Search

The laser direct energy deposition (L-DED) is well-suited for metal manufacturing, offering advantages of excellent performance, high precision, intricate structures and material flexibility, etc. In this study, the microstructure and mechanical property of Ti–6Al–4V alloy were investigated using L-DED under various printing parameters. A large-area, high-resolution Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) mapping technique, enabling to characterize the coarse columnar β-grains with individual crystals up to a centimeter along the building direction, and the sub-grain acicular α′ phase down to 50 nm in the same image, was utilized to analyze the crystalline phases and their lattice orientations in additively manufactured Ti–6Al–4V parts. The microstructure evolution, involving the high temperature β grain structures, β+α phase transformation, as well as acicular α′ martensitic phases, were studied during the periodically attenuated thermal cycles of L-DED. The formation of the “fish-scale” morphology results primarily from the radically different α phase in size between the interior and edges of the “fish-scale” morphology. Additionally, the effect of processing parameters, i.e., scanning speed and laser power, on microstructures and mechanical properties is discussed in detail.

In this study, the ultrasonic-assisted and oscillation-assisted solvent extraction methodologies were employed to extract safflower seed oil using unshelled and shelled safflower seeds harvested from Xinjiang as raw materials. The effects of different extraction methods on the physicochemical indices and volatile components of safflower seed oil were further investigated to clarify the differences in the quality of oils extracted from unshelled and shelled safflower seeds. Results showed that the physicochemical indices of safflower seed oil extracted by different methods, including relative density, refractive index, saponification value, acid value, iodine value, peroxide value and so on, were in complance with the national standard of safflower seed oil (GB/T 22465-2008). The fatty acids of different oil samples were mainly linoleic acid (57.53%~67.95%), oleic acid (6.46%~8.12%), palmitic acid (1.87%~2.12%) and stearic acid (1.26%~1.77%). The fatty acid compositions of safflower seed oils extracted by these two different methods did not show any significant differences. The contents of trans-(2-octenal), n-hexanol and n-amyl alcohol in safflower oil obtained by the ultrasonic-assisted method were 2.74%, 14.96% and 1.93%, while those obtained by the oscillation-assisted method were 2.14%, 12.49% and 1.88%. In addition, the OSI values of safflower seed oils extracted by the ultrasonic-assisted method and the oscillation-assisted method were 6.89 h and 5.57 h, respectively. More importantly, the oils extracted from the unshelled safflower seeds exhibited significantly higher antioxidant activities (i.e. scavenging degrees of DPPH and ABTS+ free radicals) than those extracted from shelled safflower seeds. The results will provide a theoretical basis for the preparation and refining technology of safflower seed oil.

Abstract Patient portal messages often relate to specific clinical phenomena (e.g., patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer) and, as a result, have received increasing attention in biomedical research. These messages require natural language processing and, while word embedding models, such as word2vec, have the potential to extract meaningful signals from text, they are not readily applicable to patient portal messages. This is because embedding models typically require millions of training samples to sufficiently represent semantics, while the volume of patient portal messages associated with a particular clinical phenomenon is often relatively small. We introduce a novel adaptation of the word2vec model, PK-word2vec (where PK stands for prior knowledge), for small-scale messages. PK-word2vec incorporates the most similar terms for medical words (including problems, treatments, and tests) and non-medical words from two pre-trained embedding models as prior knowledge to improve the training process. We applied PK-word2vec in a case study of patient portal messages in the Vanderbilt University Medical Center electric health record system sent by patients diagnosed with breast cancer from December 2004 to November 2017. We evaluated the model through a set of 1000 tasks, each of which compared the relevance of a given word to a group of the five most similar words generated by PK-word2vec and a group of the five most similar words generated by the standard word2vec model. We recruited 200 Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) workers and 7 medical students to perform the tasks. The dataset was composed of 1389 patient records and included 137,554 messages with 10,683 unique words. Prior knowledge was available for 7981 non-medical and 1116 medical words. In over 90% of the tasks, both reviewers indicated PK-word2vec generated more similar words than standard word2vec (p = 0.01).The difference in the evaluation by AMT workers versus medical students was negligible for all comparisons of tasks’ choices between the two groups of reviewers ( $${\text{p}} = 0.774$$ p = 0.774 under a paired t-test). PK-word2vec can effectively learn word representations from a small message corpus, marking a significant advancement in processing patient portal messages.

