crack extension process for vibration fatigue of blade structures can be effectively analyzed by infrared thermography. Infrared thermography saves some economic and time costs for fatigue limit prediction, and the method is within 2.6% of the results predicted by the Basquin model. This paper provides a certain reference basis for the research methodology for vibration fatigue behavior of blade structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radionuclides, a complex tool with immense potential, can propel modern medical imaging forward while simultaneously posing grave risks. It is imperative to acknowledge the dual nature of radionuclides and find a balance. Thus, a thorough understanding and prudent utilization of radionuclides are essential. Surprisingly, there is a dearth of comprehensive studies exploring advanced strategies, particularly those involving optical sensors, for the quantification and visualization of radionuclides. Given this, we focus on the biological application and radiation detection of medical radionuclides in vivo. In this review, we start with the fundamental classification of ionizing radiation and delve into the intricate interactions between various types of ionizing radiation and matter, encompassing particle beam radiation and electromagnetic wave radiation. Additionally, we provide a comprehensive overview of progressive methods for identifying and quantifying radionuclides. Our analysis extends to the burgeoning research domains, including the clinical translation of radiopharmacy and evaluations based on diverse radionuclides. Furthermore, we shed light on the existing challenges faced by advanced optical sensors in detecting radionuclides and outline potential avenues for future research. By addressing these challenges and emphasizing innovative approaches, we aspire to pave the way for the responsible utilization of radionuclides, ultimately benefiting humanity as a whole. • Classification of radionuclides based on interaction ways with matter were described. • Various methods of identification and dose detection of radionuclides were reported. • Challenges and prospects of advanced biological optical sensor of radionuclides were summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to demonstrate how multiphase postoccupancy evaluation (POE) research was integrated into multiple projects to develop a continuous learning cycle. Background: Despite the well-recognized importance of POE, few studies have reported how knowledge from POE is applied in new designs. Method: This study is developed as a multiphase POE that spanned 3 years and across three units. Phase I POE compared an existing unit (Unit A) in Hospital A and a new Unit B in Hospital B that has implemented innovative design features such as decentralized nurse stations. The idea was to understand the challenges of the existing facility in Hospital A and gather lessons learned from the new design in Unit B to inform the design of the Hospital A expansion (Unit C). After the new expansion was occupied, the Phase II POE was conducted using the same set of POE tools in both Unit C and Unit A. The POE applied the following methods: (1) patient room evaluations using the Center for Health Design standardized POE tools, (2) space syntax analysis of visibility, and (3) a pre- and postmove analysis of Press Ganey data. Results: The results demonstrated that by incorporating lessons learned from the Phase I POE, Unit C has further improvement on patient room design ratings, improved patient satisfaction, and better visibility among nurse work areas compared to Unit A and Unit B. Conclusions: The multiphase, multisite POE with standardized tools has demonstrated its value as an important tool for continuous design quality improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Direct moxibustion (DM) is reported to be useful for cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR), but the analgesic mechanism remains unknown. Autophagy plays a protective role in neuronal apoptosis, Act A/Smads signaling pathway has been confirmed to be associated with the activation of autophagy. The study aimed to explore the effect of DM on autophagy in rats with CSR and the involvement of Act A/Smads signaling pathway. Methods: Rats were randomly divided into Sham, CSR, CSR + DM, CSR + DM + 3‐MA (PI3K inhibitor), and CSR + DM + SB (Act A inhibitor) group. Three days after establishment of CSR model with a fish line inserted under the axilla of the nerve roots, DM at Dazhui (GV14) was performed six times once for seven consecutive days. Western blot and immunofluorescence staining were used to observe the expression of the neuronal autophagy molecule LC3II/I, Atg7, and Act A/Smads signaling molecule Act A, p‐Smad2, and p‐Smad3. Bcl‐2/Bax mRNA expression was measured by real time PCR. Results: DM improved the pain threshold and motor function of CSR rats and promoted the expression of Act A, p‐Smad2, p‐Smad3, LC3II/I, and Atg7 in the entrapped‐nerve root spinal dorsal horn. DM reduced the expression of Bax mRNA and decreased the number of apoptotic neurons. 3‐MA and Act A inhibitor SB suppressed the expression of above‐mentioned proteins and reduced the protective effect of DM on apoptotic neurons. Conclusion: DM exerts analgesic effects by regulating the autophagy to reduce cell apoptosis and repair nerve injury, and this feature may be related to the Act A/Smads signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This article investigated whether robotic‐assisted liver surgery versus laparoscopic liver surgical treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has similar or different short‐ and long‐term clinical outcomes. Methods: A total of 3049 patients from the National Cancer Database who received minimally invasive surgery (ie, robotic or laparoscopic surgery) for stage I HCC cancers between 2010 to 2015, of which 123 had robotic and 2926 had laparoscopic surgeries performed, were identified. Logistic regression was applied to evaluate short‐term outcomes. Cox proportional hazards models were applied to estimate all‐cause mortality at 1‐year, 3‐years, and 5‐years after surgery, adjusting for potential confounders. Propensity score‐matched analyses were conducted to compare long‐term outcomes between robotic and laparoscopic surgeries. Results: Robotic surgery was associated with improved overall survival, with 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐year survival rates (SRs) of 0.92, 0.75, and 0.63 compared with laparoscopic surgery SRs of 0.86, 0.60, and 0.45, respectively (P value <.01). Multivariate analyses showed that robotic compared with laparoscopic surgery had significantly lower 5‐year total mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 0.64 and 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45%‐0.93% for intent‐to‐treat; HR, 0.62 and 95% CI, 0.42%‐0.91% for end‐treatment analyses). Similar results were found in propensity score matched analyses; robotic surgery was associated with improved overall