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Abstract Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are generated during fermentation in silages, especially in barley silage. However, little is known regarding the dynamics of GHG production in silages during fermentation. In the present study, GHG accumulation and reduction were assessed in barley silage. Barley was harvested at the milk stage and ensiled without (CK) or with two commercial lactic acid bacterial (LAB) additives (L1 or L2). Gas and GHG (CO2, N2O, and CH4) production, fermentation quality, fermentation weight loss (FWL), and bacterial communities were analyzed at d 0, 1, 3, 6, 15, 35, and 90 after ensiling. Gas and GHG production rapidly increased in CK during the first 3 days and in L1 and L2 during the first day and then decreased (P

This work presents a robust methodology for effectively distinguishing between the seed island and the onset of the neoclassical tearing mode (NTM) in the EAST tokamak. Unlike previously employed methods, the width of the seed island is carefully regulated by gradually ramping up the currents in the resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) coils. Remarkably, the seed island phase can be sustained for several hundred milliseconds, providing ample time to examine the nonlinear dynamics of NTM threshold physics. This study investigates the plasma response in terms of various factors, including the plasma rotation, the electron density, and the electron temperature, from the initial formation of the seed island to the saturation of the NTM island. Through extensive statistical analysis of NTM triggering events, it is revealed that both the critical width of the seed island and the critical RMP currents are positively correlated with β _p . Moreover, the relationship of the transition time associated with mode penetration to β _p differs from the dependence of the transition time for NTM triggering on β _p . The growth rates associated with these two nonlinear phenomena show similar characteristics. Finally, reduced magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) modeling replicates the two nonlinear bifurcation states observed in the experiment. It is noteworthy that the RMP-induced NTM islands are locked to the static magnetic perturbation. This scenario differs from the natural excitation of NTMs, which occurs due to transient MHD phenomena, such as sawtooth crashes, where the triggering source is a rotating magnetic perturbation. This leads to the formation of rapidly rotating islands at a natural frequency. Furthermore, the stability of these islands is expected to be related to the polarization current effect. Nevertheless, this experiment sets a new course for the comprehensive investigation and understanding of NTM threshold physics, providing valuable insights for future tokamak design and operational strategies.

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention combined with early cardiac rehabilitation (CR) on patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) assisted with an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP).MethodsA total of 100 AMI patients with IABP assistance due to hemodynamic instability at Wuhan Asia Heart Hospital were enrolled in the study. The participants were divided into two groups using the random number table method (n = 50 each group). Patients receiving routine CR were assigned to the CR control group, while patients receiving MBSR plus CR were assigned to the MBSR intervention group. The intervention was performed twice a day until the removal of the IABP (5–7 days). Each patient's level of anxiety/depression and negative mood state were evaluated before and after intervention using the self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), self-rating depression scale (SDS), and profiles of mood state scale (POMS). The results of the control and intervention groups were compared. IABP-related complications and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), measured with echocardiography, were also assessed and compared between the two groups.ResultsThe SAS, SDS, and POMS scores were lower in the MBSR intervention group than in the CR control group (P

After the successful inscription into the World Heritage List, the daily monitoring of the Silk Roads heritage sites is facing a dilemma with late start and high predicament. The uneven development of the types of properties, the lack of enthusiasm for grass-roots managers and staff, and the blind dependence on hi-technology and notable equipments are the major obstacles to the current day-to-day monitoring efforts. At current stage, increasing capital investment and project funding,actively applying the project and research programs, paying attention to the long-term personnel training, enhancing the management and inspection are the important means to strengthen monitoring. The superior authorities should pay attention to strengthen the support of the projects and establish the accountability machanism. While the heritage management administrations need to continue to fully emancipate the mind on the basis of recognising the importance, optimise the existing mechanism, and undertake the daily monitoring work on its own or entrusting a professional company, organisation or institution. Moreover, they should strive to achieve a comprehensive and healthy development while complementing the shortcomings.

Phospholipid peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids at the bis-allylic position drives ferroptosis. Here we identify a novel role for phospholipid peroxidation in the inhibition of autophagy. Using in vitro and in vivo models, we report that phospholipid peroxidation induced by glutathione peroxidase-4 inhibition and arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase overexpression leads to overload of peroxidized phospholipids and culminate in inhibition of autophagy. Functional and lipidomics analysis further demonstrated that inhibition of autophagy was associated with an increase of peroxidized phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) conjugated LC3. We further demonstrate that autophagy inhibition occurred due to preferential cleavage of peroxidized LC3-PE by ATG4B to yield delipidated LC3. Mouse models of phospholipid peroxidation and autophagy additionally supported a role for peroxidized PE in autophagy inhibition. Our results agree with the recognized role of endoplasmic reticulum as the primary source for autophagosomal membranes. In summary, our studies demonstrated that phospholipid peroxidation inhibited autophagy via stimulating the ATG4B-mediated delipidation of peroxidized LC3-PE.

