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Abstract Background This study investigated the relaxation effect of PGE2 on the ureter and its role in promoting calculi expulsion following calculi development. Methods By using immunofluorescence and Western blot, we were able to locate EP receptors in the ureter. In vitro experiments assessed the impact of PGE2, receptor antagonists, and agonists on ureteral relaxation rate. We constructed a model of ureteral calculi with flowable resin and collected ureteral tissue from postoperative side of the ureter after obstruction surgery. Western blot analysis was used to determine the protein expression levels of EP receptors and the PGE2 terminal synthase mPGES-1. Additionally, PGE2 was added to smooth muscle cells to observe downstream cAMP and PKA changes. Results The expression of EP2 and EP4 proteins in ureteral smooth muscle was verified by Western blot analysis. According to immunofluorescence, EP2 was primarily found on the cell membrane, while EP4 was found in the nucleus. In vitro, PGE2 induced concentration-dependent ureteral relaxation. Maximum diastolic rate was 70.94 ± 4.57% at a concentration of 30µM. EP2 antagonists hindered this effect, while EP4 antagonists did not. Obstructed ureters exhibited elevated mPGES-1 and EP2 protein expression (P

Abstract Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumor with a strong tendency to metastasize, limiting the prognosis of affected patients. Genomic, epigenomic and transcriptomic analyses have demonstrated the exquisite molecular complexity of this tumor, but have not sufficiently defined the underlying mechanisms or identified promising therapeutic targets. To systematically explore RNA-protein interactions relevant to OS, we define the RNA interactomes together with the full proteome and the transcriptome of cells from five malignant bone tumors (four osteosarcomata and one malignant giant cell tumor of the bone) and from normal mesenchymal stem cells and osteoblasts. These analyses uncover both systematic changes of the RNA-binding activities of defined RNA-binding proteins common to all osteosarcomata and individual alterations that are observed in only a subset of tumors. Functional analyses reveal a particular vulnerability of these tumors to translation inhibition and a positive feedback loop involving the RBP IGF2BP3 and the transcription factor Myc which affects cellular translation and OS cell viability. Our results thus provide insight into potentially clinically relevant RNA-binding protein-dependent mechanisms of osteosarcoma.

AimsPersistent uncertainties exist surrounding the therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of adalimumab in clinical settings. To address these issues, we conducted a systematic review to assess the current evidence regarding the benefits of TDM for adalimumab.MethodsPubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Databases were searched from inception to October 2022. The trials regarding to the list three key questions were considered: 1) Could routine proactive TDM assist in improving outcomes in patients receiving adalimumab? 2) Could reactive TDM assist in guiding subsequent treatment strategies for patients with treatment failure to adalimumab? 3) Could TDM assist in informing dose reduction or discontinuation in patients with low disease activity or in remission treated with adalimumab? Two reviewers independently selected the studies and extracted the data. Meta-analysis was performed to calculate the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).ResultsA total of 9 studies was included in this review. For proactive TDM, meta-analysis indicated that proactive TDM (n = 163/257, 63.42%) showed no significant superiority over reactive TDM and/or conventional management (n = 336/606, 55.44%) in achieving and/or maintaining clinical remission by random effects model (RR: 1.24, 95% CI 0.98–1.58, I2 = 73%). There were three studies that supporting the reactive TDM, low drug levels in the absence of anti-drug antibodies (ADA) strongly indicate the need for dose intensification, and infliximab is a feasible choice for patients with low drug levels and ADA positivity. While swapping to another class should be considered in patients with adequate drug levels. In addition, TDM can help clinicians optimize dosing schedules and prevent overtreatment in patients who have achieved low disease activity and sufficient drug concentrations, with no predictive value for successful adalimumab discontinuation.ConclusionCurrent evidence suggests that proactive TDM is numerically but not statistically significant superiority over reactive TDM and/or conventional management. Reactive TDM can aid in understanding treatment failure and developing subsequent therapy. For patients reaching low disease activity and remission, TDM can help successful dose reduction, while it cannot inform the successful drug discontinuation. However, existing trials are limited, and more well-designed trials are necessary to clarify the role of TDM in adalimumab treatment.

Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir is a novel drug combination that is authorized by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Ritonavir is a cytochrome P450 3A inhibitor and a P-glycoprotein inhibitor that increases the plasma concentration of tacrolimus and other medications. We describe the cases of two patients treated with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir: a patient who had undergone kidney transplantation and another with a history of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Toxic concentrations of tacrolimus were induced in both. This case series highlights the risk associated with the concomitant administration of tacrolimus and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir.

