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Abstract E3 ubiquitin ligase synoviolin (SYVN1) has been reported to participate in many human cancers. This study aimed to investigate SYVN1’s roles and molecular pathways in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). The functions of SYVN1 in PTC were further analyzed using gain- and loss-of-function methods and numerous investigations in cellular function and molecular biology. The findings demonstrated that the overexpression of SYVN1 markedly suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of PTC cell lines (NPA87 and TPC-1). We found that SYVN1 interacted with HMGB1 and promoted its ubiquitination and degradation. In addition, SYVN1 effectively impairs cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and the formation of tumor xenografts in mice models. However, this effect may be partly reversed by overexpressing HMGB1. Thus, SYVN1 may inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of PTC cells by disrupting HMGB1. Consequently, SYVN1 might be considered a promising therapeutic target for PTC.

Background: Urosepsis is a common disease in urology, which is characterized by high treatment costs and high mortality. In the treatment of sepsis, anti-infection therapy is the most important means. However, the effect of empirical anti-infection therapy is often not ideal. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously monitor the prevalence of bacterial isolates in the blood culture of patients with urinary sepsis and their sensitivity to antibacterial drugs. This is of great significance to improve the efficacy of empirical antibiotic therapy for urosepsis. Objective: To elucidate the landscape of prevailing bacterial profiles and their antimicrobial susceptibilities in urosepsis cases, and to furnish robust clinical evidence to underpin the timely initiation of empirical antibiotic treatment. Methods: Collect the basic information and blood culture results of patients with urosepsis hospitalized from 2017 to 2020. Retrospective analysis of bacterial species and antimicrobial susceptibility in urosepsis and changes over 4 years. Results: Gram-negative bacteria (178 isolates, 75.11%) constituted the main pathogens causing urosepsis, followed by Gram-positive bacteria (46 isolates, 19.41%) and fungus (13 isolates, 5.48%). The sensitivity of ertapenem, meropenem, amikacin, and imipenem to Gram-negative bacteria all exceeded 85%. The sensitivity rates of levofloxacin, gentamicin, and ciprofloxacin are decreasing every year ( p

Introduction and Objectives: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease with a high prevalence worldwide and poses serious harm to human health. There is growing evidence suggesting that the administration of specific supplements or nutrients may slow NAFLD progression. Silymarin is a hepatoprotective extract of milk thistle, but its efficacy in NAFLD remains unclear. Materials and Methods: Relevant studies were searched in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, clinicaltrails.gov, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure and were screened according to the eligibility criteria. Data were analyzed using Revman 5.3. Continuous values and dichotomous values were pooled using the standard mean difference (SMD) and odds ratio (OR). Heterogeneity was evaluated using the Cochran's Q test (I2 statistic). A P

Abstract Of the 12 wild felid species found in China, Asiatic golden cat (Catopuma temminckii) is one of the least studied species. This medium‐sized cat with a prominently polymorphic coat was once distributed across much of southern China, but is believed to have experienced severe decline and range contraction during the past decades, primarily due to anthropogenic pressures. A lack of knowledge of its current distribution, ecology, and natural history has greatly hindered the implementation of conservation and management actions for this species. In this study, for the first time, we compiled the state‐wide occurrence records (N = 409), mainly from the camera‐trapping surveys, of Asiatic golden cats from 2008 to 2019, and predicted its distribution across the country through species distribution modeling using random forest algorithm. The results showed that the predicted habitats were mainly located in southwest China and suggested a rather low probability of possible current distribution across its vast historic range in central, eastern, and southern China. We divided its current range into four geographic regions (i.e., Qinling Mountains, Hengduan Mountains, East Himalayas, and southern Yunnan region) and considered the cats in each region as a regional population within the country. From the 287 camera‐trapping detections with photographs and/or videos collected across all populations, we identified six coat morphs and determined their occurrence percentages: common golden (47.4%), spotted (20.9%), red (13.6%), dark cinnamon (10.1%), melanistic (7.0%), and gray (1.0%). The complexity of coat morph composition within regional populations showed an increasing gradient from northeast to southwest. Among the four regional populations, the East Himalayas hosted the highest abundance and coat variation with all six morphs recorded. Our study results update the current distribution and coat morphology variations of this elusive cat in China and provide important knowledge to guide future research and conservation planning for this threatened species.