Accumulating evidence suggested that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play critical roles in the initiation and progression of malignant cancers. However, the roles of circRNAs in gastric cancer (GC) remain largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the expression of circRNAs in 5 GC tissues with metastasis and 5 GC tissues without metastasis by microarray analysis. We focused on hsa_circ_0003506, which was spliced from CYFIP2 gene located at chr5:156786012–156788606 and finally formed a sense-overlapping circular transcript of 366 nt, and thus we named it circCYFIP2. circCYFIP2 was found to be significantly upregulated in GC tissues and cell lines. High expression of circCYFIP2 was associated with metastasis and poor prognosis of GC patients. Function assays revealed that overexpression or knockdown of circCYFIP2 significantly enhanced or reduced GC cell proliferation and invasion abilities. In mechanism, we found that circCYFIP2 might serve as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) of microRNA-1205 (miR-1205) in GC progression. Besides, E2F1 was found to be a target of miR-1205. Collectively, our findings suggested that circCYFIP2 might serve as an oncogenic circRNA to promote GC progression via the miR-1205/E2F1 axis, which provided a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of GC.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of social rank (SR) on paternity efficiency (PE) in competitive mating flocks of geese. Thirty ganders and 150 geese (Zi geese, Anser cygnoides L.) aged approximately one, were divided into 3 groups. Flock 1 included 10 ganders and 50 female geese, flock 2 included 11 ganders and 55 female geese, and flock 3 included 9 ganders and 45 female geese. The frequency of the agonistic behavioral interactions (ABI) of the ganders and mating activity (MA) were video recorded in each flock. The SR of each gander was determined by the frequency of ABI with a score of 1 to 3 (1 being the dominant and 3 the most subordinate). To clarify the difference between being dominant and submissive, we collapsed rank 2 and rank 3 into a “subordinate” category. In total, 280 eggs were collected, and 219 goslings were hatched. Parent–offspring relationships among 399 individuals from the 2 generations were identified via 20 microsatellite markers, and the PE of each gander was calculated. There was no significant difference in individual body weight and semen quality factor among the different SR groups (dominant and subordinate), and the SR of the ganders was significantly correlated to PE for the 3 flocks. Goslings of high-ranking ganders contributed 48.68% in flock 1, 37.50% in flock 2, and 47.62% in flock 3. Approximately 45% of all goslings were sired by the 7 dominant ganders of the 30 total ganders across the 3 flocks. As SR has been shown to be heritable in geese, the selection of high-ranking ganders might be an effective way to improve reproductive efficiency in commercial geese flocks.

Purpose: To present a case of a rare entity of Ascher ring, a bilateral corneal stromal opacification. Observation: A 70-year-old male with no ocular history who presented for cataract evaluation was found to have idiopathic bilateral circular stromal corneal rings. Conclusions: After completion of extensive history, examination, imaging analyses, and laboratory studies for workup of corneal opacities, we arrived at a diagnosis of Ascher corneal ring, an extremely rare entity. Importance: A rare entity should be considered after excluding other etiologies.

Previous studies reported abnormal spontaneous neural activity in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R-fMRI). However, the frequency-dependent neural activity in PD is largely unknown. Here, 35 PD patients and 35 age- and education-matched healthy controls (HCs) underwent R-fMRI scanning to investigate abnormal spontaneous neural activity of PD using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) approach within the conventional band (typical band: 0.01–0.08 Hz) and specific frequency bands (slow-5: 0.010–0.027 Hz and slow-4: 0.027–0.073 Hz). Compared with HCs, PD patients exhibited increased ALFF in the parieto-temporo-occipital regions, such as the bilateral inferior temporal gyrus/fusiform gyrus (ITG/FG) and left angular gyrus/posterior middle temporal gyrus (AG/pMTG), and displayed decreased ALFF in the left cerebellum, right precuneus, and left postcentral gyrus/supramarginal gyrus (PostC/SMG) in the typical band. PD patients showed greater increased ALFF in the left caudate/putamen, left anterior cingulate cortex/medial superior frontal gyrus (ACC/mSFG), left middle cingulate cortex (MCC), right ITG, and left hippocampus, along with greater decreased ALFF in the left pallidum in the slow-5 band, whereas greater increased ALFF in the left ITG/FG/hippocampus accompanied by greater decreased ALFF in the precentral gyrus/PostC was found in the slow-4 band (uncorrected). Additionally, the left caudate/putamen was positively correlated with levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD), Hoehn and Yahr (HY) stage, and disease duration. Our results suggest that PD is related to widespread abnormal brain activities and that the abnormalities of ALFF in PD are associated with specific frequency bands. Future studies should take frequency band effects into account when examining spontaneous neural activity in PD.

