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A MoS2 concentration gradient coating of an osteoarticular-like structure with efficient strain transfer efficiency was prepared on titanium alloy via multiple plasma electrolytic oxidation. This structure facilitates efficient strain transfer by dissipating compressive and shear strains via dislocation annihilation and MoS2 interlayer sliding, thereby preserving a strain gradient. Leveraging this mechanism, the coefficient of friction was reduced by 50.2% compared to graphene coatings, while the frictional stabilization time was extended by 160% about Single MoS2/TiO2. This study elucidates the dislocation behavior and the mechanisms of strain transfer during friction within this structure.

BackgroundWorking night shifts is common in the secondary industry workers, and usually with long weekly working hours. They are prone to occupational stress and sleep disorders, which may seriously affect their physical and mental health and work efficiency.ObjectiveTo investigate the current situation and influencing factors of occupational stress and sleep disorders among three key occupational groups in Guizhou Province, and provide a basis for formulating intervention measures.MethodsA stratified random cluster sampling method was used to select 11552 workers as the research subjects from three occupational groups in Guizhou Province. A survey on occupational stress and sleep disorders was conducted using the National Key Population Occupational Health Literacy Monitoring Survey Personal Questionnaire.ResultsA total of 9956 valid questionnaires were recovered (86.18%). The positive rates of occupational stress and sleep disorders among the three key occupational groups in Guizhou Province were 22.6% and 40.6%, respectively. No differences were found among those by individual characteristics (P>0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in reporting sleep disorders among the occupational groups by industry (P

Objective To explore the causes and nursing strategies of red blood cell spillage in apheresis platelet donors, so as to avoid adverse reactions to blood donation and platelet discarding and improve blood donation services. Methods A nursing flowchart for red blood cell spillage was developed based on literature. One case of red blood cell spillage in a apheresis platelet donor as attached, and corresponding literature review was conducted. Results After the nursing intervention through the nursing flowchart of red cell spillage, platelet apheresis was successfully conducted. The donor felt good and did not experience any adverse reaction to blood donation, and with no more red blood cell spillage. By reviewing relevant literature, the incidence, principles, causes, treatments, prevention of adverse reactions to blood donation and psychological care methods of red blood cell spillage were systematically summarized. Conclusion Red blood cell spillage in apheresis platelet donors occurs occasionally, and a flowchart of care for red blood cell spillage can help blood station staff quickly identify the cause and handle it correctly to avoid mishandling whicn can result in adverse reactions or discarding of platelets.

Abstract Objective To investigate the characteristics of different Acute Gastrointestinal Injury (AGI) grading trajectories and examine their impact on prognosis in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Methods This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a large children’s hospital in China. The children admitted to the PICU were included. AGI grade was assessed every other day during the initial nine days following PICU admission. Results A total of 642 children were included, of which 364 children (56.7%) exhibited varying degrees of gastrointestinal dysfunction (AGI grade ≥ 2). Based on the patterns of AGI grading over time, six groups were identified: low-stable group, low-fluctuating group, medium-decreasing group, medium-increasing group, high-decreasing group, high-persistent group. The high-persistent group accounted for approximately 90% of all recorded deaths. Compared to low-stable group, both the medium-increasing and high-persistent groups exhibited positive correlations with length of stay in PICU (PICU LOS) and length of stay (LOS). Compared to low-stable group, the five groups exhibited a negative correlation with the percentage of energy received by enteral nutrition (EN), as well as the protein received by EN. Conclusion This study identified six distinct trajectory groups of AGI grade in critically ill children. The pattern of AGI grade trajectories over time were associated with EN delivery proportions and clinical outcomes.