Abstract Positive computed tomography (CT) contrast nanoagent has significant applications in diagnosing tumors. However, the sensitive differentiation between hepatoma and normal liver tissue remains challenging. This challenge arises primarily because both normal liver and hepatoma tissues capture the nanoagent, resulting in similar positive CT contrasts. Here, a strategy for fusing positive and negative CT contrast nanoagent is proposed to detect hepatoma. A nanoagent Hf‐MOF@AB@PVP initially generates a positive CT contrast signal of 120.3 HU in the liver. Subsequently, it can specifically respond to the acidic microenvironment of hepatoma to generate H2, further achieving a negative contrast of −96.0 HU. More importantly, the relative position between the negative and positive signals area is helpful to determine the location of hepatoma and normal liver tissues. The distinct contrast difference of 216.3 HU and relative orientation between normal liver and tumor tissues are meaningful to sensitively distinguish hepatoma from normal liver tissue utilizing CT imaging.

Flat Plate Solar Collectors (FPSCs) have been widely employed in the production of renewable energy for a significant period. To enhance their thermal performance, the utilization of nanofluids as heat transfer fluids has emerged as a popular approach. However, many research works were only carried out with conventional metal-based nanofluids. This numerical study investigates the effects of incorporating two carbon nanotubes, namely single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT)/water and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/water, on the fluidic and thermal performance of FPSC. The Nusselt (Nu) and Stanton (St) numbers, as well as the frictional characteristics, are measured and compared to those of metal-based nanofluid of alumina (Al2O3)/water at volume concentrations up to 1%. It is found that Nu increases with a higher Reynolds number (Re) while deteriorating at a higher volume concentration. The lowest Nu was recorded for SWCNT/water in the current investigation. The Stanton number increases with a higher volume concentration and decreases with an increase of Re. Notably, the maximum value of 0.001801 is obtained for the SWCNT nanofluid. The outlet temperature decreases maximum for SWCNT/water with the increase of Re and volume concentration while the friction factor decreases with increasing Re and is independent of the type of nanofluids. Maximum thermo-hydraulic performance parameter of 1.48, 1.32 and 1.29 is achieved for SWCNT, Al2O3 and MWCNT, respectively.

Abstract In vitro diagnostics (IVD) plays a critical role in healthcare and public health management. Magnetic digital microfluidics (MDM) perform IVD assays by manipulating droplets on an open substrate with magnetic particles. Automated IVD based on MDM could reduce the risk of accidental exposure to contagious pathogens among healthcare workers. However, it remains challenging to create a fully automated IVD platform based on the MDM technology because of a lack of effective feedback control system to ensure the successful execution of various droplet operations required for IVD. In this work, an artificial intelligence (AI)‐empowered MDM platform with image‐based real‐time feedback control is presented. The AI is trained to recognize droplets and magnetic particles, measure their size, and determine their location and relationship in real time; it shows the ability to rectify failed droplet operations based on the feedback information, a function that is unattainable by conventional MDM platforms, thereby ensuring that the entire IVD process is not interrupted due to the failure of liquid handling. We demonstrate fundamental droplet operations, which include droplet transport, particle extraction, droplet merging and droplet mixing, on the MDM platform and show how the AI rectify failed droplet operations by acting upon the feedback information. Protein quantification and antibiotic resistance detection are performed on this AI‐empowered MDM platform, and the results obtained agree well with the benchmarks. We envision that this AI‐based feedback approach will be widely adopted not only by MDM but also by other types of digital microfluidic platforms to offer precise and error‐free droplet operations for a wide range of automated IVD applications.

FeSiAl/biotite soft magnetic composites were synthesized by mixing atomized FeSiAl and biotite at a specific mass ratio via ball milling. The structures, morphologies, elemental distributions, and magnetic properties of the FeSiAl/biotite composites were systematically studied. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the layered biotite was stripped into nanoflakes via high-speed ball milling and evenly distributed on the surface of FeSiAl, forming an efficient inorganic insulating coating layer. In magnetic performance tests, the FeSiAl/1-wt.%-biotite composite showed not only a high effective permeability but also low eddy current loss. Complex permeability measurements showed that the addition of biotite could reduce the eddy current loss and improve the relaxation frequency of FeSiAl/biotite composites, rendering them suitable for high-frequency applications. The FeSiAl/1-wt.%-biotite mixture exhibited good magnetic properties, with an effective permeability of 106.0, and magnetic loss of 219.0 kWm−3 at f = 50 kHz and Bm = 0.1 T

Abstract Understanding noncircular deposition patterns can offer broad applications; however, the phenomena have not been thoroughly studied. We experimentally investigate particle self‐assembly of microspherical polystyrene particle‐laden sessile droplets dried on a micropyramid cavity substrate. The particle sizes and concentrations in the droplets are found to modify the inner particle deposition with the octagonal perimeter. The droplets with mass concentrations of 0.5% and higher evaporate with the pinned contact lines. The capillary flow flushes the 3 µm particles to the contact line and creates octagonal outer‐ring patterns. The 10 µm particles are more evenly distributed in the depositions of the dried droplets. However, at a high mass concentration of 2.6%, the particles adsorbed at the droplet liquid–air interface form an agglomerate and deposit toward the centerline, leading to the crater‐shaped pattern. Higher concentrations provoke the thicker octagonal outer‐ring depositions regardless of the particle sizes in the droplets. The findings could inspire applications to control noncircular wetting and drying of particle‐laden sessile droplets.