The popularity of permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) has increased in recent years due to their high efficiency, compact size, and low maintenance needs. Calculating iron loss in PMSMs is crucial for designing and optimizing PMSMs to achieve high efficiency and a long lifespan, as this can significantly affect motor performance. However, multiple factors influence the accuracy of iron loss calculations in PMSMs, including the intricate magnetic behavior of the motor under different operating conditions, as well as the influence of the motor’s dynamic behavior during the operation process. This paper proposes a method based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) and a recurrent neural network (RNN) to estimate the iron loss in PMSMs, independent of the empirical iron loss formula. This method establishes an iron loss calculation model considering high-order harmonics, rotating magnetization, and temperature factors. Accounting for the multifactor influence, the model studies the law of loss change under different magnetic flux densities, frequencies, and temperature conditions. To avoid the deviation problem caused by conventional polynomial fitting, a multilayer RNN and PSO are used to train and optimize the neural network. Iron loss in complex cases beyond the measurement range can be accurately estimated. The proposed method helps achieve a PMSM iron loss calculation model with broad applicability and high accuracy.

Summary: Background: The prevalence, epidemiological and clinical heterogeneities, and impact profiles of individuals with preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm), pre-COPD, young COPD, and mild COPD in general Chinese population were not known yet. Methods: Data were obtained from the China Pulmonary Health study (2012–2015), a nationally representative cross-sectional survey that recruited 50,991 adults aged 20 years or older. Definitions of the four early disease status were consistent with the latest publications and the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease criteria. Findings: The age-standardised prevalences of PRISm, pre-COPD, young COPD, and mild COPD were 5.5% (95% confidence interval, 4.3–6.9), 7.2% (5.9–8.8), 1.1% (0.7–1.8), and 3.1% (2.5–3.8), respectively. In summary, mild COPD was under more direct or established impact factor exposures, such as older age, male gender, lower education level, lower family income, biomass use, air pollution, and more accumulative cigarette exposures; young COPD and pre-COPD experienced more personal and parents’ events in earlier lives, such as history of bronchitis or pneumonia in childhood, frequent chronic cough in childhood, parental history of respiratory diseases, passive smoke exposure in childhood, and mother exposed to passive smoke while pregnant; pre-COPD coexisted with heavier symptoms and comorbidities burdens; young COPD exhibited worse airway obstruction; and most of the four early disease status harbored small airway dysfunction. Overall, older age, male gender, lower education level, living in the urban area, occupational exposure, frequent chronic cough in childhood, more accumulated cigarette exposure, comorbid with cardiovascular disease and gastroesophageal reflux disease were all associated with increased presence of the four early COPD status; different impact profiles were additionally observed with distinct entities. Over the four categories, less than 10% had ever taken pulmonary function test; less than 1% reported a previously diagnosed COPD; and no more than 13% had received pharmaceutical treatment. Interpretation: Significant heterogeneities in prevalence, epidemiological and clinical features, and impact profiles were noted under varied defining criteria of early COPD; a unified and validated definition for an early disease stage is warranted. Closer attention, better management, and further research need to be administrated to these population. Funding: Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Institute of Respiratory Medicine Grant for Young Scholars (No. 2023-ZF-9); China International Medical Foundation (No. Z-2017-24-2301); Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (No. 2021-I2M-1-049); National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding (No. 2022-NHLHCRF-LX-01); Major Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82090011).

Background: Serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a primary metric for diagnosis and prognosis of prostate cancer (PCa). Exposure to heavy metals, such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and zinc can impact PSA levels in PCa patients. However, it is unclear whether this effect also occurs in men without PCa, which may lead to the overdiagnosis of PCa. Method: Data on a total of 5089 American men who had never been diagnosed with PCa were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey performed from 2003–2010. The relationship between serum PSA levels (dependent variable) and concentrations of lead (μmol/L), cadmium (nmol/L), and mercury (μmol/L) were investigated with dietary zinc intake being used as a potential modifier or covariate in a weighted linear regression model and a generalized additive model. A series of bootstrapping analyses were performed to evaluate sensitivity and specificity using these models. Results: Regression analyses suggested that, in general, lead, cadmium, or mercury did not show an association with PSA levels, which was consistent with the results of the bootstrapping analyses. However, in a subgroup of participants with a high level of dietary zinc intake (≥14.12 mg/day), a significant positive association between cadmium and serum PSA was identified (1.06, 95% CI, P = 0.0268, P for interaction=0.0249). Conclusions: With high-level zinc intake, serum PSA levels may rise in PCa-free men as the exposure to cadmium increases, leading to a potential risk of an overdiagnosis of PCa and unnecessary treatment. Therefore, environmental variables should be factored in the current diagnostic model for PCa that is solely based on PSA measurements. Different criteria for PSA screening are necessary based on geographical variables. Further investigations are needed to uncover the biological and biochemical relationship between zinc, cadmium, and serum PSA levels to more precisely diagnose PCa.

BackgroundMaternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) is a known risk factor for offspring developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore whether the increased COPD risk associated with MSDP could be attributed to tobacco dependence (TD). MethodsThis case-control study used data from the nationwide cross-sectional China Pulmonary Health study, with controls matched for age, sex, and smoking status. TD was defined as smoking within 30 minutes of waking, and the severity of TD was assessed using the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence. COPD was diagnosed when the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second to forced vital capacity was

The objective of this study was to isolate and screen probiotics for application in production of microecological preparation. A bacillus strain was screened from the feces of a healthy piglet based on heat treatment and lactic acid-producing characteristics. This strain was identified to be Weizmannia coagulans assigned as BC66 by means of morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular identification. The strain Weizmannia coagulans BC66 was evaluated in vitro for its probiotic potential viz., the tolerance to gastrointestinal tract conditions (low pH, bile salt tolerance), antimicrobial activity, antibiotic susceptibility. The strain BC66 showed the resistance to low acidity and high bile salts concentration with the survival rate of 98% at pH3.0 and 79% at bile salt 0.3% respectively. The viability of the strain was 92% after 10 min treatment in 90 ℃ water bath. Moreover, the strain was able to act against Escherichia coli and Salmonella and was sensitive to most of the antibiotics tested. Strain BC66 did not exhibit any hemolytic activity. The results indicated that Weizmannia coagulans BC66 had excellent probiotic properties. This strain could be used as a potential candidate probiotic and eventually be explored further for potential application in feed additives.

Network effects, economies of scale, and lock-in-effects increasingly lead to a concentration of digital resources and capabilities, hindering the free and equitable development of digital entrepreneurship, new skills, and jobs, especially in small communities and their small and medium-sized enterprises (“SMEs”). To ensure the affordability and accessibility of technologies, promote digital entrepreneurship and community well-being, and protect digital rights, we propose data cooperatives as a vehicle for secure, trusted, and sovereign data exchange. In post-pandemic times, community/SME-led cooperatives can play a vital role by ensuring that supply chains to support digital commons are uninterrupted, resilient, and decentralized. Digital commons and data sovereignty provide communities with affordable and easy access to information and the ability to collectively negotiate data-related decisions. Moreover, cooperative commons (a) provide access to the infrastructure that underpins the modern economy, (b) preserve property rights, and (c) ensure that privatization and monopolization do not further erode self-determination, especially in a world increasingly mediated by AI. Thus, governance plays a significant role in accelerating communities’/SMEs’ digital transformation and addressing their challenges. Cooperatives thrive on digital governance and standards such as open trusted application programming interfaces (“APIs”) that increase the efficiency, technological capabilities, and capacities of participants and, most importantly, integrate, enable, and accelerate the digital transformation of SMEs in the overall process. This review article analyses an array of transformative use cases that underline the potential of cooperative data governance. These case studies exemplify how data and platform cooperatives, through their innovative value creation mechanisms, can elevate digital commons and value chains to a new dimension of collaboration, thereby addressing pressing societal issues. Guided by our research aim, we propose a policy framework that supports the practical implementation of digital federation platforms and data cooperatives. This policy blueprint intends to facilitate sustainable development in both the Global South and North, fostering equitable and inclusive data governance strategies.

