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Antlerogenic periosteum (AP) is the unique tissue type that gives rise to antlers and their antecedents, the pedicles. Deer antlers are the only mammalian organ that can fully regenerate. Efficient investigation of the mechanism of antler formation and regeneration requires year‐round availability of AP, but naturally AP can only be obtained less than two months in a year. In the present study we took the cryopreservation approach to store the sampled AP in ultra‐low temperature to overcome the limited period of availability. First, we evaluated the suitability of vitrification and cell cryopreservation method for cryopreservation of AP, cell migration status of the AP tissue pieces confirmed that vitrification methods did not work as the only few AP cells migrated out, whereas migrated cell numbers in the cell‐cryo group (conventional method for cryopreservation of cells) were comparable to those of the fresh AP group. To further evaluate the suitability of cell cryopreservation method for AP tissue, AP samples were allocated into three groups based on the different ratios of cryopreservation reagents (dimethyl sulfoxide [DMSO], dulbecco's modified eagle's medium [DMEM] and fetal bovine serum [FBS]): AP‐Cell‐1 (1:4:5), AP‐Cell‐2 (1:2:7) and AP‐Cell‐3 (1:0:9), the results showed that migrated cell number were again comparable to the fresh AP group. There was no significant difference between the cell‐cryo groups (AP‐Cell‐1 and AP‐Cell‐3) and the fresh group: (1) in viability (p > 0.05) through trypan blue staining (91.2%, 90.8%, and 92.4%, respectively); (2) in the attachment day, and all on Day 5 after cell seeding; (3) in cell proliferation rate (p > 0.05) through Cell Counting kit 8 (CCK8) measurement; and (4) in number of the formed clones (Clonogenicity). In the in vivo trials, there was no visible difference in temporal differentiation sequence of the formed xenogeneic antlers between the fresh AP and cryopreserved AP (AP‐Cell‐1 and AP‐Cell‐3). Overall, we found that the AP tissue was well cryopreserved just using the conventional freezing and thawing methods for cells, and their viability and developmental potential comparable to the fresh AP both in vitro and in vivo. The long‐term preservation of the AP tissue is of great significance for the study of the periosteum biology in general and the mechanism underlying xenogeneic generation and regeneration of deer antlers in specific. Research highlights: The antlerogenic periosteum (AP) tissue was well cryopreserved just using the conventional freezing and thawing methods for cells, and their viability and developmental potential comparable to the fresh AP both in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel frequency compensation scheme for the stability of low dropout regulator (LDO). The proposed compensation scheme introduces a zero in the voltage regulation loop to enlarge gain and phase margin at high‐frequencies. As a result, high open‐loop‐gain and improved load regulation performances are achieved, and a particular resistor is introduced in the compensation structure to cancel the voltage drop originating from cable resistances at the output to further improve the load regulation performance. The proposed LDO with wide input/output range and high‐power supply rejection is designed and implemented in a 180 nm CMOS process. The LDO operates with an input voltage range of 4–16 V, an output voltage range of 1.5–5 V and an output current range of 0–1000 mA. High open loop gain and high bandwidth are achieved, and the simulated performances of load regulation and line regulation are less than 32 μV/mA and less than 3 mV/V over the whole operation range, respectively. The on‐chip compensation capacitor required by the compensation module is only 1.8 pF. © 2023 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to establish a mobile health application to diagnose and treat postdischarge hardware-related infections in a timely manner and prevent the complete removal of hardware or an implantable pulse generator (IPG). We conducted a retrospective and historical controlled study of all patients who had undergone initial hardware implantation at a single center. All participants were aggregated into 2 groups, A (between June 2005 and June 2014) and B (between July 2014 and May 2020). In group B, the Postdischarge Patient Aide was used for wound monitoring. Both groups received regular clinical follow-up. Cases and the range of hardware-related infections were compared. There was no significant difference in infection rate between the groups (1.8% vs. 1.4%, P = 0.413). After application of the Postdischarge Patient Aide, the proportion of patients with early interventions had increased significantly in group B compared with group A (83.3% vs. 20.0%, P < 0.001). The percentage of patients with IPG infection at the time of interventions in group B was significantly lower than that in group A (8.3% vs. 60.0%, P < 0.001). The IPG preservation rate in group B was significantly higher than that in group A (75% vs. 16%, P < 0.001). A mobile health application provides an efficient way to make an early diagnosis, treat a hardware-related infection, and prevent hardware removal. Information on wound healing should be transmitted to the surgery team in a convenient and fast way to prevent infection spreading, which helps to prevent the IPG from being abandoned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender bias against female leaders suggests that female leaders are less accepted than male leaders. Moreover, research has suggested that male subordinates are less willing to accept female leaders than their female peers. We propose that their unwillingness to accept a female leader's influence may invite male team members to seek to develop their own influence within the team. Drawing on the theory of social self‐regulation in relational demography, we argue that compared with their female counterparts, male team members are more motivated to increase their influence within the team through competence monitoring (self‐regulated behavior to establish their competence within the team), especially when there is a greater proportion of male peers in the team (i.e., a lower level of gender dissimilarity between themselves and the rest of the team). In turn, we propose that competence monitoring has an increasingly positive relationship with the influence of male members within the team. The findings of our multisource survey of 288 members of 61 research and development teams supported our hypotheses. We discuss the implications of our findings for research on gender and leadership and relational demography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 96-h EC 50 of ERY to C. pyrenoidosa was 11.78 mg/L. • 6 PDPs of ERY were identified, 3 of them were predicted more toxic. • The toxicity of PDPs was performed by model prediction and biological experiment. • Inhibitory effect of PDPs on microalgae growth decreased with degradation time. • Acute effect of PDPs revealed as growth stimulation, but the chronic effect reversed. The photodegradation products (PDPs) of antibiotics in the aquatic environment received increasing concern, but their chronic effects on microalgae remain unclear. This study initially focused on examining the acute effects of erythromycin (ERY), then explored the chronic impacts of ERY PDPs on Chlorella pyrenoidosa. ERY of 4.0 − 32 mg/L ERY notably inhibited the cell growth and chlorophyll synthesis. The determined 96 h median effective concentration of ERY to C. pyrenoidosa was 11.78 mg/L. Higher concentrations of ERY induced more serious oxidative damage, antioxidant enzymes alleviated the oxidative stress. 6 PDPs (PDP749, PDP747, PDP719, PDP715, PDP701 and PDP557) were identified in the photodegradation process of ERY. The predicted combined toxicity of PDPs increased in the first 3 h, then decreased. Chronic exposure showed a gradual decreasing inhibition on microalgae growth and chlorophyll content. The acute effect of ERY PDPs manifested as growth stimulation, but the chronic effect manifested as growth inhibition. The malonaldehyde contents decreased with the degradation time of ERY at 7, 14 and 21 d. However, the malonaldehyde contents of ERY PDPs treatments were elevated compared to those in the control group after 21 d. Risk assessment still need to consider the potential toxicity of degradation products under long-term exposure. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activating carbon materials with superb capacity, kinetics, and stability for sodium storage is desirable for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), and heteroatom doping is believed as the effective strategy. Herein, ultrafine Co nanoparticles decorated nitrogen-doped carbon is prepared by the pyrolysis of black fungus infiltrated with Co(NO 3) 2 as SIBs anode material. Impressively, Co/NC exhibits efficient sodium storage properties of high specific capacity (345.7 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1), good rate performance (158.2 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1), and stable cyclic property (218.5 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 after 1000 cycles). Incorporation of N and Co produces defects and active sites, causing pseudocapacitive contributed sodium storage behavior with excellent electrochemical kinetics and structure stability. This study provides a reference to prepare high-performance carbon anodes using sustainable biomass materials. [Display omitted] • Co nanoparticles decorated N-doped carbon is prepared as SIBs anode. • Biomass of black fungus infiltrated with Co(NO 3) 2 are used as raw material. • Expanded carbon interlayer is favorable for Na+ insertion. • Pseudocapacitive behavior contributes to fast and large Na+ storage. • Excellent electrochemical Na+ storage performances are achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saccharomyces cerevisiae-based expression systems, which rely on safe, food-grade strains, are low cost, simple to operate, and can be used for large-scale fermentation. However, low levels of foreign protein expression by S. cerevisiae have limited their widespread application. The ability of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to fold and process foreign proteins is an important factor restricting the expression of foreign proteins. In the current study, the effects of transcription factor Hac1p, which is involved in the unfolded protein response pathway, on S. cerevisiae-based expression of xylanase gene xynB from Aspergillus niger were examined. Overlap extension polymerase chain reaction (PCR), rDNA integration and droplet digital PCR technology were used to generate a S. cerevisiae strain (S8) containing eight copies of xynB, allowing high-yield secretory expression of xylanase. The effects of subsequent overexpression of HAC1 in strain S8 on the expression of genes associated with protein folding in the ER were then examined using the GeXP system. Results confirmed the constitutive secretory expression of the multiple copies of xynB following rDNA-based integration of the expression cassette, with a maximum xylanase yield of 325 U/mL. However, overexpression of HAC1 further improved xylanase production by strain S8, resulting in a yield of 381 U/mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To examine the mediating effects of self‐efficacy, coping, burnout, and social support in the link between job stress and depression and anxiety among young Chinese nurses. Design: A cross‐sectional survey was used. Methods: Full‐time young nurses (N = 1,029) who worked in nine tertiary grade A hospitals in Chengdu China were recruited from December 2016–March 2017. Structural equation modelling was applied to analyse the mediating effects. Results: Job stress had a direct positive effect on anxiety (β = 0.054) and it also exerted indirect positive effects on depression (β = 0.337) and anxiety (β = 0.325) through mediating factors. Emotional exhaustion and social support were the main mediating variables, accounting for 72.0% of the variation in anxiety and nearly 43.4% in depression. Conclusion: Emotional exhaustion and social support may have significant mediating effects in the link between job stress and depression and anxiety. Strategies including deceasing emotional exhaustion, enhancing social support in work environment, and reducing job stressors would be useful to prevent depression and anxiety among young nurses. Impact: What problems did the study address? Depression and anxiety have great impact on professional performance of nurses and even patient safety. Factors such as coping, burnout, etc., may have different mediating effects in the paths from job stress to depression and anxiety. What were the main findings? Job stress had direct and indirect positive effects on anxiety and it only had indirect positive effect on depression. Emotional exhaustion and social support were the main mediating variables in the link between job stress and depression and anxiety. Where and on whom will the research have impact? Nursing managers should be more cognizant of the impact of job stress on the development of depression and anxiety. The significant mediating effect of emotional exhaustion and social support in the link between job stress and depression and anxiety should be emphasized by nursing administrators and effective targeted measures need to be adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tremendous proliferation of smart phones and other smart devices has spurred the explosive growth of delay-sensitive high-rate multimedia services, which significantly increases energy consumption in wireless cellular networks. Therefore, it is an important yet challenging issue to carry out resource allocation for cellular networks to meet the quality of service requirement in terms of high data rate and, at the same time, achieve high energy efficiency. In this paper, two resource allocation approaches are proposed, where user selection and power allocation are jointly considered, to maximize effective capacity (EC) and effective energy efficiency (EEE), respectively, for a relay-assisted downlink of cellular networks. Channel estimation errors are taken into account to make the proposed approaches more practical. Moreover, to solve the EC maximization problem efficiently, we develop an optimal algorithm based on Lagrange method and Karush–Kuhn–Tucker conditions, and derive closed-form optimal solutions for user selection and power allocation at both the base station and relays. For the EEE maximization problem, an iterative algorithm based on the Dinkelbach method is developed to find the optimal solutions. Theoretical analysis and simulation results are presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed approaches in terms of EC, EEE, and delay bound violation probability. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Shikonin (SHK) has been proven to have a good anti-tumor effect. However, poor water solubility and low bioavailability limit its wide application in clinical practice. In this study, to overcome these drawbacks, RGD-modified shikonin-loaded liposomes (RGD-SSLs-SHK) were successfully prepared. It exhibited excellent physicochemical characteristics including particle size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, and delayed release time. Meanwhile, the targeting activity of the RGD-modified liposomes was demonstrated by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy in the αvβ3-positive MDA-MB-231 cells. Besides exhibiting greater cytotoxicity in vitro, compared with non-targeted shikonin-loaded liposomes (SSLs-SHK), RGD-SSLs-SHK could also evidently induce apoptosis by decreasing the expression of Bcl-2 and increasing the expression of Bax. It could also inhibit cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and adhesion by reducing the expression of MMP-9 and the level of NF-κB p65, but did not affect the expression of MMP-2 in the MDA-MB-231 cells. Therefore, these findings indicated that the strategy to use RGD-modified liposomes as carriers for targeted delivery of shikonin is a very promising approach to achieve breast cancer targeted therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food adulteration and feed contamination are significant issues in the food/feed industry, especially for meat products. Reliable techniques are needed to monitor these issues. Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) assays were developed and evaluated for detection and quantification of bovine, porcine, chicken and turkey DNA in food and feed samples. The ddPCR methods were designed based on mitochondrial DNA sequences and integrated with an artificial recombinant plasmid DNA to control variabilities in PCR procedures. The specificity of the ddPCR assays was confirmed by testing both target species and additional 18 non-target species. Linear regression established a detection range between 79 and 33200 copies of the target molecule from 0.26 to 176 pg of fresh animal tissue DNA with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.997–0.999. The quantification ranges of the methods for testing fortified heat-processed food and feed samples were 0.05–3.0% (wt/wt) for the bovine and turkey targets, and 0.01–1.0% (wt/wt) for pork and chicken targets. Our methods demonstrated acceptable repeatability and reproducibility for the analytical process for food and feed samples. Internal validation of the PCR process was monitored using a control chart for 74 consecutive ddPCR runs for quantifying bovine DNA. A matrix effect was observed while establishing calibration curves with the matrix type under testing, and the inclusion of an internal control in DNA extraction provides a useful means to overcome this effect. DNA degradation caused by heating, sonication or Taq I restriction enzyme digestion was found to reduce ddPCR readings by as much as 4.5 fold. The results illustrated the applicability of the methods to quantify meat species in food and feed samples without the need for a standard curve, and to potentially support enforcement activities for food authentication and feed control. Standard reference materials matching typical manufacturing processes are needed for future validation of ddPCR assays for absolute quantification of meat species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Seasonal variation and uncertainties in parameterization of habitat suitability can lead to changes in habitat area and pattern of South China tiger. • Minor changes in landscape area or structure may result in disparate priority patches and corridor. • Assessment of priority sites based on dPC connector index was vulnerable to the changes in landscape area and pattern. Improving connectivity is the most commonly used approach employed in biodiversity conservation to mitigate habitat fragmentation. Graph-based networks relying on species-oriented definitions of nodes and edges are powerful tools for evaluating landscape connectivity. However, few studies have examined the effects of seasonal variation and uncertainty in parameterization of habitat suitability on the identification of priority sites. Here, a combination of the habitat suitability index, morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), and graph-network