survival compared with laparoscopic surgery (HR, 0.64 and 95% CI, 0.43%‐0.96% for intent‐to‐treat; HR, 0.59 and 95% CI, 0.39%‐0.90% for end‐treatment). Conclusions: Robotic surgery is not inferior to laparoscopic surgery in treating early‐stage HCC and may be associated with improved long‐term survival. In this largest study to date, the authors find that robotic surgery is not inferior to laparoscopic surgery in treating early‐stage hepatocellular carcinoma. In fact, patients treated with robotic surgery have a higher 5‐year overall survival rate compared with those treated with laparoscopic surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), primarily immunoglobin G1 (IgG1) and IgG4 with an engineered CPPC motif in its hinge region, are predominant biologics. Inter-chain disulfide bonds of IgG mAbs are crucial to maintaining IgG integrity. Inter-chain disulfide bond–reduced low molecular weight (LMW) is considered as one of quality attributes of IgG drug substance and is observed in drug substance manufacturing. In this study, we demonstrate that IgG1 and IgG4 are susceptible to the reducing agent TCEP differently and they follow different pathways to form LMWs. Our study shows that IgG1 is more sensitive to TCEP than IgG4. Both therapeutic IgG1 and human blood plasma IgG1 follow a heavy-heavy-light chain (HHL) pathway, featured with HHL and HH as intermediate species. Human blood plasma IgG4 with a CPSC motif in its hinge region follows heavy-light chain (HL) pathway, featured with HL as the intermediate species. However, therapeutic IgG4 follows a hybrid pathway with the HL pathway as the primary and the HHL pathway as the secondary. These experimental observations are further explained using solvent accessibility of inter-chain disulfide bonds obtained from computational modeling and molecular dynamics simulations. Findings from this study provide mechanistic insights of LMW formation of IgG1 and IgG4, which suggest selection of IgG1 or IgG4 for bispecific antibodies and cysteine-based antibody–drug conjugates. Key points: • Experimentally discovered preferable disulfide bond reduction pathways between IgG1 and IgG4 antibodies, driven by the different solvent accessibilities of these disulfide bonds. • Computationally explained the solvent accessibility aided by molecular dynamics simulations. • Provided insights in developing robust biologics process and designing bispecific antibodies and cysteine-based antibody–drug conjugates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β-arrestin2 is a versatile protein for signaling transduction in brain physiology and pathology. Herein, we investigated the involvement of β-arrestin2 in pharmacological effects of fluoxetine for depression. A chronic mild stress (CMS) model was established using wild-type (WT) and β-arrestin2−/− mice. Behavioral results demonstrated that CMS mice showed increased immobility time in the tail suspension test and forced swimming test, elevated concentrations of pro-inflammatory factors in peripheral blood, increased expression of pyroptosis-related proteins, and increased co-labeling of glial fibrillary acidic protein and Caspase1 p10 in the hippocampus compared to the CON group. Treatment with fluoxetine (FLX) ameliorated these conditions. However, compared with the β-arrestin2−/− CMS group, these results of the β-arrestin2−/− CMS + FLX group showed no significant changes. These results suggested that the above effects of FLX could be eliminated by knocking out β-arrestin2. Mass spectrometry implying that FLX promoted the binding of β-arrestin2 to the NLRP2 inflammasome of depressed mice. Subsequently, the results of the cellular experiments suggested that the 5HT 2B receptor antagonist may attenuate L-kynurenine + ATP-induced cell pyroptosis by attenuating NLRP2 binding to β-arrestin2. We further found that the lack of β-arrestin2 eliminated the anti-pyroptosis effect of fluoxetine. In conclusion, β-arrestin2 is an essential protein for fluoxetine to alleviate pyroptosis in the hippocampal astrocytes of CMS mice. Mechanistically, we found that the 5-HT 2B R-β-arrestin2-NLRP2 axis is vital for maintaining the antidepressant effects of fluoxetine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impedance, a concept commonly applied to electrical circuits and simple mechanical systems, is seldom used in the context of multibody mechanical systems undergoing forced vibration. This study explored the impedance characteristics of vibro-fluidized low-friction granular materials experimentally. Owing to the consumption, storage, and release of mechanical energy by vibrated particles, the notions of granular resistance and granular capacitance were introduced. It was found that at certain vibration intensities, both granular resistance and capacitance remain constant, yet their reactions to vibration frequencies differ. Granular circuits were created to illustrate energy transfer among particles, with frequency-band division providing a basis for discussion. It was also found that in specific granular circuits, maximum and zero granular resistances exist. To explain granular impedance variations in relation to vibration, the freedom and synchrony of granular motion were considered. These findings offer novel insight into the energy transfer mechanisms within vibrated granular materials. [Display omitted] • Impedance concept was introduced in vibro-fluidized granular materials. • Granular impedance has invariant regions and unique frequency responses. • Energy transfer was illustrated by granular circuits in three frequency bands. • Maximum and zero granular resistances exist under certain vibrations. • Freedom and synchrony of granular motion were used to explain the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 2D multilayered Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene adsorbents were fabricated via selective Al element etching. • Li+-intercalation increased the interlayer spacing and surface area. • TCF-2 exhibited broad working pH range and excellent Nd3+ adsorption capacity (517.8 mg/g). • The Nd3+/Fe3+ selectivity of TCF-2 reached 221. • The adsorption mechanism was elucidated using different characterizations. Recovering rare earth elements (REEs) from low-concentration REE-bearing waste streams has been deemed as a sustainable approach to diversity REE supply and reduce environmental burden. However, highly selective separation of trivalent Fe3+ and Al3+ impurities during low-concentration REE processing still remains a critical challenge. In this study, two-dimensional multilayered MXene adsorbents TCFs were successfully prepared and utilized for Nd3+ adsorption via selective etching of Al element in Ti 3 AlC 2. It was found that LiF/HCl-etched TCF-2 can simultaneously realize effective Al etching, interlayer spacing expansion and in-situ Li+ intercalation. The intercalated Li+ amount was up to 4.44 wt% (6.40 mmol/g). Compared with HF-etched TCF-1, TCF-2 demonstrated boosted adsorption kinetics (2 h), large adsorption capacity (517.79 