Permanent magnet motors (PMMs) have emerged as key components in numerous industrial applications due to their high efficiency, compact size, and robust performance characteristics. However, to attain optimal performance in PMM drives, accurately predicting and mitigating core losses is paramount. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of advancements and methodologies for enhancing the performance of PMM drives by integrating equivalent circuit models (ECMs) that account for core losses. Firstly, the significance of core losses in motor drives is underscored, alongside a survey of research endeavors dedicated to core loss reduction. Notably, emphasis is placed on mathematical models offering both swift computation and reasonable accuracy. Subsequently, the paper delves into the development of ECMs, focusing on approaches adept at capturing core loss effects across diverse operating conditions. Moreover, this paper explores the utilization of these improved ECMs in the design and control of PMMs to achieve enhanced performance. By integrating core loss considerations into design and control strategies, PMM drives can optimize efficiency, torque production, and overall system performance. In summary, this paper may consolidate the current state-of-the-art techniques for enhancing PMM performance through the integration of core-loss-aware ECMs. It highlights key research directions and opportunities for further advancements in this critical area, aiming to foster the development of more efficient and reliable PMM-based systems for a wide range of industrial applications.

The highway cycle is an important consideration in the EV’s new European driving cycles (NEDCs) range, as the steady-state efficiency improvement in such conditions can be greatly beneficial. In the model predictive control (MPC) of the permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs), the predicted next-step feedback reference generated by the equivalent circuit model (ECM) will contribute directly to the voltage vector selection, therefore influencing the performance of the motor control. In the current MPC scheme, when the conventional ECM is applied, it only considers copper loss, and the core loss is usually disregarded. In some circumstances, such as the highway cycle of EVs, the motors are at high speed, the torque is low, and the core loss can be significant in the losses, thus affecting the accuracy of control and the efficiency of the system; hence, the introduction of core loss ECM into the MPC would be beneficial. This paper aims to investigate the steady-state efficiency improvement of a novel ECM of PMSM considering core loss ECM, and the comparison will be based on model predictive direct torque control (MPDTC) using the core loss ECM, which will be compared to MPDTC with the conventional ECM of the PMSM. The results demonstrate the proposed ECM’s efficiency improvement in various conditions, the limitations of the model and the simulation are discussed, and future work is proposed.

Objective: On the basis of national standard GB 4789.35-2016, a comparative study was conducted on dilution ratio, diluent components and medium components to investigate the influence on the number of viable bacteria when counting lactic acid bacteria powder. Nine strains of Lactobacillus, six strains of Bifidobacterium, three strains of coccus and one strain of Bacillus coagulans were used as research objects. Methods: The method of dilution plate count was used to count the viable bacteria of different lactic acid bacteria powders. Results: According to research findings, the dilution ratio of the initial lactic acid bacteria powder sample had no significant effect on the final count of viable bacteria, and the ISO dilution had significant effects on the viable count results of some Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium powders (P

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are a promising class of two-dimensional (2D) materials with tunable electronic and transport properties. In this paper, a first principles calculation of ReClI, ReClBr, and ReIBr Janus 2D materials was carried out in view of structural design and electronic properties. In addition, the structural stability and electronic characteristics of ReClI, ReClBr, and ReIBr were explored under the condition of tensile strain. The conclusions are described as follows: ReIBr maintains excellent lattice structural stability under external forces and possesses the strongest resistance to strain; ReClBr has the highest surface activity, and electrons are more likely to escape and participate in surface chemical reactions; ReClI, ReClBr, and ReIBr are two-dimensional materials that exhibit semiconductor properties while showing varying degrees of tuning under strain conditions.

A microgrid, regarded as one of the cornerstones of the future smart grid, uses distributed generations and information technology to create a widely distributed automated energy delivery network. This paper presents a review of the microgrid concept, classification and control strategies. Besides, various prospective issues and challenges of microgrid implementation are highlighted and explained. Finally, the important aspects of future microgrid research are outlined. This study would help researchers, scientists, and policymakers to get in-depth and systematic knowledge on microgrid. It will also contribute to identify the key factors for mobilizing this sector for a sustainable future.