Objective This study endeavors to introduce the statistical process control (SPC) method to analyze the quality control index concerning red blood cells in additive solution with leukocytes reduced, with the aspiration to advance the effective utilization of blood quality control data, thereby providing empirical foundations for the continual enhancement of blood quality. Methods Between 2020 and 2022, test data pertaining to the quality control index of red blood cells in additive solution with leukocytes reduced were amassed from six blood stations in Chongqing area. Utilizing Minitab software, the SPC analysis was carried out, p-control charts were delineated, the non-conformance rates of each quality control index along with their 95% confidence intervals were computed, as well as the Process Capability Index (Z value). Results In accordance with the Whole Blood and Blood Components Quality Requirements, the appraisal of the quality control indexes for red blood cells in additive solution with leukocytes reduced manifested a conformity rate of 100% for appearance, end-of-storage hemolysis rate and sterility test. Nonetheless, the conformity rates for volume, hemoglobin, hematocrit and residual leukocytes did not attain 100%, albeit all were ≥75%. Through the employment of binomial distribution-based p-control charts, the controlled state of the production process was discerned. Although the overarching conformity rate satisfied the national standard stipulations, it was discerned that there were out-of-control points concerning volume, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and residual leukocytes across different institutions, exhibiting palpable trends. The non-conformance rates of all quality control indexes were less than 25%, yet at a 95% confidence level, the residual leukocyte counts from institutions B, C, E, and F did not adhere to the stipulations (exceeding 25%). By architecting the ability evaluation index Z value for count data process capability analysis, it was unveiled that the volume of institution E, the hematocrit of institutions B, C, and F, and the residual leukocytes Z values of all six blood collection and supply institutions were below 2, hinting at avenues for amelioration. Conclusion The SPC method anchored in binomial distribution exhibits substantial application merit in blood component quality management, facilitating real-time surveillance of blood collection, preparation, and storage procedures.

PurposeThis study aimed to clarify the effect of early glucocorticoid (GC) application on achieving minimal manifestation (MM) status or better in the treatment of myasthenia gravis (MG) in the early clinical phase.MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed using data from 336 patients with MG who received GC therapy from January 2015 to September 2022 in the Zhengzhou University Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Myasthenia Gravis Biobank (ZMB). Patients were divided into two groups: the early mono-GC group (treated with GC within 6 months of MG onset) and the delayed mono-GC group.ResultsKaplan–Meier analysis showed that the early mono-GC group achieved MM status earlier and more frequently than the delayed mono-GC group (log-rank test, p = 0.0082; hazard ratio [HR], 1.66; p = 0.011). The early mono-GC group had a lower maintenance oral GC dose than the delayed mono-GC group. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, early mono-GC (HR, 1.50; p = 0.043), early-onset MG (EOMG) (HR, 1.74; p = 0.034), and ocular MG (OMG) (HR, 1.90; p = 0.007) were associated with MM status or better. In conclusion, early mono-GC, EOMG, and OMG were positive predictors of treatment goals. In EOMG, OMG, and acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive MG (AChR-MG) subgroups, the maintenance oral GC doses in the early mono-GC group were significantly lower than the doses in the delayed mono-GC group (p < 0.05).ConclusionEarly intervention with GC led to better long-term outcomes and reduced the necessary maintenance dose of oral GC for patients with MG. EOMG and OMG were positive predictors of MM status or better with mono-GC.

Variations in different urinary measurements for evaluating iodine status are concerning to clinicians and researchers. The present study aimed to analyze the interindividual and intraindividual variations in the urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and urinary iodine/creatinine (UI/Cr) ratio and evaluate their application in assessing the iodine nutrition of preschool children. Four repeated spot urine samples were collected from 163 children at different times within one day. The urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and urinary creatinine concentration (UCr) were measured, and the UI/Cr ratio was calculated. The UIC (P

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is characterized by autoimmune damage to the postsynaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) with impaired postsynaptic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) aggregation. Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 4 (LRP4) plays an important role in AChR aggregation at endplate membranes via the Agrin–LRP4–muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase (MuSK) cascade. Sorting nexin 17 (SNX17) regulates the degradation and recycling of various internalized membrane proteins. However, whether SNX17 regulates LRP4 remains unclear. Therefore, we examined the regulatory effects of SNX17 on LRP4 and its influence on AChR aggregation in MG. We selected C2C12 myotubes and induced LRP4 internalization via stimulation with anti-LRP4 antibody and confirmed intracellular interaction between SNX17 and LRP4. SNX17 knockdown and overexpression confirmed that SNX17 promoted MuSK phosphorylation and AChR aggregation by increasing cell surface LRP4 expression. By establishing experimental autoimmune MG (EAMG) mouse models, we identified that SNX17 upregulation improved fragmentation of the AChR structure at the NMJ and alleviated leg weakness in EAMG mice. Thus, these results reveal that SNX17 may be a novel target for future MG therapy.