mg/g), impressively high selectivity (Nd3+/Fe3+ SF = 221, Nd3+/Ca2+ SF = 858, Nd3+/Mg2+ SF = 3545), and broad working pH range (2–7). Various experimental characterizations reveal that selective Nd3+ recovery is owing to the ion-exchange and surface complexation induced by interlayer Ti-O/Ti-OH of TCF-2. Specifically, the extended X-ray sorption fine structure (EXAFS) results, in combination with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, further confirm the Nd3+ is selectively adsorbed by forming surfaced complexes structure in the interlayer. And this is also evidenced by the decrease of Nd-O distances and high coordination number. The present results illustrate that alkaline metal ion-intercalated MXene could serve as a promising candidate to efficiently remove trivalent Fe3+ impurities for REEs recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An analytical solution for a lined circular tunnel at shallow depths is presented. • The interaction between surrounding rock and lining is considered. • A new approach is proposed based on complex variable method. • The mechanical contribution of lining is analyzed quantitatively. In this study, a new approach is presented to determine the stress and displacement field of a shallow buried circular tunnel subject to gravity and arbitrary lateral stress based on the complex variable method. The soil mass and lining are conformally mapped onto two ring regions. A more effective method than the power series method is used to solve the undetermined coefficients of complex potential functions. The interaction mechanism between the lining and the soil mass is fully considered. The boundary conditions along the inner boundary of the lining and the ground surface and the stress and displacement continuity conditions along the excavation line are used in the analytical derivation. In the verification, the stress and displacement distributions obtained in the semi-analytical solution agree with the numerical results and satisfy the boundary and continuity conditions. Using examples, the stress distributions along the inner boundary of the lining and interface are presented to examine the influence of key parameters including the Young's modulus and buried depth. The effect of the lining in reducing stress concentration and restricting tunnel convergence is quantitatively analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to explore the impacts of visibility and accessibility of alcohol gel-based hand sanitizer dispensers (HSDs) on healthcare workers' hand-hygiene (HH) behaviors. Background: Despite the importance of HH in reducing nosocomial infection, few empirical studies have quantitatively investigated the impacts of unit shape and size, and the resulted visibility and accessibility on HH, due to the lack of consistent methods to measure and evaluate visibility. Methods: The research was developed as a cross-sectional comparative study of two nursing units (Units A and B) with similar patient acuity and nursing care model but different shape and layout. The study applied quantitative research methods including visibility and accessibility analysis using space syntax, 1-week on-site observation, and secondary data analysis on HH compliance rates. Results: Results indicate that the unit with higher visibility and accessibility is associated with higher HH frequencies. Unit B has significantly higher visibility of HSDs, p <.001, t (60) = 4.615, and significantly higher frequency of HH activity occurrences, 5.17% versus 1.52%; p <.001, t (16.750) = 5.332, than Unit A, even though Unit B has lower HSD to bed ratio (0.708:1 vs. 1.375:1). The linear regression models also demonstrate that visibility and accessibility of HSDs are significant predictors of HH behavior. Conclusions: Overall, this exploratory study identified the importance of visibility of HSDs to improve the chances of HH. It also points out the impacts of nursing unit typology on the visibility of HSDs and in turn affects HH behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A viscous fluid confined in a closed channel has two flow patterns, namely a laminar flow and a turbulent flow. Although already the onset and properties of each pattern have extensively been explored in various geometric fluid systems, very little is known about the flow pattern of a discrete medium. Thus, herein, we reported an experimental study on the type of flow in a vertically vibrated, annular, and granular system. It was found that the system presents either a laminar granular flow or a turbulent granular flow in different vibration modes. With the help of the Reynolds numbers of the granular system, the flow patterns were explained and identified. Finally, our results revealed a property peculiar to the granular flow which is similar to, albeit at the same time different from, viscous fluids. Unlabelled Image • Both laminar flow and turbulent flow are observed in a vibrated granular system. • Reynolds numbers of the granular system are used to identify the flow patterns. • Granular flow patterns are very different from the flow patterns of viscous fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data trading has attracted increasing attention over the years as a cost-effective business paradigm, probably producing a tremendous amount of economic value. However, the study of query-based trading in the user data market is still in the initial stage. To design a practical user data trading mechanism, we have to consider three major challenges: privacy concern, compensation cost minimization and revenue maximization in a Bayesian environment. By jointly considering these challenges, we propose a profit-maximizing mechanism for user data trading with personalized differential privacy, called READ , which comprised two components, READ-COST for cost minimization and READ-REV for revenue maximization. Especially, READ adopts personalized differential privacy to satisfy each data owner's diverse privacy preferences. READ-COST greedily selects the most cost-effective data owner to achieve the sub-optimal data query cost. Given this query cost, READ-REV calculates the maximum expected revenue in a Bayesian setting. Through rigorous theoretical analysis and real-data based experiments, we demonstrate that READ achieves all desired properties and approaches the optimal profit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinician teamwork is effective at improving many health care outcomes, and the physical environment is an important part of a system that facilitates teamwork. This review critically evaluates and synthesizes the empirical evidence on the impacts of the physical environment and surrounding ecosystem on clinician teamwork in health care facilities using a systems-based lens. The systematic search yielded 2,323 titles and abstracts between 2007 and 2017, which were reviewed and resulted in 34 articles examining physical environment's impact on clinician teamwork. The Systems Engineering for Patient Safety (SEIPS) framework is utilized