Abstract Fluoroelastomer has received increasing attention for energetic materials application due to its high fluorine contents. Different contents (0 wt%–30 wt%) of poly(VDF‐ter‐HFP‐ter‐TFE) terpolymer are added into Al/MnO2 nanothermite. The peak exothermic temperature of thermite reaction for Al/MnO2 system is about 554°C with 1070 Jg−1 heat release. After adding terpolymer, it mainly exists in the gap among Al nanoparticles and MnO2 nanorods, and react with Al and MnO2 at the range of 350 to 540°C before the occurrence of the thermite reaction. 10 wt% terpolymer has relatively little effect on the thermite reaction, but for the samples with higher terpolymer content, more nanothermite components react with terpolymer at an early stage. Ignition and combustion performance show terpolymer can reduce ignition current threshold by up to 9.82% and increase combustion duration time at least several times. The potential reasons for the above results are analyzed. This work can shed light on the application of fluoroelastomer in energetic‐materials.

Simultaneous spatio-temporal description of tumor microvasculature, blood-brain barrier, and immune activity is pivotal to understanding the evolution mechanisms of highly aggressive glioblastoma, one of the most common primary brain tumors in adults. However, the existing intravital imaging modalities are still difficult to achieve it in one step. Here, we present a dual-scale multi-wavelength photoacoustic imaging approach cooperative with/without unique optical dyes to overcome this dilemma. Label-free photoacoustic imaging depicted the multiple heterogeneous features of neovascularization in tumor progression. In combination with classic Evans blue assay, the microelectromechanical system based photoacoustic microscopy enabled dynamic quantification of BBB dysfunction. Concurrently, using self-fabricated targeted protein probe (αCD11b-HSA@A1094) for tumor-associated myeloid cells, unparalleled imaging contrast of cells infiltration associated with tumor progression was visualized by differential photoacoustic imaging in the second near-infrared window at dual scale. Our photoacoustic imaging approach has great potential for tumor-immune microenvironment visualization to systematically reveal the tumor infiltration, heterogeneity, and metastasis in intracranial tumors.

Background: Normal tension glaucoma (NTG) is considered a neurodegenerative disease with glaucomatous damage extending to diffuse brain areas. Therefore, this study aims to explore the abnormalities in the NTG structural network to help in the early diagnosis and course evaluation of NTG. Methods: The structural networks of 46 NTG patients and 19 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were constructed using diffusion tensor imaging, followed by graph theory analysis and correlation analysis of small-world properties with glaucoma clinical indicators. In addition, the network-based statistical analysis (NBS) method was used to compare structural network connectivity differences between NTG patients and healthy controls. Results: Structural brain networks in both NTG and NC groups exhibited small-world properties. However, the small-world index in the severe NTG group was reduced and correlated with a mean deviation of the visual field (MDVF) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. When compared to healthy controls, degree centrality and nodal efficiency in visual brain areas were significantly decreased, and betweenness centrality and nodal local efficiency in both visual and nonvisual brain areas were also significantly altered in NTG patients (all p < 0.05, FDR corrected). Furthermore, NTG patients exhibited increased structural connectivity in the occipitotemporal area, with the left fusiform gyrus (FFG.L) as the hub (p < 0.05). Conclusions: NTG exhibited altered global properties and local properties of visual and cognitive-emotional brain areas, with enhanced structural connections within the occipitotemporal area. Moreover, the disrupted small-world properties of white matter might be imaging biomarkers for assessing NTG progression.