Objective We aimed to establish an easy-to-use screening questionnaire with risk factors and suspected symptoms of COPD for primary health care settings. Methods Based on a nationwide epidemiological study of pulmonary health among adults in mainland China (China Pulmonary Health, CPH study) between 2012 and 2015, participants ≥40 years who completed the questionnaire and spirometry tests were recruited and randomly divided into development set and validation set by the ratio of 2:1. Parameters including sex, age, BMI, residence, education, smoking status, smoking pack-years, biomass exposure, parental history of respiratory diseases and daily respiratory symptoms were initially selected for the development of scoring system. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, area under curve (AUC), positive and negative predictive values were calculated in development set and validation set. Results After random split by 2:1 ratio, 22443 individuals were assigned to development set and 11221 to validation set. Ten variables were significantly associated with COPD independently in development set after a stepwise selection by multivariable logistic model and used to develop scoring system. The scoring system yielded good discrimination, as measured by AUC of 0.7737, and in the validation set, the AUC was 0.7711. When applying a cutoff point of ≥16, the sensitivity in development set was 0.69 (0.67 − 0.71); specificity 0.72 (0.71 − 0.73), PPV 0.25 (0.24 − 0.26) and NPV 0.94 (0.94 − 0.95). Conclusion We developed and validated a comprehensive screening questionnaire, COPD-CPHS, with good discrimination. The score system still needs to be validated by large cohort in the future. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/15412555.2022.2042504 .

Model predictive controls (MPCs) with the merits of non-linear multi-variable control can achieve better performance than other commonly used control methods for permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drives. However, the conventional MPCs have various issues, including unsatisfactory steady-state performance, variable switching frequency, and difficult selection of appropriate weighting factors. This paper proposes two different improved MPC methods to deal with these issues. One method is the two-vector dimensionless model predictive torque control (MPTC). Two cost functions (torque and flux) and fuzzy decision-making are used to eliminate the weighting factor and select the first optimum vector. The torque cost function selects a second vector whose duty cycle is determined based on the torque error. The other method is the two-vector dimensionless model predictive current control (MPCC). The first vector is selected the same as in the conventional MPC method. Two separate current cost functions and fuzzy decision-making are used to select the second vector whose duty cycle is determined based on the current error. Both proposed methods utilize the space vector PWM modulator to regulate the switching frequency. Numerical simulation results show that the proposed methods have better steady-state and transient performances than the conventional MPCs and other existing improved MPCs.

This paper proposes a multiport energy management system (EMS) and its rule-based expert control strategy for a 150 kW range-extended towing vessel (RETV). The system integrates a diesel generator system, a permanent magnet synchronous motor, a lithium battery, and supercapacitors. To verify its feasibility and effectiveness, the proposed multiport EMS was modelled and tested through MATLAB/Simulink. Simulation results demonstrate that the designed multiport EMS works efficiently under the five typical operating conditions of the 150 kW RETV. In addition, two case studies were conducted and compared to investigate the impact of the battery’s initial state of charge (SoC) on the system’s energy efficiency. It was found that an overall 85% energy efficiency can be achieved for the RETV when the initial SoC is either 75% or 15%. The battery consistently operates within the optimal SoC range of 20% to 80%, and the supercapacitors effectively meet the instantaneous high-power demand.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterized by visceral pain, impaired intestinal barrier and a disorder of the microbiota. DXL-A-24 has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting neuropeptides and inflammatory factors. In this study, we used chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) induced IBS model, to assess the action of DXL-A-24 on visceral hypersensitivity, barrier function and microbiota. Visceral sensation was assessed by colorectal distension in a model of IBS. The expressions of substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) were detected by immunohistochemistry and western blot, the contents of diamine oxidase (DAO) and D-lactic acid were detected by ELISA, and 16S rRNA to detect the diversity of gut microbiota. CUMS reduced visceral pain threshold and increased colonic permeability of rats. DXL-A-24 for 28 days inhibited these changes. DXL-A-24 also decreased the expression of SP, CGRP in colon and D-LA, DAO in serum. Besides, DXL-A-24 increased the richness and diversity of intestinal microbiota. In conclusions, DXL-A-24 reduced visceral sensitivity, improved intestinal barrier and regulated gut microbiota in rats with IBS.

Over time, high-temperature superconductor (HTS)-coated conductors (CCs) have proven to be promising candidates for future high-efficiency and high-power density electrical machines. However, their commercialization is handicapped due to the AC dissipative loss that occurs upon exposure to external magnetic fields. In rotating electromagnetic devices, the external magnetic field is a combination of alternating and rotating magnetic fields. Most of the research is devoted to the effect of exposure of the superconductors to alternating magnetic fields only. This article presents an investigation to observe the behavior of HTSCCs under rotating magnetic fields, particularly the AC loss, using a finite-element-based homogeneous H-formulation technique. Our investigation shows that the AC loss could be considerably high when HTSCCs are exposed to rotating magnetic fields and, ultimately, could affect the cooling efficiency of future high-efficiency and high-power density electrical machines.