analysis were combined to assess the influence of habitat variability on the identification of priority sites for reintroduction of South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis). The combined approach was applied to the Hupingshan and Houhe National Nature Reserve and neighbourhood that are considered the most suitable places to harbour small populations of South China tigers. Six spatial or temporally static assessment scenarios for habitat suitability were used to account for uncertainties in the habitat requirement parameterizations of wild boars as the main prey for South China tigers. For each assessment scenario, three classification schemes (i.e., the P50, P70, and P90 schemes) were adopted to explain uncertainties in priority sites evaluation. In the static scenario, the minimum area of priority sites in the P50, P70, and P90 schemes was 321, 354, and 2,371 km2, respectively, while the areas encompassed by priority sites in the P50, P70, and P90 schemes considering the seasonal variability and habitat uncertainty were 0.2, 1.6, and 229.5 km2, respectively. These results suggest that priority areas with high conservation value differed among the six assessment scenarios. Conservation planning of landscapes consequently should consider the impacts of changes in landscape structures caused by seasonal variation and uncertainty in the parameterization of habitat suitability for the assessment of landscape priority sites rather than relying on purely spatial or temporally static connectivity analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the design, fabrication, and characterization of a novel power inductor embedded inside a silicon substrate and fabricated at wafer level. Such power inductors in silicon (PIiS) employ high-aspect ratio silicon molds formed with deep-reactive ion etching to obtain large cross-sectional electroplated copper windings (as thick as the silicon wafers). The PIiS also utilize high-resistivity magnetic composites as the core material, in a closed flux path manner, for small core losses and low electromagnetic interference. By using copper electroplating for all of the conductors in the component, the contact resistances between the conductive layers can be minimized and the inductors’ quality factor can be improved significantly. Toward the end of the fabrication process, surface bonding pads are also formed on the PIiS, leading to a compact converter packaging with IC circuitry. A square-shaped spiral inductor (of size \rm3 \times 3 \times 0.83\, mm^3 ) was successfully fabricated. Large inductance (430 nH), low dc resistance (84 mΩ), and high quality factor (21) were achieved at 6 MHz. The fabricated inductor was assembled with a TI TPS62621 buck converter IC, and it achieved a maximum power conversion efficiency of 83%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To describe data from patients undergoing thyroid surgeries for malignant disease in a District General Hospital in Shanghai. Methods: Discharge data were collected from January 2010 to December 2014 with a searching strategy based on diagnosis of malignant thyroid disease and patients undergoing thyroid surgery . Results: During the study period, 3882 cases of thyroid cancer were performed with thyroidectomy, 10.25% of patients (398 cases) stayed less than 24 hours, 32.99% of patients (1281 cases) stayed less than48 hours, 56.75% stayed (2203 cases) more than 48 hours. Various factors that contribute to length of stay (LOS) of surgery were analysed, medical economic parameters (drug cost, medical disposable materials cost, and total cost) were also studied. Conclusion: This is the largest series reporting of short-stay hospitalisation outcomes of malignant thyroid surgery from China. The duration of hospitalization of the malignant thyroid surgery should be determined in accordance with chronic general and/ or comorbid conditions, Tumor size and sides, surgery procedure, and complication. Short-stay hospitalization model for malignant thyroid surgery is safe, cost-effective, and highly agreeable for patients in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extensive use of macrolide antibiotics (MCLs) has led to their frequent detection in aquatic environments, affecting water quality and ecological health. In this study, the sources, global distribution, environmental fate, ecotoxicity and global risk assessment of MCLs were analyzed based on recently published literature. The results revealed that there are eight main sources of MCLs in the water environment. These pollution sources resulted in MCL detection at average or median concentrations of up to 3847 ng/L, and the most polluted water bodies were the receiving waters of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and densely inhabited areas. Considering the environmental fate, adsorption, indirect photodegradation, and bioremoval may be the main attenuation mechanisms in natural water environments. N -demethylation, O -demethylation, sugar and side chain loss from MCL molecules were the main pathways of MCLs photodegradation. Demethylation, phosphorylation, N -oxidation, lactone ring hydrolysis, and sugar loss were the main biodegradation pathways. The median effective concentration values of MCLs for microalgae, crustaceans, fish, and invertebrates were 0.21, 39.30, 106.42, and 28.00 mg/L, respectively. MCLs induced the generation of reactive oxygen species, that caused oxidative stress to biomolecules, and affected gene expression related to photosynthesis, energy metabolism, DNA replication, and repair. Moreover, over 50% of the reported water bodies represented a medium to high risk to microalgae. Further studies on the development of tertiary treatment technologies for antibiotic removal in WWTPs, the combined ecotoxicity of antibiotic mixtures at environmental concentration levels, and the development of accurate ecological risk assessment models should be encouraged. [Display omitted] • 8 main sources were summarized for the occurrence of MLs in the water environment. • MLs up to 3847 ng/L were detected and the receiving water of WWTPs was most polluted. • Adsorption, indirect photodegradation and bioremoval are the main attenuation ways. • Microalgae was most susceptible under the oxidative stress and genotoxicity of MLs. • More than 50% of the water bodies represent a medium to high risk to microalgae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. To develop a set of infectious disease emergency response competencies specific to frontline nurses in China. Background. Nurses play an important role in the infectious disease emergency response. Competency-based training is the cornerstone of the professionalization of disaster rescue, including the infectious disease emergency response. Accordingly, reaching a consensus on a set of core competencies is essential. However, information regarding the competencies needed for nurses in the infectious disease emergency response is limited. Methods. A literature review and in-depth expert interviews were conducted to establish a draft of competencies, which consisted of 53 items, including 3 first-level index items, 12 second-level index items, and 38 third-level index items. Eighteen experts with the knowledge of infectious disease management and experience with infectious disease emergency rescue from different regions in China were recruited for Delphi consultation. A two-round Delphi survey was conducted via email. Consensus was defined as a mean importance value >4.5 and the coefficient of variation <0.25 among the experts. Finally, the analytic hierarchy process was used to determine the weight of each index on which consensus had been reached. Results. An index system of infectious disease emergency response competencies for nurses was constructed, including 3 first-level indices (knowledge, attitudes, and skills), 10 second-level indices, and 32 third-level indices. The response rates of the two rounds of the Delphi survey were both 100%, and the authority coefficient of the 18 experts was 0.903. The weighted value of each index was established with a consistency ratio <0.1, demonstrating that skill (0.5396) ranked first among the three first-level indices, followed by knowledge (0.2970) and attitudes (0.1634). Conclusion. The study developed a consensus on infectious disease emergency response competencies required for nurses in China, which provides guidance for the assessment and training of nurses on infectious disease emergency response. Implications for Nursing Management. According to the competency index system, nursing managers could develop effective training programs of infectious disease emergency response competency for nurses and select competent nurses for emergency response to infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel network cathode material for lithium-ion batteries, pristine and multi-walled carbon nanotubes modified LiVPO 4 F composites have been successfully synthesized via a microwave assisted sol–gel route. The crystalline structure and morphology of as-synthesized samples are investigated systematically by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Their electrochemical performances are also studied and compared in detail. The achieved results indicate that the multi-walled carbon nanotube modified LiVPO 4 F sample has excellent C-rate performance, and delivered discharge capacities of 137.6, 131.2, 120.5 and 108.9 mAh g − 1 at 0.5, 1, 2 and 5 C in the voltage range of 3.0–4.5 V at room temperature, respectively. Moreover, the capacity retention is 96.2% with the discharge capacity of 132.4 mAh g − 1 at 0.5 C after 100 cycles. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results reveal that the charge-transfer resistance of multi-walled carbon nanotube modified LiVPO 4 F is much smaller than that of the pristine LiVPO 4 F. The outstanding features are desirable and enable the multi-walled carbon nanotube modified LiVPO 4 F to be an excellent cathode material for lithium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY Non-line-of-sight (NLOS) identification is a critical issue in wireless location system. The traditional method only considers the probability of false alarm to obtain the single threshold to identify the wireless propagation environment as line of sight (LOS) or NLOS. However, the probability of missed detection is rarely discussed. In this paper, firstly, the optimal single threshold is derived through minimizing the total error probability, which is the sum of the probability of false alarm and the probability of missed detection. Further, if the prior probabilities for the LOS and NLOS environment are available, a novel double threshold method based on the optimal single threshold is proposed to perform NLOS identification. By comparing the total error probability, we show through simulation results that the performance of the optimal single threshold is better than that of the traditional single threshold. Moreover, the novel double threshold NLOS identification scheme is feasible and better than the optimal single threshold scheme. It is also shown that the analytical results are consistent with the simulated ones.Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The design, fabrication, and characterization of an electromagnetically actuated micromirror with precise angle control, suitable for harsh environment optical switching applications, are reported. [•] Processes have been developed to accurately produce the frontside/backside structure overlap for angle fixing. [•] The device is packaged with a textured silicon encapsulation to promote high contrast and better vibration resistance. [•] The nonlinear magnetic response and dynamic behavior have been incorporated into the analytical model. [•] A pulsed voltage driving circuit is used to increase the electromagnet response speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors first review the recently proposed Das's biometric-based remote user authentication scheme, and then show that Das's scheme is still insecure against some attacks and has some problems in password change phase. In order to overcome the design flaws in Das's scheme, an improvement of the scheme is further proposed. Cryptanalysis shows that our scheme is more efficient and secure against most of attacks; moreover, our scheme can provide strong mutual authentication by using verifying biometric, password as well as random nonces generated by the user and server. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context In light of the call for humanistic caring in the contemporary health care system globally and in China, the issue of improving the caring skills that are essential to student success, high-quality nursing practice and positive patient outcomes is at the forefront of nursing education. Objectives The aim of this mixed-methods quantitative and qualitative study was to investigate baccalaureate nursing students' caring ability in the context of China and to explore the role of clinical practice learning in the development of students' caring skills. Methods A two-phase, descriptive study utilising a mixed methodology consisting of a caring ability survey and focus group interviews was conducted. In the quantitative phase, 598 baccalaureate nursing students at two colleges in Yunnan Province in southwest China were surveyed using the Caring Ability Inventory ( CAI). In the qualitative phase, 16 of the students who had participated in the quantitative phase were interviewed. Results Students obtained lower scores on the CAI than have been reported elsewhere by other researchers. In addition, students in the clinical stage of training scored lower than students in the pre-clinical stage. Three themes concerning facilitation by and three themes concerning the obstructive effects of clinical practice learning in the development of caring ability were identified. Themes pertaining to facilitation were: (i) promoting a sense of professional responsibility and ethics; (ii) providing an arena in which to practise caring, and (iii) learning from positive role models. Themes pertaining to obstruction were: (i) a critical practice learning environment; (ii) encountering inappropriate clinical teachers, and (iii) experiencing shock at the contrast between an idealised and the real environment. Conclusions The key to developing students' ability to care lies in highlighting caring across the entire health care system. By diminishing exposure to negative role models, and adopting appropriate pedagogical ideas about education in caring, such as truth telling and helping students to think in a critical manner, educators can help students to improve their caring ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To investigate microstructural tissue changes of trigeminal nerve (TGN) in patients with unilateral trigeminal neuralgia (TN) by multiple diffusion metrics, and correlate the diffusion indexes with the clinical variables. Methods: 16 patients with TN and 6 healthy controls (HC) were recruited into our study. All participants were imaged with a 3.0T system with three-dimension time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography and fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) DTI-sequence. We placed regions of interest over the root entry zone of the TGN and measured fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD). The mean values of FA, MD, AD and RD were compared between the affected and unaffected sides in the same patient, and to HC values. The correlation between the side-to-side diffusion metric difference and clinical variables (disease duration and visual analogy scale, VAS) was further explored. Results: Compared with the unaffected side and HC, the affected side showed significantly decreased FA and increased RD; however, no significant changes of AD were found. A trend toward significantly increased MD was identified on the affected side comparing with the unaffected side. We also found the significant correlation between the FA reduction and VAS of pain (r =−0.55, p =0.03). Conclusion: DTI can quantitatively assess the microstructural abnormalities of the affected TGN in patients with TN. Our results suggest demyelination without significant axonal injury is the essential pathological basis of the affected TGN by multiple diffusion metrics. The correlation between FA reduction and VAS suggests FA as a potential objective MRI biomarker to correlate with clinical severity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Friedel–Crafts acylation of ferrocene catalyzed by a new type of catalyst of rare-earth solid superacid sulfated zirconia SZR3+ was developed. Comparison of catalytic activities between different solid acid catalysts is presented. The catalyst, sulfated zirconia ytterbium SZNYb3+, showed interesting catalytic properties for preparation of acylferrocenes. Furthermore, the catalyst could be regenerated and reused in succession after simple filtration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leishmaniasis is an important parasitic disease, and definite diagnosis using a specific and sensitive method is the first step to cure the disease. Here, we present a novel diagnostic strategy based on serum peptide profiling by magnetic beads and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The serum peptides from the Leishmani donovani-infected and healthy mice were enriched by the optimized magnetic beads. The mass spectrograms were acquired by MALDI-TOF MS and analyzed by the ClinProTools bioinformatics software from Bruker Daltonics. The diagnostic model of serum peptide profiling produced by the ClinProTools software could correctly detect L. donovani infection in mice from the third day post-infection, with the accuracy of 94.1%, sensitivity of 92.4%, and specificity of 97.1%, respectively. The results of the present study suggested that the serum peptide profiling by MALDI-TOF MS is a novel potential tool for the clinical diagnosis of leishmaniasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new antimicrobial peptide (AMP) named PGLa-H has been isolated from the skin of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) using gel filtration and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Its amino acid sequence was determined as KIAKVALKAL by Edman degradation, with a molecular weight of 1053.727Da as analysed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS). No similar AMP was found by BLAST search. Purified PGLa-H demonstrated antimicrobial ability against the reference bacteria Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 [minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)=23.6μg/mL], Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 (MIC=8.7μg/mL) and Bacillus subtilis (MIC=14.4μg/mL) and was active against multidrug-resistant meticillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) (MIC=67.8μg/mL). The antimicrobial mechanism for this new peptide was further investigated by transmission electron microscopy. PGLa-H killed cells by destroying the cell membrane. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Listeria monocytogenes is the etiologic agent of listeriosis responsible for severe and fatal infections in humans. Listeria contamination occurs quite often in a wide range of foods due to its ubiquitous nature. Isolates need to be characterized to a strain level for accurate diagnosis of Listeria infection, epidemiological studies, investigation of outbreaks and effective prevention and control of food-borne listeriosis. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the multiple-locus variable number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) for sub-typing L. monocytogenes isolates in pure cultures and in food matrices. Two multiplex PCR assays were formulated to amplify six specific loci using fluorescently-labeled primers; and the amplicons were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis. The MLVA method resulted in 34 unique DNA fingerprint patterns from 46 L. monocytogenes isolates of 10 serotypes which had 29 or 30 PFGE patterns with a single restriction enzyme and 34 AFLP patterns. The MLVA patterns of the 46 isolates remained unchanged in the presence of pre-enriched food matrices including sausage, ham, chicken, milk and lettuce. The MLVA method successfully typed L. monocytogenes strains spiked in cheese, roast beef, egg salad and vegetable samples after 48h enrichment at the initial inoculation levels of 1–5CFU per 25g of food or higher. The limits of detection (typing) of the MLVA method were 103–104 CFU/mL of pre-enriched food broth when evaluated using post-spiked sausage, ham, chicken, milk and lettuce samples. The MLVA method was simple, highly discriminatory, and easy to perform with portable (numerical) results. To our knowledge, this is the first report that describes the application of the MLVA method directly to food samples and demonstrates the possibility to obtain rapid and accurate subtyping results before an isolate is obtained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A novel silicon-based inductor, power inductor in silicon (PIiS) has been proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The PIiS is fabricated at wafer level using a silicon-molding micromachining technique in which 200- μm-thick copper windings are embedded into a silicon substrate and both sides of the substrate are capped with a polymer–magnetic power composite. Through-silicon vias (TSVs) and copper routings are also added so that a PIiS can be directly used as a surface-mountable packaging substrate. A \3 \times \3 \times \0.6 \,\mm^3 PIiS with a measured inductance of 390 nH has been fabricated. The Q factor of this PIiS is 10 at 6 MHz. An ultracompact buck converter has been made by surface mounting off-shelf power ICs and capacitors on a PIiS. The buck converter is \3 \times \3 \times \1.2 \,\mm^3, which has successfully delivered 500 mA at 1.8 V with an 80% efficiency at 6 MHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• ROX caused growth inhibition and oxidative damage in algae during 21 d exposure. • Phototransformation resulted in decreased toxicity of ROX to Chlorella pyrenoidosa. • ROX downregulated most genes in chlorophyll metabolism and DNA replication pathways. • DPs of ROX upregulated most genes in photosynthesis and carbon fixation pathways. • Transcriptome analysis revealed the mechanisms of toxicity of ROX and its DPs. Photodegradation is an important transformation pathway for macrolide antibiotics (MCLs) in aquatic environments, but the ecotoxicity of MCLs after phototransformation has not been reported in detail. This study investigated the effects of roxithromycin (ROX) before and after phototransformation on the growth and physio-biochemical characteristics of Chlorella pyrenoidosa , and its toxicity were explored using transcriptomics analysis. The results showed that 2 mg/L ROX before phototransformation (T0 group) inhibited algae growth with inhibition rates of 53.06%, 54.17%, 47.26%, 31.27%, and 28.38% at 3, 7, 10, 14, and 21 d, respectively, and chlorophyll synthesis was also inhibited. The upregulation of antioxidative enzyme activity levels and the malondialdehyde content indicated that ROX caused oxidative damage to C. pyrenoidosa during 21 d of exposure. After phototransformation for 48 h (T48 group), ROX exhibited no significant impact on the growth and physio-biochemical characteristics of the microalgae. Compared with the control group (without ROX and its phototransformation products), 2010 and 2988 differentially expressed genes were identified in the T0 and T48 treatment groups, respectively. ROX significantly downregulated genes related to porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, which resulted in the inhibition of chlorophyll synthesis and algae growth. ROX also significantly downregulated genes of DNA replication, suggesting the increased DNA proliferation risks in algae. After phototransformation, ROX upregulated most of the genes associated with the porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism pathway, which may be the reason that the chlorophyll content in T48 treatment group showed no significant difference from the control group. Almost all light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b (LHCa/b) gene family members were upregulated in both T0 and T48 treatment groups, which may compensate part of the stress of ROX and its phototransformation products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on DNA sequence analysis and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase activity, the region of DNA immediately upstream of the Enterobacter cloacae UW4 ACC deaminase gene (acdS) contains several features that appear to be involved in its transcriptional regulation. In the present study, the 5' upstream region of acdS was cloned into the promoter-probe vector, pQF70, which carries the promoterless luciferase gene (luxAB), and luciferase expression was monitored. The data obtained from studying the expression of the luciferase gene showed that (i) a leucine responsive regulatory protein (LRP)-like protein encoded within the upstream region is located on the opposite strand from acdS under the control of a promoter stronger than the one responsible for acdS transcription, (ii) luciferase gene expression required both ACC and the LRP-like protein, (iii) luciferase expression was increased three-fold under anaerobic conditions, consistent with the involvement of a fumarate-nitrate reduction (FNR)-like regulatory protein box within the upstream region, and (iv) the addition of leucine to the growth medium decreased luciferase activity in the presence of ACC and increased luciferase activity in the absence of ACC, consistent with leucine acting as a regulator of the expression of the LRP-like protein.Key words: plant growth promotion, ethylene, ACC deaminase, regulation, Enterobacter cloacae.En se basant sur l'analyse de séquences d'ADN et sur l'activité de la 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) déaminase, la région de l'ADN immédiatement en amont du gène de l'ACC déaminase de Enterobacter cloacae UW4 contient plusieurs particularités qui semblent être impliquées dans sa régulation transcriptionnelle. Dans l'étude présente, la région 5' en amont de acdS a été clonée dans un vecteur promoteur-sonde, pQF70, qui transporte les gènes de la luciférase sans promoteur (luxAB), et l'expression de la luciférase fut relevée. Les données obtenues à partir de l'étude de l'expression de la luciférase ont démontré que (i) un facteur semblable à la protéine régulatrice sensible à la leucine (LRP-like), codée à l'intérieur de la région en amont, est située sur le brin opposé à acdS sous le contrôle d'un promoteur plus fort que celui qui est responsable de la transcription de acdS; (ii) l'expression du gène de la luciférase a nécessité à la fois les protéines ACC et LRP-like; (iii) l'expression de la luciférase a été multipliée par trois dans des conditions anaérobiques, ce qui est conforme à l'implication d'un site d'arrimage d'une protéine régulatrice semblable au facteur de réduction fumarate-nitrate à l'intérieur de la région en amont; et (iv) l'ajout de leucine dans le milieu de croissance a diminué l'activité de la luciférase en présence d'ACC et augmenta l'activité de la luciférase en l'absence d'ACC, ce qui s'accorde avec la leucine agissant comme un régulateur de l'expression de la protéine LRP-like.Mots clés : promotion de croissance de plants, éthylène, ACC déaminase, régulation, Enterobacter cloacae.[Traduit par la Rédaction] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the clinical characteristics, surgical experience, and surgical outcomes of external auditory canal cholesteatoma (EACC) surgery under endoscopic otolaryngoscopy. Methods. A retrospective analysis of 85 EACC cases admitted to the Department of Otolaryngology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, from January 2016 to February 2021 was performed, followed by retrospective analysis of clinical data to explore the feasibility and clinical characteristics of all-oral endoscopic EACC surgery. A total of 85 EACC patients (90 ears) with a mean age of 49.93 ± 14.87 years were included in the study. According to Udayabhanu staging, 43 ears (47.78%) were stage I, 40 ears (44.44%) were stage II, and 7 ears (7.78%) were stage III. All patients underwent transendoscopic surgery. Results. 