Background The prostate tumor microenvironment (TME) is immunosuppressive, with few effector T cells and enrichment of inhibitory immune populations, leading to limited responses to treatments such as immune checkpoint therapies (ICTs). The immune composition of the prostate TME differs across soft tissue and bone, the most common site of treatment-refractory metastasis. Understanding immunosuppressive mechanisms specific to prostate TMEs will enable rational immunotherapy strategies to generate effective antitumor immune responses. Daratumumab (anti-CD38 antibody) and edicotinib (colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R) inhibitor) may alter the balance within the prostate TME to promote antitumor immune responses.Hypothesis Daratumumab or edicotinib will be safe and will alter the immune TME, leading to antitumor responses in localized prostate cancer.Patients and methods In this presurgical study, patients with localized prostate cancer received 4 weekly doses of daratumumab or 4 weeks of daily edicotinib prior to radical prostatectomy (RP). Treated and untreated control (Gleason score ≥8 in prostate biopsy) prostatectomy specimens and patient-matched pre- and post-treatment peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and bone marrow samples were evaluated. The primary endpoint was incidence of adverse events (AEs). The secondary endpoint was pathologic complete remission (pCR) rate.Results Twenty-five patients were treated (daratumumab, n=15; edicotinib, n=10). All patients underwent RP without delays. Grade 3 treatment-related AEs with daratumumab occurred in 3 patients (12%), and no ≥grade 3 treatment-related AEs occurred with edicotinib. No changes in serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels or pCRs were observed. Daratumumab led to a decreased frequency of CD38+ T cells, natural killer cells, and myeloid cells in prostate tumors, bone marrow, and PBMCs. There were no consistent changes in CSF-1R+ immune cells in prostate, bone marrow, or PBMCs with edicotinib. Neither treatment induced T cell infiltration into the prostate TME.Conclusions Daratumumab and edicotinib treatment was safe and well-tolerated in patients with localized prostate cancer but did not induce pCRs. Decreases in CD38+ immune cells were observed in prostate tumors, bone marrow, and PBMCs with daratumumab, but changes in CSF-1R+ immune cells were not consistently observed with edicotinib. Neither myeloid-targeted agent alone was sufficient to generate antitumor responses in prostate cancer; thus, combinations with agents to induce T cell infiltration (eg, ICTs) will be needed to overcome the immunosuppressive prostate TME.

To explore the adaptation strategies of the aboveground and underground functional traits of alpine plants along an altitudinal gradient, a typical stand of primitive dark coniferous forests (Abies georgei var. smithii.) in southeastern Tibet was taken as the research object in the present study. PCA and correlation analyses were carried out for different organ functional traits (19 key indicators in total), then RDA analysis was done in conjunction with 12 environmental factors. The variation characteristics of the functional traits of leaves, current-year twigs, trunks and fine roots in 6 continuous altitude gradients and the relationships between functional traits and environmental factors were explored. The results showed that soil organic carbon (SOC) may exert a positive effect on the construction of plant defense tissue via changes in functional traits, altitude (Alt) represents the primary influencing factor of wood density (WD) variation, particulate organic carbon (POC) content mainly affected fine root dry matter (RDWC) content and specific root length (SRL), and total potassium (TK) content was the main factor that affected fine root tissue density (RTD). Leaves, current-year twigs, and fine roots exhibited high production or nutrient acquisition capacity at an altitude of 4,000m and showed strong defense and relatively stable water and nutrient transport capacity. In conclusion, the ecological strategy of Abies georgei var. smithii. in Sejila Mountain was more conservative, and the optimal survival area of Abies georgei var. smithii. was located at 4, 000m on the shady slope of Sejila Mountain. It is of paramount significance for exploring the essence of terrestrial ecosystems and their functional processes in extremely high-altitude environments.

With the rapid data growth driven by smart phone, high-definition television and virtual reality/augmented reality devices and so on, the launched 5G and upcoming 6G wireless communications tend to utilize millimeter wave (mmWave) to achieve broad bandwidth. In order to compensate for the high propagation loss in mmWave wireless communications and track the moving users, beamforming and beamsteering are indispensable enabling technologies. These have promising potential to be realized through the use of optical beamforming networks (OBFNs) that have a wider bandwidth and smaller size, lower power consumption, and lower loss compared to those of their electric counterparts. In this paper, we systematically review various OBFN architectures using true time delays and optical phase shifters, as well as discuss performances of different architectures, scalable technologies that promote the advancement of OBFNs, and the application potentials of OBFNs. Two-dimensional OBFNs with discrete components or integrated optical devices have been elaborated, in addition to one-dimensional architectures. Moreover, the state-of-the-art technologies relative to reducing the size, loss and nonlinearity of OBFNs have also been discussed here.

Anti-CTLA4 therapy has not been comprehensively explored for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Here, in a pilot study of anti-CTLA4 therapy with or without cryoablation in mRCC, the authors report that the combination is feasible and enhances immune infiltration in patients with metastatic clear cell histology.

BackgroundNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease with a high prevalence worldwide, seriously harming human health, and its pathogenesis remains unclear. In recent years, increasing evidence has indicated that intestinal microbiota plays an important role in the occurrence and development of NAFLD. The regulation method of probiotics/prebiotics/synbiotics can alter the intestinal microbiota and has been suggested as an option in the treatment of NAFLD.MethodsFive databases of PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, clinicaltrails.gov, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched initially, and then the eligible studies were screened. Finally, the data of included studieswere extracted, combined and analyzedResultsA total of 29 randomized controlled trials involving 2,110 patients were included in this study. The results showed that using probiotics/prebiotics/synbiotics in the intervention group could reduce the levels of glucose (SMD = −0.23, 95% CI [−0.45, −0.01], P = 0.04), HOMA-IR (SMD = −0.47, 95% CI [−0.63, −0.31], P < 0.00001) and insulin (SMD = −0.46, 95% CI [−0.76, −0.16], P = 0.002) in sugar metabolism; in terms of lipid metabolism, the levels of TC (SMD = −0.62, 95%CI [−0.87, −0.36], P < 0.00001), and LDL-C (SMD = −0.57, 95%CI [−0.85, −0.28], P < 0.00001) were decreased; and the level of ALB was decreased in protein metabolism (SMD = −0.34, 95%CI [−0.61, −0.06], P = 0.02).ConclusionsBased on the current evidence, probiotics/prebiotics/synbiotics may improve energy metabolism biomarkers in the NAFLD population, but these effects still need to be confirmed by further research.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/#aboutpage.

Abstract Background The association of myocardial bridge (MB) with cardiovascular risk and the possible cardiovascular risk factors remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the clinical characteristics and related factors of coronary stenosis proximal to an MB. Methods This was a retrospective study of patients with symptoms of coronary atherosclerotic heart disease admitted between 10/2011 and 12/2014 to the Emergency and Cardiology Department of Bayannur Hospital, who underwent selective coronary angiography (SCAG). The patients were assigned to the non-stenosis and stenosis groups according to whether coronary stenosis was proximal to the MB. Results Among 244 patients with MB and cardiovascular symptoms, 91 (37.3%) had stenosis proximal to the MB. Compared with the non-stenosis group, there were more males (80.2% vs. 55.6%, P

Droplet train impingement is a fundamental approach to mimic the complicated interactions between the fluid and the substrate in advanced thermal engineering applications in industry. Differently from previous studies, the main original contribution of this study is to perform an inclined droplet train impingement on a non-uniformly heated surface. Ethanol was used as the liquid for droplet train impingement applications, while glass substrate was selected as the target surface. The inclined flow angle was 63 degrees. Both optical and thermographic observations were performed on the target surface by focusing on the droplet impact area. Three experimental sets were created with the Weber numbers 667.57, 841.90, and 998.01. A surface temperature range was selected between 85.00 °C and 200.00 °C, which was above the boiling point of the ethanol. The maximum spreading length was measured at 0.97 mm at the surface temperature of 82.00 °C for the experiment with the Weber number of 998.01, whilst the minimum spreading length was found at 0.18 mm at the highest surface temperature for the experiment with the Weber number of 667.57. A uniform splashing direction was observed above 170.00 °C for all experiments, which meant that the sign of the transition regime appeared.

Conformal cooling channels (CCCs) are widely used in the plastic injection molding process to improve the product quality and operational performance. Tooling that incorporates CCCs can be fabricated through metal additive manufacturing (MAM). The present work focuses on the MAM of a plastic injection mold insert with different CCC types that are circular, serpentine, and tapered channels with/without body-centered cubic (BCC) lattices. The entire manufacturing process of the mold insert is explained from the design step to the final printing step including the computational thermal & mechanical simulations, performance assessments, and multiobjective optimization. Compared to the traditional channels, conformal cooling channels achieved up to 62.9% better cooling performance with a better thermal uniformity on the mold surface. The optimum mold geometry is decided using the multiobjective optimization procedure according to the multiple objectives of cooling time, temperature non-uniformity, and pressure drop in the channel. Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) method is used for manufacturing the molds and the quality of the printed molds are analyzed with the X-ray Computed Tomography (X-ray CT) technique. The errors between the design and the printed parameters are less than 5% for the circular and tapered channels while the maximum deviation of the strut diameters of the BCC is 0.06 mm.