Objective: This study aimed to explore alterations in the topological properties of the functional brain network in primary Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients with freezing of gait (PD-FOG).Methods: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (Rs-fMRI) data were obtained in 23 PD-FOG patients, 33 PD patients without FOG (PD-nFOG), and 24 healthy control (HC) participants. The whole-brain functional connectome was constructed by thresholding the Pearson correlation matrices of 90 brain regions, and topological properties were analyzed by using graph theory approaches. The network-based statistics (NBS) method was used to determine the suprathreshold connected edges (P < 0.05; threshold T = 2.725), and statistical significance was estimated by using the non-parametric permutation method (5,000 permutations). Statistically significant topological properties were further evaluated for their relationship with clinical neurological scales.Results: The topological properties of the functional brain network in PD-FOG and PD-nFOG showed no abnormalities at the global level. However, compared with HCs, PD-FOG patients showed decreased nodal local efficiency in several brain regions, including the bilateral striatum, frontoparietal areas, visual cortex, and bilateral superior temporal gyrus, increased nodal local efficiency in the left gyrus rectus. When compared with PD-nFOG patients and HCs, PD-FOG showed increased betweenness centrality in the left hippocampus. Moreover, compared to HCs, both PD-FOG and PD-nFOG patients displayed reduced network connections by using the NBS method, mainly involving the sensorimotor cortex (SM), visual network (VN), default mode network (DMN), auditory network (AN), dorsal attention network (DAN), subcortical regions, and limbic network (LIM). The local node efficiency of the right temporal pole: superior temporal gyrus in PD-FOG patients was positively correlated with the Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FOGQ) scores.Conclusions: This study demonstrates the disrupted regional topological organization in PD-FOG patients, especially associated with damage to the subcortical regions and multiple cortical regions. Our results provide insights into the dysfunctional mechanisms of the relevant networks and indicate potential neuroimaging biomarkers of PD-FOG.

Background: Freezing of gait (FoG) is a disabling gait disorder that commonly occurs in advanced stages of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The neuroanatomical mechanisms underlying FoG in PD are still unclear. The present study aims to explore alterations of structural gray matter (GM) in PD patients with FoG. Method: Twenty-four PD patients with FoG (FoG+), 37 PD patients without FoG (FoG-) and 24 healthy controls (HC) were included. All subjects underwent a standardized MRI protocol. The cortical thickness (CTh), segmentation volume without ventricles (BrainSegVolNotVent) and estimated total intracranial volume (eTIV) were analysed using the FreeSurfer pipeline. Results: CTh differences were found in the right middle temporal gyrus (rMTG) generally. Compared to that in HCs, the CTh of the rMTG in both the FoG+ and FoG- groups was smaller, while no significant difference between the FoG+ and FoG- groups. Correlation analyses demonstrated a negative correlation between the CTh of the rMTG and the UPDRS part II score in PD subjects, and a borderline significant correlation between the score of Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FoGQ) and rMTG CTh. Additionally, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis revealed a cut-off point of CTh =3.08 mm in the rMTG that could be used to differentiate PD patients and HCs (AUC =0.79, P

Background. Freezing of gait (FOG) is a disabling gait disorder influencing patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Accumulating evidence suggests that FOG is related to the functional alterations within brain networks. We investigated the changes in brain resting-state functional connectivity (FC) in patients with PD with FOG (FOG+) and without FOG (FOG-). Methods. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) data were collected from 55 PD patients (25 FOG+ and 30 FOG-) and 26 matched healthy controls (HC). Differences in intranetwork connectivity between FOG+, FOG-, and HC individuals were explored using independent component analysis (ICA). Results. Seven resting-state networks (RSNs) with abnormalities, including motor, executive, and cognitive-related networks, were found in PD patients compared to HC. Compared to FOG- patients, FOG+ patients had increased FC in advanced cognitive and attention-related networks. In addition, the FC values of the auditory network and default mode network were positively correlated with the Gait and Falls Questionnaire (GFQ) and Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FOGQ) scores in FOG+ patients. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that the neural basis of PD is associated with impairments of multiple functional networks. Notably, alterations of advanced cognitive and attention-related networks rather than motor networks may be related to the mechanism of FOG.