For relaxor ferroelectrics, correlating their properties and local structures is challenging. Here, the authors correlate the atomic-scale structure and the large dynamic electromechanical property in Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-based relaxor ferroelectrics.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to characterize the pathophysiological changes of hydronephrosis caused by ureteral calculi obstruction in a new rabbit ureteral calculi model by implanting flowable resin. Methods Forty New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into two groups: the calculi group and the sham control group. In the calculi group (n = 20), rabbits were operated at left lower abdomen and the left ureter was exposed. Then flowable resin (flowable restorative dental materials) was injected into the left ureter using a 0.45 mm diameter intravenous infusion needle. Then light-cured for 40 s by means of a dental curing light to form calculi. In the sham control group, normal saline was injected into the ureter. Rabbits underwent X-ray and routine blood and urine tests preoperatively, as well as X-ray, CT, dissection, HE staining and routine blood and urine tests on 1, 3, 5 and 7 days postoperatively. Stone formation was assessed by X-ray and unenhanced CT scan after surgery. The pathophysiological changes were evaluated through dissection, HE staining and routine blood and urine tests. Results Ureteral calculi models were successfully constructed in 17 rabbits. In calculi group, high-density shadows were observed in the left lower abdomen on postoperative day 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th by X-ray and CT scan. Dissection found obstruction formation of the left ureters, dilatation of the renal pelvis and upper ureter during 7 days after surgery. The renal long-diameters of the left ureters increased only on the 1st postoperative day. HE staining found ureteral and kidney damage after surgery. In calculi group and sham group,the serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, white blood cells and urine red blood cells were raised at day 1 after surgery. However, the indicators returned to normal at day 3, 5, and 7. Conclusions This is a stable, less complicated operation and cost-effective ureteral calculi model by implanting flowable resin. And this novel model may allow us to further understand the pathophysiology changes caused by ureteral calculi obstruction.

In this work, different amount of Cr2O3 (x = 0–0.3 wt%) as dopant were doped into the Aurivillius-type compound Bi2.8Gd0.2TiNbO9 (BGTN), such a kind of Gd/Cr co-doped Bi3TiNbO9 ceramics with improved electrical properties were synthesized by the convenient solid-state reaction route. The substitution of Cr3+ for Ti4+ at B-site induced the lattice distortion of pseduo-perovskite layer. Fewer Cr2O3 dopant (x

Background: Although current guidelines recommend ticagrelor to clopidogrel for patients with acute coronary syndrome, its benefit and risk are unclear for East Asians. This meta-analysis was performed to assess the efficacy and safety of ticagrelor in East Asian patients with acute coronary syndrome. Methods: Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane Databases were searched from inception to July, 2021, for randomized controlled trials comparing ticagrelor with clopidogrel in East Asian patients with acute coronary syndrome. Major adverse cardiovascular events and bleeding events were assessed by using Mantel-Haenszel-pooled risk ratio and 95% confidence interval. Results: Five randomized controlled trials identified 2752 patients with acute coronary syndrome. Compared with clopidogrel, ticagrelor had no statistical difference of major adverse cardiovascular events (RR 0.87; 95% CI 0.52-1.45; P =.58), all cause death (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.62-1.32; P =.60), cardiovascular death (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.47-1.72; P =.74), myocardial infarction (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.52-1.58; P =.73), and stroke (RR 0.87, 95% CI 0.48-1.57; P =.64). Despite ticagrelor did not increase the incidence of fatal bleeding (RR 2.49, 95% CI 0.79-7.87; P = 0.12), the risks of all bleeding (RR 1.71, 95% CI 1.36-2.16; P

Electromagnetic devices, such as electrical drive systems for electric vehicles, have been widely employed in domestic and industrial equipment [...]