Ventilation and air conditioning system in subway stations accounts for about 50% of the total energy consumption of the subway stations. The energy consumption ratio of public area to equipment room is about 6.5:3.5. In order to understand the energy saving potential of public areas and equipment rooms, a field measurement for a typical subway station in central China was conducted from 19 to 29 September 2018. The field testing parameters include weather conditions, indoor air temperature and humidity, supply and return air flow rate, chilled water temperature, and flow rate. Meanwhile, some parameters recorded by the system control panel, such as pump frequency, chiller power demand, and energy consumption, were also collected. The paper studied the operating characteristics of the ventilation and air conditioning system and the cooling load pattern of the subway station, focusing on the following three aspects: cooling capacity and power demand of the chiller under different conditions, dynamic cooling capacity of the air handling units, and cooling load characteristics of the equipment rooms. Different operation conditions influence the operation of chiller. It was found that the real power demands under two operation conditions, i.e. minimum and all fresh air modes, are 121 and 77 kW, and the corresponding coefficient of performances are 4.33 and 4.77, respectively. The actual cooling capacity at night is about 80% that of the daytime, and is about 40% of the design value, which indicates that the air handling units operate under partial load. During the testing period, the actual cooling load is about 10–50% of the design load, of which 50–95% is sensible cooling load. These data can help readers understand the overall situation of a typical subway station adequately and provide numerical basis for energy saving optimization of the ventilation and air conditioning system.

Abstract Background Shenzhen has rapidly grown into a megacity in the recent decades. It is a challenging task for the Shenzhen government to provide sufficient healthcare services. The spatial configuration of healthcare services can influence the convenience for the consumers to obtain healthcare services. Spatial accessibility has been widely adopted as a scientific measurement for evaluating the rationality of the spatial configuration of healthcare services. Methods The multi-modal two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method is an important advance in the field of healthcare accessibility modelling, which enables the simultaneous assessment of spatial accessibility via multiple transport modes. This study further develops the multi-modal 2SFCA method by introducing online map APIs to improve the estimation of travel time by public transit or by car respectively. Results As the results show, the distribution of healthcare accessibility by multi-modal 2SFCA shows significant spatial disparity. Moreover, by dividing the multi-modal accessibility into car-mode and transit-mode accessibility, this study discovers that the transit-mode subgroup is disadvantaged in the competition for healthcare services with the car-mode subgroup. The disparity in transit-mode accessibility is the main reason of the uneven pattern of healthcare accessibility in Shenzhen. Conclusions The findings suggest improving the public transit conditions for accessing healthcare services to reduce the disparity of healthcare accessibility. More healthcare services should be allocated in the eastern and western Shenzhen, especially sub-districts in Dapeng District and western Bao’an District. As these findings cannot be drawn by the traditional single-modal 2SFCA method, the advantage of the multi-modal 2SFCA method is significant to both healthcare studies and healthcare system planning.

Objective(s): The aim of this study was to observe the influence of phytoestrogen α-Zearalanol on ovariectomy-induced postmenopausal osteoporosis in rats. Materials and Methods:40 SD female rats were randomly divided into four groups: Sham group, OVX group (ovariectomized and fed estrogen), α-Zearalanol group (ovariectomized and fed α-Zearalanol) and untreated group (ovariectomized). Three weeks later after surgery, α-Zearalanol and estradiol valerate were administered by oral gavage for 12 weeks to the α-Zearalanol group and the OVX group, respectively. In contrast, the sham and untreated controls were treated with distilled water in a daily basis. After the treatments, uterus histomorphometry, bone mechanical strength, bone histomorphometry, bone mineral density (BMD) of femur, and serum biochemical indicators, such as serum E2, CT and PTH, as well as the levels of TNF and IL-1 were examined. Results: The BMD was overall declined rigorously in the OVX rats, and that could be mitigated through feeding on either estrogen or α-Zearalanol. Estrogen or α-Zearalanol was found to decrease the levels of serum ALP and BGP in OVX rats, while, α-Zearalanol was found to increase the levels of serum E2 and CT, the thickness of the endometrium, and decrease the levels of PTH, TNF and IL-1 in serum in OVX rats. Feeding the OVX rats on α-Zearalanol improved the bone histomorphometric parameters impaired due to estrogen deficiency and enhanced the bone mechanical properties in the ovariectomized rats. Conclusion: α-Zearalanol treated rats reduced the resorption of bone, and showed a preventive and therapeutic effect of α-Zearalanol on postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Stumps account for a large proportion of coarse woody debris in managed forests, but their decay dynamics are poorly understood. The loss of mass and the degree of humification of the above-ground woody debris, below-ground woody debris, bark and root system (R1, 10 mm ≥ diameter > 0 mm; R2, 25 mm ≥ diameter >10 mm; 100 mm ≥ R3 > 25 mm; R4 > 100 mm) of Masson pine (Pinus massoniana) stump systems were evaluated in southwestern China in a chronosequence of plantations cut 1-15 years prior to the study. The results indicated that above-ground woody debris decomposed more quickly than below-ground woody debris and bark, whereas the degree of humification followed the opposite trend. Compared with one-year stumps, the mass losses of 15-year stump systems were 60.4% for above-ground woody debris, 42.1% for below-ground woody debris, 47.3% for bark, 69.9% for R1, 47.3% for R2, 51.0% for R3, and 83.2% for R4. In contrast, below-ground woody debris showed a greater degree of humification compared with other components in the stump system. Among the root system, fine roots (R1, diameter ≤ 10 mm) had the largest k value (0.09), whereas the decay rate of coarser roots (R2, R3, R4; diameter > 10 mm) increased with increasing root diameter. However, coarse roots showed a larger degree of humification (0.2-0.6) than fine roots (0.3-0.4). These results suggest that below-ground woody debris and coarse roots may display a higher degree of humification, showing greater short-term contributions to overall humification when compared with the other components in the stump system.