Limited load capacity is the bottleneck for the practical application of mobile multi-joint legged robots. And improving the efficiency of the drive system is a key factor in improving the load capacity. To improve the efficiency of mobile robots, in this paper, a new kind of actuator that imitates the driving mechanism of human muscles is innovatively designed and validated through experiments. The proposed actuator consists of a single power source and multiple plunger pistons, and imitates the configuration of a human muscle, to improve the efficiency and load capacities. The design proposed here represents a new class of driving methods. The actuator selects the most appropriate combination of the effective areas of plunger pistons like the human muscles, to ensure that the maximal output force aligns with the load force. To validate that the new actuator can improve the efficiency of hydraulic systems of mobile robots, a robotic arm incorporating a prototype of the new actuator was designed. The proposed system was validated through a series of experiments. The experiments show that the bionic actuator can adjust the flow rate of the system input by adjusting the number and size of the motion units involved in the work, and with the change in load force, it changes the output force by recruiting different motion units, which indicates good controllability. The results reported herein reveal that the application of bionics to the design of robotic actuator can significantly improve the efficiency and overall performance of the robots, and this biomimetic approach can be applied to a variety of robots.

In order to improve the interface experience effect of the mobile terminal software, this paper improves the UI design by combining computer image processing technology and improves the diffusion algorithm for images by improving the diffusion model, improving the diffusion coefficient and adaptively selecting the diffusion threshold. Moreover, this paper has carried out deep research on coordinate transformation and image interpolation and stored the result of coordinate transformation in the coordinate transformation table and weight table. In addition, this paper proposes an improved digital scan conversion method based on a lookup table and constructs an improved UI design system model. Through the analysis of experimental data, it can be seen that the application effect of computer image processing technology in UI design is very good, and it can effectively promote the improvement of UI design technology.

Better and more efficient use of biomass energy is seen as a favourable option for reducing carbon emissions. Biomass pellet fuel is one of the most common and important ways of utilising biomass energy. The use of diverse biomass resources with different properties for pelletizing is a current research hotspot. This paper provides an innovative overview of co-pelletization technology for biomass pellet fuels. The chemical composition of various types of biomass is classified and the influence of different biomass matrix feedstocks and pelletizing operating parameters on pellet quality and pelletizing process is summarized. The research results indicate that the natural chemical fraction of biomass has a significant influence on the pelletizing process and fuel quality. Furthermore, co-pelletizing can be divided into biomass-biomass co-pelletizing and biomass-non-biomass co-pelletizing. Common co-pelleting combinations include: woody and herbaceous crop co-pelleting; woody or herbaceous crops with high starch and oil content (e.g. microalgae, peanut shells, etc.); mixed pelleting of different parts of the same crop (e.g. bark and leaves of the same quality); co-pelleting of biomass with solid waste (e.g. municipal sludge, waste paper, etc.). Crop types such as oil and sugar used for co-pelletizing with herbaceous and woody crops help to reduce energy consumption in the preparation of biomass pellet fuel and improve the quality of the pellets. Co-pelletization of non-biomass-based materials (domestic production waste, inorganic additives) with biomass also facilitates the pelletizing process and improves the quality of pellet fuel. It is obvious that mixing different raw materials for co-pelletizing is considered a promising way for upgrading biomass pellet and that economical, environmentally friendly and sustainable raw materials are prerequisites for co-pelletizing. Moreover, co-pelletizing seems to be a strong option for enhancing the competitiveness of biomass pellet fuel production at scale in the future.