to thematically structure findings to examine the interdependent nature of built and nonbuilt factors that have a documented impact on clinician teamwork. This study found consistent evidence of the interdependence of these systems factors in facilitating or hampering teamwork, as defined by Salas and colleagues' "Big Five." The review identifies current gaps in the literature and suggests where future research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spider silk is a proteinaceous fiber with remarkable mechanical properties spun from spider silk proteins (spidroins). Engineering spidroins have been successfully produced in a variety of heterologous hosts and the most widely used expression system is Escherichia coli (E. coli). So far, recombinantly expressed spidroins often form insoluble inclusion bodies (IBs), which will often be dissolved under extremely harsh conditions in a traditional manner, e.g. either 8 mol/L urea or 6 mol/L guanidine hydrochloride, highly risking to poor recovery of bioactive proteins as well as unexpected precipitations during dialysis process. Results: Here, we present a mild solubilization strategy—one-step heating method to solubilize spidroins from IBs, with combining spidroins' high thermal stability with low concentration of urea. A 430-aa recombinant protein (designated as NM) derived from the minor ampullate spidroin of Araneus ventricosus was expressed in E. coli, and the recombinant proteins were mainly present in insoluble fraction as IBs. The isolated IBs were solubilized parallelly by both traditional urea-denatured method and one-step heating method, respectively. The solubilization efficiency of NM IBs in Tris-HCl pH 8.0 containing 4 mol/L urea by one-step heating method was already comparable to that of 7 mol/L urea with using traditional urea-denatured method. The effects of buffer, pH and temperature conditions on NM IBs solubilization of one-step heating method were evaluated, respectively, based on which the recommended conditions are: heating temperature 70–90 °C for 20 min, pH 7.0–10, urea concentration 2–4 mol/L in normal biological buffers. The recombinant NM generated via the one-step heating method held the potential functions with self-assembling into sphere nanoparticles with smooth morphology. Conclusions: The one-step heating method introduced here efficiently solubilizes IBs under relatively mild conditions compared to the traditional ones, which might be important for the downstream applications; however, this protocol should be pursued carefully in terms of urea-induced modification sensitive applications. Further, this method can be applied under broad buffer, pH and temperature conditions, conferring the potential to apply to other thermal stable proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viral nanoparticles (VNPs) encompass a diverse array of naturally occurring nanomaterials derived from plant viruses, bacteriophages, and mammalian viruses. The application and development of VNPs and their genome-free versions, the virus-like particles (VLPs), for nanomedicine is a rapidly growing. VLPs can encapsulate a wide range of active ingredients as well as be genetically or chemically conjugated to targeting ligands to achieve tissue specificity. VLPs are manufactured through scalable fermentation or molecular farming, and the materials are biocompatible and biodegradable. These properties have led to a wide range of applications, including cancer therapies, immunotherapies, vaccines, antimicrobial therapies, cardiovascular therapies, gene therapies, as well as imaging and theranostics. The use of VLPs as drug delivery agents is evolving, and sufficient research must continuously be undertaken to translate these therapies to the clinic. This review highlights some of the novel research efforts currently underway in the VNP drug delivery field in achieving this greater goal. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The correctness of the analytic expressions for elastic and plastic stress is discussed in detail. • The reasonableness of the procedure for solving the elasto-plastic interface is challenged. • A promising way of solving this problem more exactly is presented. This paper considers the approach proposed by Zou et al. for determining the plastic zone around a shallow circular tunnel in an elasto-plastic semi-infinite space that incorporates the gravitational effect based on the bipolar coordinate system. The paper aims to analyze the correctness of the analytic expressions for elastic and plastic stress, as well as the reasonableness of the procedure building for solving the elasto-plastic interface. Finally, a promising way of solving this problem more exactly is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viral nanoparticles (VNPs) encompass a diverse array of naturally occurring nanomaterials derived from plant viruses, bacteriophages, and mammalian viruses. The application and development of VNPs and their genome-free versions, the virus-like particles (VLPs), for nanomedicine is a rapidly growing. VLPs can encapsulate a wide range of active ingredients as well as be genetically or chemically conjugated to targeting ligands to achieve tissue specificity. VLPs are manufactured through scalable fermentation or molecular farming, and the materials are biocompatible and biodegradable. These properties have led to a wide range of applications, including cancer therapies, immunotherapies, vaccines, antimicrobial therapies, cardiovascular therapies, gene therapies, as well as imaging and theranostics. The use of VLPs as drug delivery agents is evolving, and sufficient research must continuously be undertaken to translate these therapies to the clinic. This review highlights some of the novel research efforts currently underway in the VNP drug delivery field in achieving this greater goal. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) with CpG motifs have potent immunostimulatory effects on many subsets of immune cells. For example, Class B CpG‐ODNs, such as ODN1826 induce the phagocytic activity of macrophages by activating the Toll‐like receptor 9 signaling pathway. Systemic ODN delivery results in unfavorable pharmacokinetic profiles and can trigger adverse effects. To address this issue, plant virus‐like particles (VLPs) are developed for the targeted delivery of ODN1826 to tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs). ODN1826 is encapsulated by the in vitro disassembly and reassembly of Cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV), producing VLPs that are structurally analogous to the native virus. The encapsulation of ODN1826 in CCMV‐derived VLPs promotes ODN uptake by TAMs ex vivo and significantly enhance their phagocytic activity. The antitumor activity of the VLPs in vivo is also evaluated, revealing that the direct injection of ODN1826 VLPs into established tumors induces a robust antitumor response by increasing the phagocytic activity of TAMs in the tumor microenvironment. CCMV encapsulation