79 ears (87.78%) underwent endoscopic EACC resection alone (+external auditory canal tumor resection/tympanostomy tube insertion), 9 ears (10%) underwent endoscopic EACC resection+tympanostomy+tympanoplasty, 1 ear (1.11%) underwent endoscopic EACC resection+tympanoplasty, and 2 ears (2.22%) underwent EACC resection+otolaryngotomy+tympanoplasty+auditory chain reconstruction endoscopically. Of these, 7 ears (7.78%) underwent auricular cartilage-chondroplasty and 2 ears (2.22%) underwent auricular cartilage membrane repair. All patients were reviewed at 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. One patient with stage II external auditory atresia had a recurrence after 6 months and underwent endoscopic ear surgery (ESS) again. One patient with stage 2 atresia recurred after 1 year and again underwent endoscopic ear surgery. The rest of the patients recovered well after the surgery, and the grafts healed well. Conclusion. EACC surgery through the external ear canal under a dedicated endoscope is a safe, reliable, and effective method. Patients with stage I and II external auditory canal cholesteatoma surgery under endoscopy have a rapid postoperative recovery with significant hearing improvement, and stage IIIA patients can also achieve good results under strict evaluation of indications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The size of antlers varies among species; antlers of the wapiti (Cervus canadensis xanthopygus) grow much faster than those of its close relative the sika deer (Cervus nippon hortulorum) in the same growing period. This contrast provides a potential model for comparative studies for the identification of potent growth factors and unique regulatory systems. In the present study, the reference transcriptomes of the antler reserve mesenchyme (RM) tissue of wapiti and sika deer were constructed using single molecule real time sequencing data. The expression profiling, positive selection, and alternative splicing of the antler transcripts were compared, and interactive relationships and expression patterns of hub genes were identified and analysed. We identified that RNA Binding Motif Protein X-Linked (RBMX) gene was under strongly positive selection. One gene found to interact with RBMX was methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3), an oncogene that could promote translation of cancer cell proteins. There was a contrasting relationship in expression level between RBMX and METTL3 genes in the RM tissue. We believe our study can provide a better understanding of rapid antler growth at the molecular level in particular and endochondral ossification in general. The molecular mechanism underlying rapid antler growth has not been elucidated. The contrast of the wapiti and sika deer antler provides a potential model for comparative studies for the identification of potent growth factors and unique regulatory systems. In the present study, reference transcriptomes of antler RM tissue of wapiti and sika deer were constructed using single molecule real time sequencing data. The expression profiling, positive selection, and alternative splicing of the antler transcripts were compared. The results showed that: a total of 44,485 reference full-length transcripts of antlers were obtained; 254 highly expressed transcripts (HETs) and 1936 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched and correlated principally with translation, endochondral ossification and ribosome; 228 genes were found to be under strong positive selection and would thus be important for the evolution of wapiti and sika deer; among the alternative splicing variants, 381 genes were annotated; and 4 genes with node degree values greater than 50 were identified through interaction network analysis. We identified a negative and a positive regulator for rapid antler growth, namely RNA Binding Motif Protein X-Linked (RBMX) and methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3), respectively. Overall, we took advantage of this significant difference in growth rate and performed the comparative analyses of the antlers to identify key specific factors that might be candidates for the positive or negative regulation of phenomenal antler growth rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a low‐power self‐contained overvoltage detector. Compared with conventional detectors that consist of stacked Zener diodes, the proposed structure can trim the threshold with binary codes to accommodate system‐level changes. The proposed structure enables trimming by adding a decoder, a biasing circuit, and switches in parallel with Zener diodes. The newly configured structure forms a standalone detector that can operate independently and be powered from the supply under detection with negligible current addition. The proposed structure is applicable to any high‐voltage process that contains N‐type isolation layer and needs no high‐voltage device. The proposed circuit with three bits adjustment circuit was fabricated in a 0.18 μm Bipolar‐CMOS‐DMOS (BCD) process, the overvoltage threshold can be adjusted from 8 to 38 V with post trim variation of ±2.5 V. The measured quiescent current was around 0 μA at 10 V and 28 μA at 38 V, which was comparable to the current consumption in a conventional structure with 38 V overvoltage threshold. © 2022 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurodegeneration of the substantia nigra affects putamen activity in Parkinson's disease (PD), yet in vivo evidence of how the substantia nigra modulates putamen glucose metabolism in humans is missing. We aimed to investigate how substantia nigra modulates the putamen glucose metabolism using a cross‐sectional design. Resting‐state fMRI, susceptibility‐weighted imaging, and [18F]‐fluorodeoxyglucose‐PET (FDG‐PET) data were acquired. Forty‐two PD patients and 25 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited for simultaneous PET/MRI scanning. The main measurements of the current study were R2* images representing iron deposition (28 PD and 25 HCs), standardized uptake value ratio (SUVr) images representing FDG‐uptake (33 PD and 25 HCs), and resting state functional connectivity maps from resting state fMRI (34 PD and 25 HCs). An interaction term based on the general linear model was used to investigate the joint modulation effect of nigral iron deposition and nigral‐putamen functional connectivity on putamen FDG‐uptake. Compared with HCs, we found increased iron deposition in the substantia nigra (p =.007), increased FDG‐uptake in the putamen (left: PFWE < 0.001; right: PFWE < 0.001), and decreased functional connectivity between the substantia nigra and the anterior putamen (left PFWE < 0.001, right: PFWE = 0.007). We then identified significant interaction effect of nigral iron deposition and nigral‐putamen connectivity on FDG‐uptake in the putamen (p =.004). The current study demonstrated joint modulation effect of the substantia nigra iron deposition and nigral‐putamen functional connectivity on putamen glucose metabolic distribution, thereby revealing in vivo pathological mechanism of nigrostriatal neurodegeneration of PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Previous studies on the growth rate of antlers are inconsistent, and few genes significantly related to growth traits have been obtained, which may be caused by the low-quality genome of sika deer or by the traditional genome-wide association analysis method being singly used. In this study, we conducted an integrated analysis of genome-wide association analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis using resequencing data identified in our previous analysis, which used antler weight and transcriptome sequencing data of faster- vs. slower-growing antlers of sika deer. The results show that a total of 49 genes related to antler growth rate were identified, and most of those genes were enriched in the IGF1R (insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor) and LOX (lysyl oxidase) modules. A gene regulation network of antler growth rate through the IGF1R pathway was constructed. We believe that our findings in the present study can provide further insight into revealing the molecular mechanism underlying the regulation of the tissue that can grow quickly without transforming into a tumor. Furthermore, the results of this study may be applied for increasing antler output for the deer industry. Deer antlers are organs of bone and have an extremely rapid growth rate. Thus far, the molecular mechanism underlying rapid antler growth has not been properly elucidated, and key genes driving this growth rate have not been fully identified. In this study, based on the newly assembled high-quality sika deer genome, we conducted an integrated analysis of genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) using genome resequencing data from our previous GWAS, with weight and transcriptome sequencing data of faster- vs. slower-growing antlers of sika deer. The expressions of key genes were verified using Fragments Per Kilobase of transcript per Million fragments mapped (FPKM) in different tissue zones of the antler growth center, different types of sika deer tissues and antler tissues collected from faster and slower growth rates. The results show that a total of 49 genes related to antler growth rate were identified, and most of those genes were enriched in the IGF1R and LOX modules. The gene regulation network of antler growth rate through the IGF1R pathway was constructed. In conclusion, the integration of GWAS and WGCNA analyses had great advantages in identifying regulatory genes of complex antler growth traits over using singular methods individually, and we believe that our findings in the present study can provide further insight into unveiling the mechanism underlying extraordinary fast antler growth rate in particular, as well as the regulatory mechanism of rapid tissue proliferation in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation is a crucial step in the development of liver fibrosis. Previous studies have shown that antler stem cells (AnSCs) inhibited HSC activation, suggesting that this may be achieved through secreting or releasing peptides. This study aimed to investigate whether AnSC-derived peptides (AnSC-P) could reduce liver fibrosis. The results