Low-rank coal, accounting for 45% of the global coal reserves, is easier to use in terms of realizing ignition and stable combustion due to its relatively high levels of volatile content. But the problem of low-rank coal combustion is that its NO formation is in the range of 300–600 mg/m3, which makes the emission’s meeting of the environmental regulation quite difficult or uneconomic. Preheating combustion was a prospective combustion technology which involved preheating in a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) first and then combustion in a combustor for preheated fuel. With three particle sizes (0–0.355 mm, 0–0.5 mm, and 0–1 mm), some experiments were carried out in a 30 kW test rig. The results showed that, in the CFB preheating, a particle size of 0–1 mm had the highest coal-gas heating value due to a long residence time. The release of species in the CFB preheating always followed the order H > N > C > S. For preheated fuel combustion, a particle size of 0–0.355 mm showed the fastest combustion velocity, with the highest temperature point near the nozzle. For all three particle sizes, the combustion of preheated fuel showed a uniform temperature distribution with a small temperature difference. The lowest NO emission was 105 mg/m3 for the particle size of 0–0.5 mm. A GRI-Mech 2.11 mechanism was used to simulate the formation of NO with different influencing factors, such as temperature, oxygen concentration, and secondary-air ratio. There was a good agreement between the experimental data and the simulation’s results. The simulation showed that the NO formation could be further decreased with an optimal secondary-air ratio. This investigation provides support for the basic understanding of preheating-combustion technology and potential industrial applications in the future.

Purpose: This study aimed to build a deep learning system using enhanced computed tomography (CT) portal-phase images for predicting colorectal cancer patients’ preoperative staging and RAS gene mutation status. Methods: The contrast-enhanced CT image dataset comprises the CT portal-phase images from a retrospective cohort of 231 colorectal cancer patients. The deep learning system was developed via migration learning for colorectal cancer detection, staging, and RAS gene mutation status prediction. This study used pre-trained Yolov7, vision transformer (VIT), swin transformer (SWT), EfficientNetV2, and ConvNeXt. 4620, and contrast-enhanced CT images and annotated tumor bounding boxes were included in the tumor identification and staging dataset. A total of 19,700 contrast-enhanced CT images comprise the RAS gene mutation status prediction dataset. Results: In the validation cohort, the Yolov7-based detection model detected and staged tumors with a mean accuracy precision (IoU = 0.5) (mAP_0.5) of 0.98. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) in the test set and validation set for the VIT-based prediction model in predicting the mutation status of the RAS genes was 0.9591 and 0.9554, respectively. The detection network and prediction network of the deep learning system demonstrated great performance in explaining contrast-enhanced CT images. Conclusion: In this study, a deep learning system was created based on the foundation of contrast-enhanced CT portal-phase imaging to preoperatively predict the stage and RAS mutation status of colorectal cancer patients. This system will help clinicians choose the best treatment option to increase colorectal cancer patients’ chances of survival and quality of life.

The operation of the electricity network has grown more complex due to the increased adoption of renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar power. Using energy storage technology can improve the stability and quality of the power grid. One such technology is flywheel energy storage systems (FESSs). Compared with other energy storage systems, FESSs offer numerous advantages, including a long lifespan, exceptional efficiency, high power density, and minimal environmental impact. This article comprehensively reviews the key components of FESSs, including flywheel rotors, motor types, bearing support technologies, and power electronic converter technologies. It also presents the diverse applications of FESSs in different scenarios. The progress of state-of-the-art research is discussed, emphasizing the use of artificial intelligence methods such as machine learning, digital twins, and data-driven techniques for system simulation, fault prediction, and life-assessment research. The article also addresses the challenges related to current research and the application of FESSs. It concludes by summarizing future directions and trends in FESS research, offering valuable information for further advancement and improvement in this field.

Pigeon is an important economic poultry species in many countries. As an altricial bird, its growth and development are largely reliant on pigeon milk produced by the crop tissue in the first week. During the breeding cycle, pigeons undergo a series of behavioral changes. Pigeon milk is generally characterized by having high concentrations of proteins and lipids, and a complicated regulatory network is involved in the milk formation. Hormones, especially prolactin, could promote the proliferation of crop epidermal cells and nutrient accumulation. The expression of target genes associated with these important biological processes in the crop epidermis is affected by non-coding RNAs. Meanwhile, signaling pathways, such as target of rapamycin (TOR), Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription proteins (JAK/STAT), protein kinase B (Akt), etc., influence the production of crop milk by either enhancing protein synthesis in crop cells or inducing apoptosis of crop epidermal cells. In order to adapt to the different breeding periods, pigeons are physiologically changed in their intestinal morphology and function and liver metabolism. This paper reviews the behaviors and physiological adaptations of pigeon during the breeding cycle, the composition of pigeon crop milk, and the mechanism of its formation, which is important for a better understanding of the physiology of altricial birds and the development of artificial crop milk.