significantly enhances the efficacy of ODN1826 compared to the free drug, slowing tumor growth and prolonging survival in mouse models of colon cancer and melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the extensive application of radiotherapy in various cancers, its side effects in tissues adjacent to cancers are garnering much attention. Intestines are sensitive to irradiation due to its rapid proliferation, and irradiation-induced enteric inflammation is common in patients with pelvic peritoneal tumors. Sirt1, class III protein deacetylase, could lead to transcriptional repression of various inflammation-associated genes, and our previous study has proved its relationship with interleukin (IL)-1β. Here we show that resveratrol, the activator of Sirt1, could alleviate the bowel inflammation induced by irradiation and the expression of Sirt1 is consistent with the inflammation level. We further identified in vivo that Sirt1 repress the expression of IL-1β by the repression of NLR Family, Pyrin Domain Containing protein 3 (NLRP3) expression. In conclusion, this study confirms resveratrol acts against radiation-induced inflammatory bowel disease via NLRP-3 inflammasome repression in mice and supports Sirt1 as a potential biomarker and therapy target in intestinal radiation protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Pulmonary delivery is an effective way to improve the bioavailability of drugs with extensive metabolism. This research was designed to study the different pharmacokinetic behaviours of small molecule drug after pulmonary delivery and intragastric (i.g) administration. Methods: Raloxifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator with low oral bioavailability (~2%), was chosen as the model drug. Studies were conducted systematically in rats, including plasma pharmacokinetics, excretion, tissue distribution and metabolism. Key findings: Results showed that raloxifene solution dosed by intratracheal (i.t) administration exhibited relatively quick plasma elimination (t1/2 = 1.78 ± 0.14 h) and undetected absorption process, which was similar with intravenous injection. Compared with i.g administration, the bioavailability increased by 58 times, but the major route of excretion remained faecal excretion. Drug concentration on the bone and the target efficiency were improved by 49.6 times and five times, respectively. Benefited from quick elimination in the lung, chronic toxicity might be ignored. Conclusions: Pulmonary administration improved the bioavailability of raloxifene and further increased the distribution on the target organ (bone), with no obvious impact on its excretory pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analytic stress solution is presented for a circular tunnel problem in a half plane with a concentrated force acting on any position in the field under gravity. The solution uses the complex variable method and the power series method. The influence of the unbalanced force system on the tunnel boundary is considered. The relationship between two analytic functions is established by using surface stress boundary condition. The analytic functions can be determined from the tunnel stress boundary condition. Based on the principle of superposition, the stresses of the surrounding rock can be calculated by superimposing three partial solutions which are obtained separately. The examples give contour plots of the principal stresses in the surrounding rock, focus on the stress distribution on the ground surface and the tunnel boundary and analyze the effect on the stress distribution of some main parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomically thin layered III–VI metal chalcogenides are an emerging class of 2D materials that have attracted increasing attention in recent years due to their remarkable physical properties and technological applications. Thanks to the recently developed theoretical and experimental methods, a number of exciting discoveries for these materials have revealed their new phases, a unique "Mexican hat"-shaped electronic band structure, and superior optical and electronic properties that distinguish them from other 2D materials such as transition metal dichalcogenides. This review summarizes the novel properties, structures, and synthesis strategies for these materials and emphasizes the most cutting-edge and seminal achievements in this rapidly growing field in order to provide input for future research works. We first present the rich crystal structure and phases that have been found in these materials, with an emphasis on the possibility of phase engineering. Then, we discuss the synthesis strategies for 2D layered III–VI metal chalcogenides from the top-down, bottom-up, and template-based chemical conversion approaches. We focus on the highly controlled synthesis methods that provide fine-tuning of the thickness, phase, edge structure, and other morphological characteristics. Third, we discuss the properties and applications of these materials, focusing on their unique electronic structure including the Mexican hat-shaped valence band, their superior nonlinear optical properties, high-performance electronic devices, promising photoelectrochemical properties, and emerging quantum properties such as quantum emission, exciton condensation, ferromagnetism, and topological quantum phase transition. Finally, we provide our perspective on the current challenges and future directions in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex variable method is used for an analytical solution for an arbitrary cavity in a homogeneous elastic half-plane. Proposing a method for solving the coefficients of the function by conformally mapping the region that contains an arbitrary cavity onto a circular ring utilizing a mapping function, which can be used for arbitrary shape cavity. Considering the stress-free condition of the upper surface, the relationship between two analytic functions is derived; consequently, the problem of solving two analytic functions is attributed to solving one analytic function, and the solve process for the analytic function in general case is given in detail, finally, achieving the solution of an arbitrary shape cavity in an elastic half-plane. The effects of cavity shape and depth were analyzed to the required terms of analytic function under a given accuracy. Examples for a vertical-wall semicircle cavity and a horseshoe cavity are given through the present method, and verification example is given by ANSYS software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To provide a historical review on the evolution of contemporary Chinese nursing unit design and contextual factors that drive the design and changes. Background: China is undergoing a major healthcare construction boom. A systematic investigation of the characteristics and development of Chinese nursing unit design is warranted to help U.S. healthcare designers to provide design that fits the local context. Methods: The investigation is developed in two phases. The first