showed that AnSC-P effectively reduced liver fibrosis in rats. Furthermore, we found that thymosin β10 (Tβ-10) was rich in AnSC-P, which may be the main component of AnSC-P contributing to the reduction in liver fibrosis. A further study showed that Tβ-10 reduced liver fibrosis in rats, with a reduction in HYP and MDA levels in the liver tissues, a decrease in the serum levels of ALP, ALT, AST, and TBIL and an increase in TP and ALB. Moreover, Tβ-10 decreased the expression levels of the genes related to the TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway in vivo. In addition, Tβ-10 also inhibited TGF-β1-induced HSC activation and decreased the expression levels of the TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway-related genes in HSCs in vitro. In conclusion, antler Tβ-10 is a potential drug candidate for the treatment of liver fibrosis, the effect of which may be achieved via inhibition of the TGFβ/SMAD signaling pathway. • Antler stem cell peptides reduced liver fibrosis, maybe through Tβ-10. • The application of Tβ-10 effectively reduced rat liver fibrosis. • Tβ-10 down-regulated the TGF-β1/SMAD signaling pathway. • Tβ-10 may be a novel drug for treating liver fibrosis in the clinical setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pulmonary fibrosis (PF), the end point of interstitial lung diseases, is characterized by myofibroblast over differentiation and excessive extracellular matrix accumulation, leading to progressive organ dysfunction and usually a terminal outcome. Studies have shown that umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (uMSCs) could alleviate PF; however, the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. Methods: The therapeutic effects of uMSC-derived extracellular vesicles (uMSC-EVs) on PF were evaluated using bleomycin (BLM)-induced mouse models. Then, the role and mechanism of uMSC-EVs in inhibiting myofibroblast differentiation were investigated in vivo and in vitro. Results: Treatment with uMSC-EVs alleviated the PF and enhanced the proliferation of alveolar epithelial cells in BLM-induced mice, thus improved the life quality, including the survival rate, body weight, fibrosis degree, and myofibroblast over differentiation of lung tissue. Moreover, these effects of uMSC-EVs on PF are likely achieved by inhibiting the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway, evidenced by decreased expression levels of TGF-β2 and TGF-βR2. Using mimics of uMSC-EV-specific miRNAs, we found that miR-21 and miR-23, which are highly enriched in uMSC-EVs, played a critical role in inhibiting TGF-β2 and TGF-βR2, respectively. Conclusion: The effects of uMSCs on PF alleviation are likely achieved via EVs, which reveals a new role of uMSC-EV-derived miRNAs, opening a novel strategy for PF treatment in the clinical setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The typical outcome of mammalian wound healing is scarring, a fibrotic process mediated by myofibroblast aggregation. Perfect healing in a clinical setting is relatively unexplored. Surprisingly, our previous studies have shown that the large wound (10 cm diameter or more) of the pedicle of deer naturally achieves regenerative restoration, realized through a paracrine pathway from adjacent antler stem cells (AnSCs). Methods: AnSC-derived exosomes (AnSC-exos) were topically injected around the full-thickness wounds in a rat model. The effects on the rate of wound healing and the quality of healing were evaluated via morphological, histological, and molecular biological techniques on days 14 and 28 after surgery. Results: The results showed that AnSC-exos significantly accelerated the rate of wound healing and improved healing quality, including regeneration of cutaneous appendages (hair follicles and sebaceous glands) and the distribution pattern of collagen (basket-weave-like) in the healed skin. These effects of AnSC-exos were comparable to those of AnSCs but were significantly more potent than those of exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (bMSC-exos). Furthermore, AnSC-exos treatment effectively inhibited fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition (FMT), as evidenced by the reduction of full-thickness skin injury-induced FMT in vivo and TGF-β1-induced FMT in vitro. Conclusion: AnSC-exos could effectively promote regenerative cutaneous wound healing, highly likely through FMT inhibition. This suggests that AnSC-exos treatment could provide the potential for a novel approach to induce regenerative wound healing in the clinical setting. Highlights: • A novel type of stem cells, AnSCs, was found to be able to effectively promote regenerative cutaneous wound healing without scarring; • The cell-free therapy, AnSC-exos administration, had comparable effects to AnSCs but more potent than bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes on wound healing; • AnSC-exos could effectively inhibit the fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition (FMT) process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gene expression plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). How gene expression profiles are correlated with functional‐metabolic architecture remains obscure. We enrolled 34 PD patients and 25 age‐and‐sex‐matched healthy controls for simultaneous 18F‐FDG‐PET/functional MRI scanning during resting state. We investigated the functional gradients and the ratio of standard uptake value. Principal component analysis was used to further combine the functional gradients and glucose metabolism into functional‐metabolic architecture. Using partial least squares (PLS) regression, we introduced the transcriptomic data from the Allen Institute of Brain Sciences to identify gene expression patterns underlying the affected functional‐metabolic architecture in PD. Between‐group comparisons revealed significantly higher gradient variation in the visual, somatomotor, dorsal attention, frontoparietal, default mode, and subcortical network (pFDR <.048) in PD. Increased FDG‐uptake was found in the somatomotor and ventral attention network while decreased FDG‐uptake was found in the visual network (pFDR <.008). Spatial correlation analysis showed consistently affected patterns of functional gradients and metabolism (p = 2.47 × 10−8). PLS analysis and gene ontological analyses further revealed that genes were mainly enriched for metabolic, catabolic, cellular response to ions, and regulation of DNA transcription and RNA biosynthesis. In conclusion, our study provided genetic pathological mechanism to explain imaging‐defined brain functional‐metabolic architecture of PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most organizations invest in people for training to improve human capital and maximize profitability. Yet it is reported in industry and nursing as well that training effectiveness is constrained because of inadequate transfer of training and the underlying reasons for the transfer problem remain unknown. And there is lack of tool to measure transfer problem.Methods: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire to evaluate the scores of factors influencing training transfer (FITT) among nursing professionals. The questionnaire was developed by item generation through interview with nurses and literature review. The FITT was validated in terms of content validity through expert reviews. Psychometric properties of the final instrument were assessed in a sample of 960 nurses with training experiences.Results: The content validity of the instrument were as follows: the IR was 0.8095. 51 items on the 63-item scale had I-CVIs of 1.0 and the remaining 12 items had I-CVIs of 0.88. The S-CVI/UA was 0.976 and the S-CVI/Ave was 0.977. For the exploratory step, principal axis factoring (PAF) was selected for this study. Parallel analysis was used to decide the number of factors to extract and oblimin rotation method was used. Exploratory factor analysis identified a five-factor solution including 53 items, accounting for 68.23% of the total variance. The confirmatory factor analysis showed some support for this five-factor model. The findings demonstrate high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .965).Conclusions: This study indicates that the FITT is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the factors influencing training transfer among nursing professionals. The FITT can be used to assess individual perceptions of catalysts and barriers to the transfer of training among nursing professionals, which can help promote training transfer and training effectiveness in the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) and mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on depression, quality of life (QoL), and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in people with diabetes. Design: A systematic literature review and meta‐analysis was conducted. Methods: Eight databases (PubMed, Embase, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature [CINAHL], Cochrane, PsycINFO, and three Chinese databases) were searched for relevant studies from inception to December 2019. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of MBSR and MBCT interventions for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes were included. Findings: Nine studies described in 11 articles were included in the review. Meta‐analysis showed a significant effect favoring MBSR and MBCT on depression (standardized mean difference ‐0.84; 95% confidence interval [CI] ‐1.16 to ‐0.51; p <.0001), the mental health composite score of QoL (mean difference [MD] 7.06; 95% CI 5.09 to 9.03; p <.00001), and HbA1c (MD ‐0.28; 95% CI ‐0.47 to ‐0.09; p =.004). However, effects on the physical health composite score of QoL have not been found. Conclusions: MBSR and MBCT are beneficial in improving depression, the mental health composite score of QoL, and HbA1c in people with diabetes. More well‐designed trials using longer follow‐up measurements are needed. Clinical Relevance: MBSR and MBCT could be considered as effective complementary treatment alternatives for people with diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. To evaluate the effect of community-nurse-led multidisciplinary team management on glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), quality of life (QOL), hospitalization, and help-seeking behavior in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods. A quasi-experimental trial was conducted among people with type 2 DM from two community centers in China. The intervention group (n = 88) received community-nurse-led multidisciplinary team management for 2 years, while the control group (n = 91) received usual care. Data regarding HbA1c, QOL (assessed by the SF-36), hospitalization, and help-seeking behavior were collected at baseline and at 6, 12, and 24 months. Results. During the 24-month project, the intervention group demonstrated 1.08% reduction in HbA1c, whereas the control group achieved an increase of 0.45%. The differences between the two groups were statistically significant (P < 0.001). The intervention group showed greater increased in QOL scores (from 66.43 to 70.47, P < 0.001), more decrease in hospitalization (OR = 2.981 , 95% CI: 1.016, 8.752 versus OR = 1.189 , 95% CI: 0.411, 3.444; P = 0.028) when compared with the control group. The percentage increase of seeking help from nurses in the intervention group (from 12.5% to 57.3%, P < 0.001) was significantly greater than that in the control group after the intervention. Conclusions. Nurse-led multidisciplinary team management is an effective intervention for improving glycemic control, QOL, hospitalization, and help-seeking behavior for people with DM in a community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semiconducting wood/polyaniline (PANI) composites were synthesized via in situ polymerization of aniline monomer, which was impregnated into the wood veneer in advance. Thus, the resulting composites exhibited the characteristics of the conducting PANI and natural wood. The light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy images showed that PANI was uniformly dispersed into the wood substrate. The weight percent gain and volume bulk increase of the composites were 16.13% and 6.21%, respectively. The equilibrium water absorption studies showed that the composites were less hydrophilic, because of the addition of hydrophobic PANI. The electrical conductivity of the wood/PANI composite ranged from 2.57 × 10−5 to 9.23 × 10−3 S cm−1 and was tuned by changing the phosphoric acid concentration. The electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of the wood/PANI composites was mainly in the range 30–60 dB, which may be used for general industry or commercial electronics. Fourier transform infrared spectra revealed that PANI was closely polymerized onto the wood substrate and allowed the accessibility of the amine groups of the aniline to the hydroxyl groups of the wood. Furthermore, the X‐ray diffraction analysis indicated that the crystal lattice of the crystalline cellulose region was not damaged, and the relative crystallinity of wood increased. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:537–543, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Small ubiquitin–like modifier (SUMO)‐specific protease (SENP)3 is a protease molecule that responds to reactive oxygen species (ROS) with high sensitivity. However, the role of ROS and SENP3 in the formation of nasal polyps (NPs) remains unclear. This study aimed to explore how SENP3 influenced the outcome of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) by altering macrophage function, that is, the formation of NPs. Methods: The alternative activation of macrophage (M2) was detected with CD68+CD206+ in humans and CD206+ in mice. The nasal mucosa of patients with CRS was tested using flow cytometry (CD68, CD80, and CD206) and triple‐color immunofluorescence staining (CD68, CD206, and SENP3). The bone marrow–derived macrophages from SENP3 knockout and control mice were stimulated with interleukin (IL)‐4 and IL‐13 to analyze alternative macrophage polarization in vitro. An animal model of allergic rhinitis was constructed using SENP3 knockout mice. CD206 was detected by immunofluorescence staining. The thickening of eosinophil‐infiltrated mucosa was detected by Luna staining. Results: The number of CD68+ CD206+ M2 increased in the nasal mucosa of patients with CRS with NP (CRSwNP) compared with patients with CRS without NP (CRSsNP), but with no significant difference between the groups. SENP3 knockout increased the polarization of F4/80+CD206+M2. Meanwhile, the number of CD206+M2 significantly increased in the allergic rhinitis model constructed using SENP3 knockout mice and controls, with a more obvious proliferation of the nasal mucosa. Conclusion: Downregulation of SENP3 promotes the formation of nasal polyps mediated by increasing alternative activated macrophage in nasal mucosal inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an energy-efficient BJT-based temperature sensor. The output of sensing front-ends is modulated by employing an incremental Δ - Σ ADC as a readout interface. The cascoded floating-inverter-based dynamic amplifier (FIA) is used as the integrator instead of the conventional operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) to achieve a low power consumption. To enhance the accuracy, chopping and dynamic element matching (DEM) are applied to eliminate the component mismatch error while β -compensation resistor and optimized bias current are used to minimize the effect of β variation. Fabricated in a standard 180-nm CMOS process, this sensor has an active area of 0.13 mm 2 . While dissipating only 45.7 μ W in total, the sensor achieves an inaccuracy of ±0.8 °C (3 σ) from −50 °C to 150 °C after one-point calibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Localization is a vital task in underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs). Accurate location information is critical for applications such as environmental monitoring and military operations. Received signal strength (RSS)-based localization schemes are commonly employed because of their cost-effectiveness and performance in terrestrial environments. However, underwater acoustic environments are affected by not only path loss, but also absorption bias in which case these schemes perform poorly with large delays. This makes real-time underwater acoustic localization based on RSS challenging and unable to meet the localization requirements of practical applications. Thus, a real-time RSS-based target localization (RRTL) scheme for UWSNs is proposed. Since the derived closed-form expression is complex and nonconvex, an intelligent localization technique based on a backpropagation (BP) neural network is considered which employs improved differential evolution (IDE) to obtain the network weights and biases. First, improved opposition-based learning is used to obtain a robust population. Then an adaptive mutation strategy is utilized to improve global searching and convergence. Finally, optimized network parameters are obtained via IDE to train the BP neural network. Performance results are presented which demonstrate that the proposed method is superior to conventional state-of-the-art methods and is robust to absorption bias. For example, for an error cumulative distribution function (CDF) of 0.8 with N = 6, the proposed method provides an improvement of 69.7% in accuracy and 78.4% in computation time over the well-known WLS technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate symptom clusters and associated clinical factors in ambulatory multiple myeloma patients undergoing medication therapy. We also aimed to determine the correlations between symptom clusters and patient quality of life.Methods: A total of 174 multiple myeloma patients hospitalized in the haematology day unit were included in this study. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to examine symptoms and quality of life. Symptoms were assessed by the Chinese version of the Condensed Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale. Quality of life was measured with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General. Principal component analysis was used to identify symptom clusters. Independent-samples t tests and chi-square tests were used for comparisons between groups. Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used to identify correlations.Results: We identified three symptom clusters in multiple myeloma patients: psychological; pain, dry mouth, and difficulty sleeping; and fatigue symptom cluster. For each symptom cluster, the patients could be categorized into a severe-symptom group or a mild-symptom group based on the distress of symptoms. The patients in each group exhibited differential demographic and clinical features. Symptom cluster distress was adversely correlated with patients' quality of life.Conclusions: Ambulatory multiple myeloma patients undergoing anticancer medication therapy experience multiple symptoms, which can be categorized into three symptom clusters. For each symptom cluster, level of distress was associated with patients' demographic and clinical characteristics. The presence and level of distress of these symptom clusters have adverse impacts on patients' quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]