This study aimed to establish a cell-based assay (CBA) for the detection of agrin antibodies (Agrin-Ab) to explore the clinical features of agrin antibody-positive Chinese patients with myasthenia gravis (Agrin-MG). We developed a CBA based on the human full-length agrin protein expressed in HEK293T cells for the reliable and efficient detection of Agrin-Ab. Clinical data and serum samples were collected from 1948 MG patients in 26 provinces in China. The demographic and clinical features of Agrin-MG patients were compared with those of other MG patient subsets. Eighteen Agrin-MG cases were identified from 1948 MG patients. Nine patients were Agrin-Ab positive, and nine were AChR-Ab and Agrin-Ab double-positive (Agrin/AChR-MG). Eleven (61.11%) patients were males older than 40 years of age. The initial symptom in 13 (81.25%) cases was ocular weakness. Occasionally, the initial symptom was limb-girdle weakness (two cases) or bulbar muscle weakness (one case). Agrin-MG patients demonstrated slight improvement following treatment with either acetylcholinesterase inhibitor or prednisone; however, the combination of the two drugs could effectively relieve MG symptoms. In China, Agrin-MG demonstrated seropositivity rates of 0.92%. These patients were commonly middle-aged or elderly men. The patients usually presented weakness in the ocular, bulbar, and limb muscles, which may be combined with thymoma. These patients have more severe diseases, although the combination of pyridostigmine and prednisone was usually effective in relieving symptoms.

The high energy efficiency and lightweight are recent trends in mobile hydraulics. In this paper, a new energy-saving fluid power converter (FPC) is designed to solve the problem of low energy conversion efficiency in hydraulic systems with variable load. The FPC is a kind of hydraulic transformer, it is similar to the DC transformer in working principle. Pulse width modulation (PWM) signal is used to control the high-speed on-off valves, and the high-speed on-off valve can switch supply ports between different pressure oil sources to achieve the adjustment of the FPC's output. The FPC's mathematical principle is analyzed in this paper, the influence of the friction between the inertial mass and the conversion cylinder on the system efficiency is studied. The influence of the PWM signal frequency, conversion cylinder cross-sectional area and inertial mass on the characteristics of FPC system is deduced. The results of the analysis are validated by Matlab/Simulink, and suggestions of selecting the design parameters of FPC are provided.

Abstract Objective To investigate the correlation between acetylcholine receptor antibodies (AChR‐Ab) concentration levels and individualized clinical symptoms in patients with AChR myasthenia gravis (AChR‐MG) in China. Methods ELISA was used to determine the concentration of AChR‐Ab in patients with MG. The Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) Clinical Classification, Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis (QMG) score, and MG‐specific activities of daily living (MG‐ADL) scoring systems were used to evaluate the clinical status of patients. Spearman correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation between the AChR‐Ab concentration and clinical score. The changes in the antibody concentration and clinical score are shown in MGFA‐antibody concentration–treatment plots. Results Autoantibody detection tests were performed in 67 patients, and their clinical scores were recorded. Forty‐nine patients received immunosuppressive therapy, 17 patients received pyridostigmine only, and 1 patient under thymectomy without any medication. The AChR‐Ab concentration correlated with the MGFA Classification in 5 (29.4%) patients in the pyridostigmine‐only group and 15 (30.6%) patients in the immunosuppressive drug group. The changes in the MGFA Classification preceded the changes in the AChR‐Ab concentration in 4 (23.5%) patients treated with pyridostigmine and 10 (20.4%) patients on immunosuppressive drugs. In patients on oral non‐steroidal immunosuppressants, the AChR‐Ab concentration changed by more than 50%, whereas the MGFA Classification did not increase. The AChR‐Ab concentration decreased in 17/32 (53.1%) patients after thymectomy, and then increased, whereas the AChR‐Ab concentration increased in 15/32 (46.9%) patients and the MGFA Classification decreased in 27/32 (81.8%) patients after thymectomy. The AChR‐Ab concentration presented a slight correlation with the corresponding MGFA, QMG, and MG‐ADL in patients with thymoma. Discussion In the Chinese AChR‐MG population, the Changes in the AChR‐Ab concentration in individuals with AChR‐MG did not consistently correlate with the severity of clinical symptoms.