phase is a large-scale spatial analysis of 176 Chinese acute care unit layouts from three periods: 1989–1999, 1999–2004, and 2005–2015. In addition to qualitative descriptions of the nursing unit typologies, the percentage of various typologies, patient room (PR) types, the number of beds, visibility from nurse station (NS) to PRs, and access to natural light during each period were evaluated quantitatively. The second phase defined key factors that shape Chinese nursing unit design through expert interviews. Results: Significant differences were found between design in these three periods. Chinese nursing unit size has continuously grown in the number of beds. Most PRs have shifted from three-bed to double-bed rooms. Most Chinese hospitals use single corridor, racetrack, and mutated racetrack layouts. Mutated racetrack has taken over single corridor as the dominant configuration. The access to southern sunlight remains important. The average visibility from NS to some PRs is restricted by the preferences of allocating most PRs on the south side of a unit. Conclusions: Chinese nursing unit design has undergone transformations to fit the local cultural, socioeconomic context and staffing model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of big data era has given rise to the big data trading market because of the potentially enormous economic value. However, designing an effective trading mechanism for the data trading market is still in its infancy. Existing several incentive mechanisms have neglected the important fact that data consumers have both preferences and complex conflicts of interest (CoI) relations among them. In response to the limitations of existing trading mechanisms, we propose DTPCI , a truthful double auction mechanism for a Data Trading market with two unique characteristics of consumers' Preferences and complex CoI relations among them. However, three major challenges have to be addressed, i.e. diverse market preferences, the complex CoI relations of data consumers and the strategic behaviors of both two sides. To jointly address the three challenges, we propose DTPCI to achieve nonnegative social welfare, which features a group rule and a data trading rule. The group rule generates all conflict-free virtual groups based on the CoI graph. The data trading rule adopts the group buying to share data and expense. Through rigorous theoretical analysis and real-data based experiments, we demonstrate that DTPCI achieves all the desired economic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Al-doped tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) films were prepared by filtered cathodic vacuum arc technique. Effect of Al content on the structure and properties of the ta-C film were systematically investigated. Results showed that Al content in films increased from 0 to 39.5 at. % as the Al target current altered from 0 to 2 A. Without Al doping, ta-C film mainly presented amorphous characteristic with disordered arrangement and compact structure. With a small amount of Al doping, the film maintained the amorphous phase structure, and Al atoms mainly existed in the carbon tetrahedral interstitial space in the form of solid solution. At high Al doping content, the formed Al nanoparticles embedded in the carbon matrix network. Meanwhile, the addition of Al could promote the graphitization of films. The residual stress of ta-C films decreased gradually with increase of Al content. Furthermore, the hardness and elastic modulus of films also decreased with increasing Al content. That's ascribed to the reduction of residual stress and graphitization of the carbon structure. In addition, the ta-C film with Al addition could effectively improve the friction and wear properties of films at both room and high temperature. The friction coefficient decreased with the increase of Al content at room temperature (RT). At 400 °C, the film containing 7.6 at. % Al obtained the lowest friction coefficient and wear rate, corresponding to the values of 0.29 and 12.3 × 10−8 mm3/N⋅m, respectively. • Nano-crystalline Al grains were formed in the amorphous carbon matrix. • Relationship between microstructure evolution and the reduction of residual stress was revealed. • The improved tribological properties of ta-C film could obtain with addition of moderate amount of Al. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to explore the rural residents' preferences on various aspects of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model and the associated physical environment features. Background: The PCMH model has gained popularity as an innovative care model that intends to improve patient experience and outcomes while reducing costs. Yet few studies focused on patients' perspective, even less considered the needs of the rural communities. Method: Using a convenience sample, an exploratory survey was completed by 362 rural residents in the Midwestern region. Survey items were designed to gather information on both rural residents' preferences for five key PCMH attributes (comprehensive, patient-centered, coordinated, accessible, and quality) and of the physical environment that supports these attributes. Analyses were arranged along these key attributes. Results: Results indicated that residents' demographics affect their preferences for spatial features for PCMH. The three most important environmental factors for PCMH for the rural residents are the privacy, extra chairs in the exam room for family, and space that supports information sharing and communication among patient, family, and healthcare staff. Through structural equation modeling analysis, residents' preferences on comprehensive care, patient-centered care, coordinated care, quality, and safety have shown to affect their preference for the space features. The open-ended survey shows that rural residents are mostly satisfied with their current healthcare environment in terms of supporting patient-centered care, while other aspects still have room for future improvement. Conclusions: Overall, this exploratory study identified important attributes of the physical environment that can support PCMH from rural residents' perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This article aims to provide a description of fundamental elements of discrete event simulation (DES), the process and the values of applying DES in assisting healthcare design and planning decision-making. More importantly, it explores how new technology such as electronic medical records, real-time location services (RTLS), and other simulation methods such as space syntax analysis (SSA) can facilitate and complement DES. Background: Healthcare administrators increasingly recognize DES as an effective tool for allocating resources and process improvement. However, limited studies have described specifically how DES can facilitate healthcare design. Method: Three case studies were provided to illustrate the value of DES in supporting healthcare design. The first case study used DES to validate a