Some theories have proposed that autistic individuals have difficulty learning predictive relationships. We tested this hypothesis using a serial reaction time task in which participants learned to predict the locations of a repeating sequence of target locations. We conducted a large-sample online study with 61 autistic and 71 neurotypical adults. The autistic group had slower overall reaction times, but demonstrated sequence-specific learning equivalent to the neurotypical group, consistent with other findings of typical procedural memory in autism. The neurotypical group, however, made significantly more prediction-related errors early in the experiment when the stimuli changed from repeated sequences to random locations, suggesting certain limited behavioural differences in the learning or utilization of predictive relationships for autistic adults.

Maxwell and Schrödinger equations are coupled to incorporate quantum effects for the simulation of plasmonics nanodevices. Maxwell equations with Lorentz-Drude (LD) dispersive model are applied to large size plasmonics components, whereas coupled Maxwell and Schrödinger equations are applied to components where quantum effects are needed. The finite difference time domain method (FDTD) is applied to simulate these coupled equations.

Background: We investigated the potential relationship between age-related conditions, particularly sarcopenia and ischemic stroke (IS), through a twosample Mendelian randomization (MR) study. Methods: We conducted a two-sample bidirectional MR study to investigate the relationship between sarcopenia and stroke. Genetic instruments for sarcopenia were derived from the UK Biobank, while data on IS and its subtypes were obtained from the MEGASTROKE consortium. Inverse variance weighting (IVW) served as the primary analytical method. Additionally, heterogeneity and pleiotropy were assessed to ensure the robustness of the findings. Results: The analysis indicates a negative correlation between appendicular lean mass (ALM) and small vessel stroke (SVS; OR = 0.790, 95% CI: 0.703--0.888, p < 0.001), a positive correlation with cardioembolic stroke (CES; OR = 1.165, 95% CI: 1.058--1.284, p = 0.002), and no causal relationship with any ischemic stroke (AIS) or large artery stroke (LAS). Additionally, SVS is negatively associated with right-hand grip strength (OR = 0.639, 95% CI: 0.437--0.934, p = 0.021), while AIS, LAS, and CES do not exhibit a causal relationship with grip strength. Furthermore, no causal relationship was identified between left-hand grip strength, usual walking pace, and IS or its subtypes. MR analysis reveals only a negative association between CES and usual walking pace (OR = 0.989, 95% CI: 0.980--0.998, p = 0.013), with no associations found between other IS subtypes and sarcopenia-related traits. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that a reduction in ALM and right-hand grip strength is associated with SVS, whereas decreased ALM may serve as a protective factor against CES. Conversely, our analysis suggests that CES can impact walking speed. Overall, these findings provide valuable insights into the prevention and treatment of these conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To research the connection between the indexes of the indexes of triglyceride-glucose (TyG) combined with obesity indices and the initial neurological severity and short-term outcome of new-onset acute ischemic stroke. Methods: Data of patients with acute ischemic stroke admitted to the Stroke Ward of the Affiliated Hospital of Beihua University from November 2021 to October 2023, were collected. The two indexes were calculated by combining TyG and obesity indices: TyG-body mass index (TyG-BMI) and TyG-waist circumference (TyG-WC). The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was used to assess and group patients with neurological deficits within 24 hours of admission: mild stroke (NIHSS ≤5) and moderate-severe stroke (NIHSS >5). Short-term prognosis was evaluated using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at discharge or 14 days after onset of the disease and grouped: good outcome (mRS ≤2) and poor outcome (mRS >2). According to the quartiles of TyG-BMI and TyGWC, the patients were placed into four groups: Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4. Multi-factor logistic regression analysis was utilized to evaluate the correlation of TyG-BMI and TyG-WC with the severity and short-term outcome. Results: The study included 456 patients. After adjusting for multiple variables, the results showed that compared with the quartile 1, patients in quartile 4 of TyG-BMI had a reduced risk of moderate-severe stroke [Q4: OR: 0.407, 95%CI (0.185-0.894), P = 0.025]; Patients in quartiles 2, 3 and 4 of TyG-BMI had sequentially lower risk of short-term adverse outcomes [Q2: OR: 0.394, 95%CI (0.215-0.722), P = 0.003; Q3: OR: 0.324, 95%CI (0.163-0.642), P = 0.001; Q4: OR: 0.158, 95%CI (0.027-0.349), P <0.001]; Patients in quartiles 3 and 4 of TyG-WC had sequentially lower risk of moderate-severe stroke [Q3: OR: 0.355, 95%CI (0.173-0.728), P = 0.005; Q4: OR: 0.140, 95%CI (0.056-0.351), P <0.001]; Patients in quartiles 3 and 4 of TyG-WC had sequentially lower risk of short-term adverse outcomes [Q3: OR: 0.350, 95%CI (0.175-0.700), P = 0.003; Q4: OR: 0.178, 95%CI (0.071-0.451), P <0.001]. Conclusions: TyG-WC and TyG-BMI were correlated with the severity and shortterm outcome of new-onset acute ischemic stroke. As TyG-WC and TyG-BMI increased, stroke severity decreased and short-term outcome was better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Identification of patients at high risk of surgical-site infections may allow surgeons to minimize associated morbidity. However, there are significant concerns regarding the methodological quality and transportability of models previously developed. The aim of this study was to develop a novel score to predict 30-day surgical-site infection risk after gastrointestinal surgery across a global context and externally validate against existing models. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of two prospective international cohort studies: GlobalSurg-1 (July–November 2014) and GlobalSurg-2 (January–July 2016). Consecutive adults undergoing gastrointestinal surgery were eligible. Model development was performed using GlobalSurg-2 data, with novel and previous scores externally validated using GlobalSurg-1 data. The primary outcome was 30-day surgical-site infections, with two predictive techniques explored: penalized regression (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator ('LASSO')) and machine learning (extreme gradient boosting ('XGBoost')). Final model selection was based on prognostic accuracy and clinical utility. Results: There were 14 019 patients (surgical-site infections = 12.3%) for derivation and 8464 patients (surgical-site infections = 11.4%) for external validation. The LASSO model was selected due to similar discrimination to extreme gradient boosting (AUC 0.738 (95% c.i. 0.725 to 0.750) versus 0.737 (95% c.i. 0.709 to 0.765)), but greater explainability. The final score included six variables: country income, ASA grade, diabetes, and operative contamination, approach, and duration. Model performance remained good on external validation (AUC 0.730 (95% c.i. 0.715 to 0.744); calibration intercept −0.098 and slope 1.008) and demonstrated superior performance to the external validation of all previous models. Conclusion: The 'Global Surgical-Site Infection' score allows accurate prediction of the risk of surgical-site infections with six simple variables that are routinely available at the time of surgery across global settings. This can inform the use of intraoperative and postoperative interventions to modify the risk of surgical-site infections and minimize associated harm. There are significant concerns regarding the methodological quality and transportability of models previously developed to predict patients at risk of surgical-site infections to allow surgeons to minimize associated morbidity. The novel 'Global Surgical-Site Infection' score allows accurate prediction of the risk of surgical-site infections with six simple variables that are routinely available at the time of surgery across global settings. This can inform the use of intraoperative and postoperative interventions to modify the risk of surgical-site infections and minimize associated harm. Lay Summary: This study is about finding ways to predict if someone will get an infection after having surgery on their stomach and intestines. If doctors know who is at high risk of getting an infection, they can take steps to prevent it and help the patient recover faster. The researchers used information from patients who had surgery all over the world to try to make a way to score how likely someone is to get infection in their wound from surgery. They did this in two different ways, then picked the one that was best at picking up infections, while still being easy to use. They then compared the new score against older scores to check if it really was better or not. The researchers found that their new score was good at predicting who might get an infection using just six bits of information on the patient. This new score worked even better than older scores when these were compared all together. This means that doctors can use this new score to check who is most likely to get an infection after surgery and so can take extra steps during and after the surgery to try and stop these from happening. Because the score is so simple, this is easy to use all around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: During the early phase of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), there were various uncertainties, which had a detrimental impact on the prevalence of burnout among critical care personnel worldwide. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of burnout and its associated factors in critical care personnel involved in the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This is a single-center, cross-sectional study with 81 critical care personnel for a survey using Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with personal burnout. Results: More than half of the respondents were female (60.5%) over the age of 30 (61.7%), and 54.3% were medical doctors. A large number (72.8%) of the respondents experienced personal burnout, with twothirds of them experiencing work-related (65.4%) and client-related burnout (59.3%). Personal burnout was found to be associated with those who had children [OR: 11.31 (1.90, 67.37), p = 0.008], stayed with family, relatives, or friends [OR: 9.40 (1.27, 69.46), p = 0.028], were medical doctors [OR: 26.52 (2.79, 252.22), p = 0.004], worked more than 45 hours per week [OR: 8.68 (1.45, 58.09), p = 0.018], and previously never had COVID-19 viral test [OR: 6.93 (1.17, 40.89), p = 0.033]. Conclusion: Overall, more than half of the critical care personnel experienced burnout. There were possible associations between personal burnout with social characteristics such as having children and living with family, relatives, or friends, and occupational characteristics such as being a medical doctor, long working hours, and previously never had COVID-19 viral test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]