Abstract Background Accumulating researches have shown that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) contributes to tumor metastasis. Leptin, a key adipokine secreted from adipocytes, shapes the tumor microenvironment, potentiates the migration of breast cancer cells and angiogenesis, and is also involved in EMT. However, the potential mechanism remains unknown. This study aims to explore the effect of leptin on EMT in breast cancer cells and the underlying mechanism. Methods With the assessment of EMT-associated marker expression in MCF-7, SK-BR-3, and MDA-MB-468 cells, the effect of leptin on breast cancer cells was analyzed. Besides, an array of pathway inhibitors as well as RNA interference targeting pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) were used to clarify the underlying mechanism of leptin-mediated EMT in vitro and in vivo. Results The results demonstrated that leptin promoted breast cancer cells EMT, visibly activated the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, and upregulated PKM2 expression. An antibody against the leptin receptor (anti-ObR) and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway inhibitor LY294002 significantly abolished leptin-induced PKM2 expression and EMT-associated marker expression. SiRNA targeting PKM2 partially abolished leptin-induced migration, invasion, and EMT-associated marker expression. In vivo xenograft experiments indicated that RNA interference against PKM2 suppressed breast cancer growth and metastasis. Conclusions Our data suggest that leptin promotes EMT in breast cancer cells via the upregulation of PKM2 expression as well as activation of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, and PKM2 might be one of the key points and potential targets for breast cancer therapy.

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1, a rate-limiting enzyme in gluconeogenesis, was recently shown to be a tumor suppressor. However, the functions of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 in the regulation of mitophagy and apoptosis remain unknown. Here, we investigated the effects of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 on mitophagy and apoptosis as well as their underlying mechanisms in breast cancer cells. In this work, the messenger RNA and protein expression of various molecules were determined by quantitative realtime polymerase chain reaction and western blot, respectively. Gene-expression correlations were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas Breast Cancer database and analyzed using cBioPortal. The levels of cellular reactive oxygen species and apoptotic index were detected by flow cytometry. The mitochondrial membrane potentials were assessed with a JC-1 fluorescent sensor. Subcellular structures were observed under a transmission electron microscope. The intracellular distribution of translocase of outer membrane 20 was detected by immunofluorescence staining. Protein–protein interactions were analyzed by immunoprecipitation. Our results indicated that fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 expression was negatively correlated with autophagy level in breast cancer. Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 restrained autophagy activity by increasing the level of p62 and decreasing the levels of LC3 and Beclin 1. Additionally, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 promoted cell apoptosis by upregulating the levels of intracellular ROS and expression of pro-apoptotic proteins such as cleaved PARP, cleaved Caspase 3, and Bax and downregulating the levels of anti-apoptotic proteins such as PARP, Caspase 3, and Bcl-2. Finally, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 limited the efficient removal of diseased mitochondria and reduced the messenger RNA and protein expressions of HIF-1α, BNIP3L/NIX, and BNIP3. More importantly, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 facilitated co-action between Bcl-2 and Beclin 1, which may be important in the mechanism of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1–mediated mitophagy inhibition. In summary, loss of mitophagy by fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1–mediated repression promotes apoptosis in breast cancer.