surgical suite design for shorter surgeon walking distance. The second case study used DES to facilitate capacity planning in a clinic through testing the utilization of exam rooms upon various growth scenario. The detailed process data for the current clinic were captured through RTLS tracking. The third case study applied DES in an emergency department for both site selection in master planning and capacity test at various growth scenarios with seasonal volume swing. In addition, SSA was conducted to evaluate the impacts of design on visual surveillance, team communication, and co-awareness. Conclusions: It is recognized that the DES analysis is an effective tool to address the process aspects of healthcare environments and should be combined with post-occupancy evaluation and SSA to address behavioral aspects of operations to provide more solid evidence for future design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, coal fly ash-derived mesoporous silica material (CFA-MS) has been successfully fabricated without employing any extra silica source. The obtained CFA-MS was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurement, powder X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurement disclosed that CFA-MS possesses Brunauer–Emmett–Teller-specific surface area of 497 m2·g−1 and pore volume of 0.49 cm3·g−1, respectively. Furthermore, CFA-MS was evaluated for the adsorptive removal of methylene blue from aqueous solution. Several influence parameters on the removal of methylene blue including contact time, pH, initial concentration and temperature were studied in detail. Moreover, Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm models were employed for interpretation of the adsorption process, while the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetics equations were applied to investigate the adsorption kinetics. Results in the current work demonstrate that CFA-MS can be used as an efficient adsorbent for methylene blue removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the association between green tea intake and incident stones in two large prospective cohorts. Methods: We examined self‐reported incident kidney stone risk in the Shanghai Men's Health Study (n = 58 054; baseline age 40–74 years) and the Shanghai Women's Health Study (n = 69 166; baseline age 40–70 years). Information on the stone history and tea intake was collected by in‐person surveys. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were adjusted for baseline demographic variables, medical history and dietary intakes including non‐tea oxalate from a validated food frequency questionnaire. Results: During 319 211 and 696 950 person‐years of follow up, respectively, 1202 men and 1451 women reported incident stones. Approximately two‐thirds of men and one‐quarter of women were tea drinkers at baseline, of whom green tea was the primary type consumed (95% in men, 88% in women). Tea drinkers (men: hazard ratio 0.78, 95% confidence interval 0.69–0.88; women: hazard ratio 0.8, 95% confidence interval 0.77–0.98) and specifically green tea drinkers (men: hazard ratio 0.78, 95% confidence interval 0.69–0.88; women: hazard ratio 0.84, 95% confidence interval 0.74–0.95) had lower incident risk than never/former drinkers. Compared with never/former drinkers, a stronger dose–response trend was observed for the amount of dried tea leaf consumed/month by men (hazard ratiohighest category 0.67, 95% confidence interval 0.56–0.80, Ptrend < 0.001) than by women (hazard ratiohighest category 0.87, 95% confidence interval 0.70–1.08, Ptrend = 0.041). Conclusions: Green tea intake is associated with a lower risk of incident kidney stones, and the benefit is observed more strongly among men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective of this systematic review of literature was to critically evaluate peer-reviewed evidence regarding the effectiveness of decentralized nurse stations (DNSs). Background: The DNS has become an important topic in healthcare design research and practice over the past decade with aims of improving staff efficiency and patient experience. Research has shown to be inconclusive, with studies reporting an assortment of mixed findings. Method: A systematic review of literature was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses search process of electronic databases, citation tracking, and manual searches of references. All authors evaluated the studies independently. Studies included were empirical, peer-reviewed investigations of DNS in hospitals over the past 15 years. Each study was evaluated using an accepted healthcare design evaluation framework. Results: Over 200 studies were identified. After exclusions, 21 studies published since 2003 were available for full evaluation. Key findings from this review include (a) there is a positive trend toward patient experience in units with DNS, (b) nursing teamwork was perceived to decline in units with DNS, (c) methodological issues may be responsible for the mixed and inconsistent findings, and (d) there is no consistent categorization of nurse station typology or standard definition for DNS. Conclusions: Based on the evaluation framework, DNS are supportive of the patient experience yet have a negative impact on nursing teamwork. Higher quality studies are needed to classify specific typologies of DNS and account for elements such as patient care models, communication, visibility, and other patient care–related factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low birth weight (LBW) has been associated with subsequent risks of obesity and certain chronic diseases, but evidence for the associations is limited for the Chinese population. Methods: In this study we analyzed data from two population‐based prospective cohort studies, the Shanghai Women's Health Study and the Shanghai Men's Health Study, to examine the associations between LBW and the risk of obesity and chronic diseases. Birth weight was self‐reported at baseline; anthropometric measurements were made at study enrollment. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) diagnoses were self‐reported, whereas hypertension diagnoses were based on self‐report and blood pressure measurements at baseline and follow‐up surveys. Results: Birth weight was available for 11 515 men and 13 569 women. Non‐linear associations were observed for birth weight with baseline body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist:  hip ratio (WHR), and waist:  height ratio (WHtR; P < 0.05 for non‐linearity), and LBW was linked with lower BMI, smaller WC, and larger WHR and WHtR. An excess risk of T2DM was observed for LBW (<2500 g) versus birth weight 2500–3499 g since baseline (hazard ratio [HR] 1.17; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92–1.49) and since birth (HR 1.29; 95% CI 1.07–1.54), whereas the HRs for hypertension since baseline and birth were 1.13 (95% CI 1.01–1.27) and 1.20 (95% CI 1.11–1.30), respectively. The risk of the diseases decreased as birth weight increased up to ~4000 g; further increases in birth weight did not convey additional benefits. Conclusion: The results suggest that LBW, an index of poor intrauterine nutrition, may affect health risks later in life in the Chinese population. HighlightsLow birth weight was linked with lower body mass index, a smaller waist circumference, and larger waist:  hip and waist:  height ratios in the Chinese population.The non‐linear pattern of associations between birth weight and body size in adulthood in this population, as well as the higher risks of type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension in men and women with low birth weight, suggest that nutrition in early life is of considerable importance to health in later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive gastric cancers represent a distinct subtype of gastric cancers and account for nearly 10% of the gastric cancer burden, yet risk detection strategies for this cancer subtype are lacking.Methods: We conducted a nested case-control study where we assayed 4 EBV antigens [viral capsid antigen (VCA), early antigen (EA), Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen (EBNA), and BZLF1-encoded replication activator protein (ZEBRA)] in either sera or plasma from 1447 gastric cancer cases and 1797 controls obtained from seven prospective cohorts representing individuals from the high gastric cancer-risk countries of China, Japan, and Korea.Results: The prevalence of EBV sero-positivity was universal with the exception of one sero-negative individual, and the highest titers of the EBV antigens VCA (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.78-1.17), EBNA (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.72-1.08), EA (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.79-1.19), and ZEBRA (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.71-1.07) were not associated with risk of incident gastric cancer. When we stratified these data by H. pylori status, there was no change in the association.Conclusions: Multiplex serology of the aforementioned EBV antigens in serum may not be a suitable biomarker for predicting gastric cancer risk in East Asian populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrolytic copper foil stands as a pivotal material in the electronics industry. Anode materials are extensively utilized in the processing of electrolytic copper foils. Given the intricate production conditions of copper foils, there are multifarious factors contributing to the failure of titanium anodes. Presently, there is comprehensive research into the failure mechanisms of titanium anodes under actual complex operational conditions. This paper addresses gaps by juxtaposing failed and new titanium anodes from a copper foil manufacturing facility. It analyzes the macroscopic and microscopic morphological alterations, elemental distribution, and phase composition changes in titanium anodes before and after failure. Additionally, by integrating performance tests such as CV and EIS, the study dissects the failure mechanism of commercially employed titanium anodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, several metaheuristic algorithms have emerged to solve numerical function optimization problems. Since the performance of these algorithms presents a suboptimal behavior, a large number of studies have been carried out to find new and better algorithms. Therefore, this paper proposes a new metaheuristic algorithm, namely the car tracking optimization algorithm; it is inspired by observing the programming methods of other metaheuristic algorithms. And the proposed algorithm has been tested over 55 benchmark functions, and the results have been compared with firefly algorithm (FA), cuckoo searching algorithm (CS), and vortex search algorithm (VS). The results indicate that the performance of the proposed algorithm surpasses FA, CS, and VS algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Circulating miRNAs as potential non-invasive biomarkers for disease risk assessment and cancer early diagnosis have attracted increasing interest. Little information, however, is available regarding the intra-individual variation of circulating miRNA levels. Methods: We measured expression levels of a panel of 800 miRNAs in repeated plasma samples from 51 healthy individuals that were collected 6 to 12 months apart and evaluated the intra-individual variation by the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: After background correction, a total of 185 miRNAs were detected in at least 10% of the plasma samples, with 69 and 28 miRNAs being detected in 50% and 90% of samples, respectively. The median ICC was 0.46 for these 185 miRNAs. Among them, 41% (75 miRNAs) had an ICC ≥ 0.5, and 23% (42 miRNAs) had an ICC ≥ 0.6. The ICC is higher for miRNAs with higher expression levels or higher detection rates, when compared to those with lower expression levels or lower detection rates. Conclusions: These results suggest that common circulating miRNAs are stable over a relatively long period and can serve as reliable biomarkers for epidemiological and clinical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Kidney stone risk factors are understudied among Asians. Our study objective was to investigate associations of obesity and other chronic diseases with incident kidney stones among the urban Chinese. Patients and Methods: Included in this study are two prospective cohorts: the Shanghai Women's Health Study ( N = 69,166) and Shanghai Men's Health Study ( N = 58,054). Incident kidney stones were determined by self-report in 2004 and 2008. Cox regression models were used to evaluate the associations of study variables with stone risk with adjustment of demographics, medical history, and dietary intakes. Results: There were 2653 incident stones over 1,007,958 person-years of follow-up. Overall incidence rates (per 1000 person-years, 95% confidence interval [CI]) were 2.10 (1.99, 2.21) among women and 3.80 (3.59, 4.02) among men. Higher body mass index (BMI) was associated with risk (BMI ≥25 vs 18.5-24.9 kg/m2, women: hazard ratio [HR] = 1.14 [95% CI 1.01, 1.28]; men: HR = 1.17 [1.03, 1.32]). High waist-hip ratio (≥0.80 and ≥0.90 for women and men, respectively) was associated with risk (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.01, 1.27 for women; HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.05, 1.35 for men). Coronary heart disease or stroke history was associated with risk in women only (HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.10, 1.56). Hypertension history was associated with risk in men only (HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.11, 1.45). No significant association with diabetes mellitus was observed. Conclusions: Among the Chinese, kidney stone incidence in men is almost twice that of women. Obesity is a shared risk factor. Hypertension history is associated with risk in men, whereas history of coronary heart disease or stroke is associated with risk in women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]