In this paper, the statistical properties and fatigue life estimations of 0.44% carbon steel at different tempering temperatures are presented. The specimens were austenized at 900 °C for 10 min, quenched in water, tempered at different temperatures, and then machined to the design geometry and average surface roughness of Ra = 0.4 μm. The effect of tempering temperature on the fatigue life of 0.44% carbon steel was investigated using 75 fatigue tests, divided into three groups at temperatures 500 °C, 600 °C, and 700 °C. S–N and P–S–N curves were established. Two methods of estimating the mean fatigue life are presented. One is based on dislocation dipole accumulation and Paris’ law; another is based on the kriging model. Six more fatigue tests were carried out to validate the presented methods. Test results showed that the first method is superior to the second in terms of estimating accuracy from the validation datum. However, the second method could estimate the mean fatigue life of quenched and tempered 0.44% carbon steel with an average surface roughness of Ra = 0.4 μm when the tempering temperature was set to a value other than 500 °C, 600 °C, or 700 °C, with no additional fatigue test needed.

Medium-carbon steel is commonly used for the rail, wire ropes, tire cord, cold heading, forging steels, cold finished steel bars, machinable steel and so on. Its fatigue behavior analysis and fatigue life estimation play an important role in the machinery industry. In this paper, the estimation of fatigue life of medium-carbon steel with different surface roughness using established S-N and P-S-N curves is presented. To estimate the fatigue life, the effect of the average surface roughness on the fatigue life of medium-carbon steel has been investigated using 75 fatigue tests in three groups with average surface roughness (Ra): 0.4 μm, 0.8 μm, and 1.6 μm, respectively. S-N curves and P-S-N curves have been established based on the fatigue tests. The fatigue life of medium-carbon steel is then estimated based on Tanaka-Mura crack initiation life model, the crack propagation life model using Paris law, and material constants of the S-N curves. Six more fatigue tests have been conducted to validate the presented fatigue life estimation formulation. The experimental results have shown that the presented model could estimate well the mean fatigue life of medium-carbon steel with different surface roughness.

Harnessing waste energy from the manmade air fields of buildings presents a new area of renewable energy to explore. Due to the unpredictability of the natural wind, this study is to evaluate the practicality for harnessing waste energy from the air conditioner exhaust units which are a more constant and predictable source available in the buildings. A prototype of the micro wind turbine has been designed to minimize the negative effect of the exhaust sources. After the micro wind turbine was manufactured, the performance of the turbine was tested in the selected air conditioner exhaust unit. Increasing the rotor solidity and decreasing the resistance of the generator contribute to improved starting torque and decreased generator break in torque respectively in the design. The power generation of the micro wind turbine increases with an increase of the rotor speed. The 24-hour operation of the prototype presents an observation for both exhaust performance and power generation prediction when the prototype is mounted on the exhaust unit.