Co-pelletization of waste biomass and microalgae is an attractive option for using bioenergy efficiently. This work investigates the potential of microalgae as a binder to improve the energy consumption and physical and thermal properties of a novel pellet. Wood waste biomass was blended with microalgae in proportions of 15%, 30%, and 50% to investigate its properties using a single pelleting device and thermodynamic analysis. The results showed that, under the conditions of temperature (80−160 °C), pressure (120−200 MPa), and moisture content (6%−14%), blending microalgae can effectively increase the bulk density and mechanical durability of the pellets by 9%−36% and 0.7%−1.6%, respectively, and can significantly reduce the energy consumption of pelleting by 23.5%−40.4%. Blending microalgae can significantly reduce the energy consumption of pelleting by 23.5%−40.4%. Moreover, when the amount of Chlorella vulgaris powder (CVP) is 50%, a maximum bulk density (BD) of 1580.2 kg/m3, a durability (DU) of 98%, and a minimum energy consumption of 25.2 kJ/kg were obtained under the optimum conditions of temperature (120 °C), pressure (120 MPa), and moisture content (10%), respectively. Besides, the interaction between the microalgae and sawdust does exist, and their effect on the co-combustion process is inhibitive (0−300 °C) and accelerative (300−780 °C). When the amount of microalgae was 15%, the average activation energy of the pellet was a minimum value, which was 133.21 kJ/mol and 134.60 kJ/mol calculated by the Kissinger−Akahira−Sunose method and Ozawa−Flynn−Wall method, respectively. Therefore, the energy consumption, physical, and thermal properties of the novel pellet could be improved and meet the ISO standard (International Organization for Standardization of 17225, Geneva, Switzerland, 2016) by blending 15% of microalgae. Overall, the use of microalgae as a binder can indeed improve pellet quality, and it can be considered a significant way to utilize microalgae in the future.

At present, mobile robotic manipulators have been greatly developed. However, these further promotions are limited by a low load capacity and short operation time. The above problems can be improved by using a hydraulic drive mode and increasing the system energy efficiency. In this paper, a novel energy-efficient wobble plate hydraulic joint is presented, which has the characteristics of having a small size, lightweight, large load capacity, and high energy efficiency. Based on the efficiency analysis in traditional robotic manipulators, this paper presents a novel hydraulic joint with a multi-chamber drive structure. Kinematics model and dynamics model are both established for the analysis of the mechanical characteristics, and the functional relationship between the input and output is depicted by numerical simulation. Based on the structural characteristics and control principle, the load matching controller is designed and specific control processes are formulated. Combined with a strategy of load matching, the servo control system is established and the energy-saving effect is verified by simulation. The result shows that the wobble plate hydraulic joint can change connections between a high-pressure circuit and different working chambers, which realizes the match between the output torque and load torque. With the load matching controller, the energy consumption of the wobble plate joint is greatly reduced, which contributes to a considerably improved energy efficiency. The research in this paper not only lays a theoretical foundation for the development of a wobble plate hydraulic joint, but also provides guidance for the improvement of the hydraulic system energy efficiency in mobile robotic manipulators.

The frictional modelling literature is reviewed, and it is demonstrated that unrealistic drift results when the shape coefficient is 1.0 for the LuGre and the integral friction models. Drift will not occur but other dynamic friction characteristics can't be represented when the shape coefficient is 0. Based on the above, the LuGre friction model and the Integral friction model are improved. The velocity-friction characteristic, the stick-slip and the cycling caused by friction and the drift are compared in simulation. The results show that the improved friction model well reflects realistic friction dynamic characteristics and avoids drift. Finally, the improved friction model is used in a nonlinear mathematic model of a valve controlled hydraulic cylinder system. The cylinder's motion at low velocity is simulated and the related experimental results are presented. The results show that the improved friction model gives realistic low velocity motion of the cylinder.

In this paper, we present an innovative bilaterally-controllable self-locking mechanism that can be applied to the micro in-pipe robot. The background and state of the art of the inchworm micro in-pipe robot is briefly described in the very beginning of the paper, where the main factors that influence the traction ability are also discussed. Afterwards, the micro in-pipe robots’ propulsion principle based on a unidirectional self-locking mechanism is discussed. Then, several kinds of self-locking mechanisms are compared, and a new bilaterally-controllable self-locking mechanism is proposed. By implementing the self-locking mechanism, the robot's tractive force is no longer restricted by the friction force, and both two-way motion and position locking for the robot can be achieved. Finally, the traction experiment is conducted using a prototype robot with the new bilaterally-controllable self-locking mechanism. Test results show that this new self-locking mechanism can adapt itself to a diameter of >17~>20 mm and has a blocking force up to 25N, and the maximum tractive force of the in-pipe robot based on such a locking mechanism is 12N under the maximum velocity of 10mm/s.