In vivo GITR ligation has previously been shown to augment T-cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity, yet the underlying mechanisms of this activity, particularly its in vivo effects on CD4+ foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs), have not been fully elucidated. In order to translate this immunotherapeutic approach to the clinic it is important gain better understanding of its mechanism(s) of action. Utilizing the agonist anti-GITR monoclonal antibody DTA-1, we found that in vivo GITR ligation modulates regulatory T cells (Tregs) directly during induction of melanoma tumor immunity. As a monotherapy, DTA-1 induced regression of small established B16 melanoma tumors. Although DTA-1 did not alter systemic Treg frequencies nor abrogate the intrinsic suppressive activity of Tregs within the tumor-draining lymph node, intra-tumor Treg accumulation was significantly impaired. This resulted in a greater Teff:Treg ratio and enhanced tumor-specific CD8+ T-cell activity. The decreased intra-tumor Treg accumulation was due both to impaired infiltration, coupled with DTA-1-induced loss of foxp3 expression in intra-tumor Tregs. Histological analysis of B16 tumors grown in Foxp3-GFP mice showed that the majority of GFP+ cells had lost Foxp3 expression. These "unstable" Tregs were absent in IgG-treated tumors and in DTA-1 treated TDLN, demonstrating a tumor-specific effect. Impairment of Treg infiltration was lost if Tregs were GITR(-/-), and the protective effects of DTA-1 were reduced in reconstituted RAG1(-/-) mice if either the Treg or Teff subset were GITR-negative and absent if both were negative. Our results demonstrate that DTA-1 modulates both Teffs and Tregs during effective tumor treatment. The data suggest that DTA-1 prevents intra-tumor Treg accumulation by altering their stability, and as a result of the loss of foxp3 expression, may modify their intra-tumor suppressive capacity. These findings provide further support for the continued development of agonist anti-GITR mAbs as an immunotherapeutic strategy for cancer.

Background: In recent years, the research on symptom management in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients has shifted from a single symptom to symptom clusters and network analysis. This study collected and evaluated unpleasant symptoms in PD patients and explored groups of symptoms that may affect PD patients with a view to higher symptom management. Methods: The symptoms of PD patients were measured using the modified Dialysis Symptom Index. The symptom network and node characteristics were assessed by network analysis, and symptom clusters were explored by factor analysis. Results: In this study of 602 PD patients (mean age 47.8 ± 16.8 years, 47.34% male), most had less than 2 years of dialysis experience. Five symptom clusters were obtained from factor analysis, which were body symptom cluster, gastrointestinal symptom cluster, mood symptom cluster, sexual disorder symptom cluster, and skin-sleep symptom cluster. Itching and decreased interest in sex may be sentinel symptoms, and being tired or lack of energy and feeling anxious are core symptoms in PD patients. Conclusions: This study emphasizes the importance of recognizing symptom clusters in PD patients for better symptom management. Five clusters were identified, with key symptoms including itching, decreased interest in sex, fatigue, and anxiety. Early intervention focused on these symptom clusters in PD patients holds promise for alleviating the burden of symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The roadway of S2S2 fully mechanized caving face (FMCF) in Xiaokang Coal Mine is one of the most typical deep-buried soft-rock roadways in China and had been repaired several times. In order to figure out the failure reasons of the original roadway support, the geological conditions were investigated, the surrounding rock stress was monitored, the rib displacement, roof separation, and floor heave were in situ measured, and the performance of the U-shaped steel support was simulated. The above analysis results indicated that the support failure was mainly caused by (1) the unreasonable arch roadway section, (2) the high and complex surrounding rock stress, (3) the failure control of the floor heave, and (4) the inadequate self-supporting capacity of the surrounding rock. For optimizing, the roadway section was changed to circle and a new full-section combined support system of “belt-cable-mesh-shotcrete and U-shaped steel-filling behind the support” was adopted, which could specifically control the floor heave, allow the roadway deformation in control, and improve the self-supporting ability and stress field of the surrounding rock. To determine the support parameters, the selected U-shaped steel support was verified by simulation, and various bolt-cable support schemes were simulated and compared. Finally, such an optimized support scheme was applied in the roadway of the next replacement FMCF. The in situ monitoring showed that the rib-to-rib convergence and roof-to-floor convergence were both controlled within 600 mm, which indicated that the roadway was effectively controlled. This case study has important reference value and guiding function for the optimal design of the soft-rock roadway support with similar geological conditions.

Excessive acceleration is one of the stability failure modes involving large roll motion of ships. The overset method is applied to solve the six degrees-of-freedom motion of the ship with moonpool in beam waves. Based on a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method, the improved method of considering the roll damping of square moonpool is proposed. The improved method of considering moonpool damping is used in vulnerability assessment for excessive acceleration. The comparative analysis of the level 1 and level 2 vulnerability assessment of the excessive acceleration of a ship with moonpool is completed. The influence of moonpool on the vulnerability assessment of excessive acceleration is studied by comparing the model test results. The results show that the main factor affecting the estimation accuracy of lateral acceleration of the ship is the accuracy of roll amplitude calculation. The existence of moonpool will reduce the roll damping coefficient of the ship. The improved methods proposed in this paper can effectively improve the estimation of lateral acceleration of ships with moonpool in the level 1 vulnerability criteria and increase the safety margin in the level 2 vulnerability assessment. In the direct stability assessment, the CFD method can simulate the large-amplitude roll motion of the ship with moonpool and bilge keels, and can capture the strong nonlinear phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]