Abstract Background High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) has emerged as a promising noninvasive method for delivering oxygen to critically ill patients, particularly those with sepsis and acute lung injury. However, uncertainties persist regarding its therapeutic benefits in this specific patient population. Methods This retrospective study utilized a propensity score-matched cohort from the Medical Information Mart in Intensive Care-IV (MIMIC-IV) database to explore the correlation between HFNC utilization and mortality in patients with sepsis-induced acute lung injury. The primary outcome was 28-day all-cause mortality. Results In the propensity score-matched cohort, the 28-day all-cause mortality rate was 18.63% (95 out of 510) in the HFNC use group, compared to 31.18% (159 out of 510) in the non-HFNC group. The use of HFNC was associated with a lower 28-day all-cause mortality rate (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.41–0.69; P

Abstract Fast computational ghost imaging with high quality and ultra-high-definition resolution reconstructed images has important application potential in target tracking, biological imaging and other fields. However, as far as we know, the resolution (pixels) of the reconstructed image is related to the number of measurements. And the limited resolution of reconstructed images at low measurement times hinders the application of computational ghost imaging. Therefore, in this work, a new computational ghost imaging method based on saliency variable sampling detection is proposed to achieve high-quality imaging at low measurement times. This method physically variable samples the salient features and realizes compressed detection of computational ghost imaging based on the salient periodic features of the bucket detection signal. Numerical simulation and experimental results show that the reconstructed image quality of our method is similar to the compressed sensing method at low measurement times. Even at 500 (sampling rate $$0.76\%$$ 0.76 % ) measurement times, the reconstructed image of the method still has the target features. Moreover, the $$2160\times 4096$$ 2160 × 4096 (4K) pixels ultra-high-definition resolution reconstructed images can be obtained at only a sampling rate of $$0.11\%$$ 0.11 % . This method has great potential value in real-time detection and tracking, biological imaging and other fields.

Objectives To investigate glymphatic function in nondialysis-dependent ESRD (ND-ESRD) patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) or non-DKD using the diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) method and choroid plexus (CP) volume to explore the associations among DTI-ALPS index, CP volume, clinical characteristics, and cognitive function.Methods 25 DKD patients, 25 non-DKD patients, and 25 healthy control (HC) were included in this study. All participants underwent cerebral MRI and cognitive assessments. Bilateral DTI-ALPS index and CP volume were calculated and were compared among three groups. Correlations among the DTI-ALPS index, CP volume, clinical characteristics, and cognitive function were analyzed.Results DKD patients had significantly lower left DTI-ALPS index (p = 0.001) and mean DTI-ALPS index (p = 0.003) than non-DKD patients. In ND-ESRD patients, there was a significant positive correlation between the left DTI-ALPS index and phosphorus (r = 0.377, p = 0.007) and attention score (r = 0.434, p = 0.002). In DKD group, the mean DTI-ALPS was positively correlated with total cholesterol (r = 0.631, p = 0.001). In non-DKD group, there was a significant positive correlation between the left DTI-ALPS index and phosphorus (r = 0.696, p

BackgroundThe FCN1 gene encodes the ficolin-1 protein, implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases, though its precise role in tumorigenesis remains elusive. This study aims to elucidate the prognostic significance, immune signature, and treatment response associated with FCN1 across diverse cancer types.MethodsEmploying multi-omics data, we conducted a comprehensive assessment, encompassing tissue-specific and single-cell-specific expression disparities, pan-cancer expression patterns, epigenetic modifications affecting FCN1 expression, and the immune microenvironment. Our investigation primarily focused on the clinical prognostic attributes, immune profiles, potential molecular mechanisms, and candidate therapeutic agents concerning FCN1 and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Additionally, in vitro experiments were performed to scrutinize the impact of FCN1 knockdown on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle dynamics within the AML cell line U937 and NB4.ResultsFCN1 expression exhibits widespread dysregulation across various cancers. Through both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, FCN1 has been identified as an independent prognostic indicator for AML. Immunological investigations elucidate FCN1’s involvement in modulating inflammatory responses within the tumor microenvironment and its correlation with treatment efficacy. Remarkably, the deletion of FCN1 influences the proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle dynamics of U937 cells and NB4 cells.ConclusionThese findings underscore FCN1 as a promising pan-cancer biomarker indicative of macrophage infiltration, intimately linked with the tumor microenvironment and treatment responsiveness, and pivotal for cellular mechanisms within AML cell lines.

BackgroundClinical studies have indicated a comorbidity between sepsis and kidney diseases. Individuals with specific mutations that predispose them to kidney conditions are also at an elevated risk for developing sepsis, and vice versa. This suggests a potential shared genetic etiology that has not been fully elucidated.MethodsSummary statistics data on exposure and outcomes were obtained from genome-wide association meta-analysis studies. We utilized these data to assess genetic correlations, employing a pleiotropy analysis method under the composite null hypothesis to identify pleiotropic loci. After mapping the loci to their corresponding genes, we conducted pathway analysis using Generalized Gene-Set Analysis of GWAS Data (MAGMA). Additionally, we utilized MAGMA gene-test and eQTL information (whole blood tissue) for further determination of gene involvement. Further investigation involved stratified LD score regression, using diverse immune cell data, to study the enrichment of SNP heritability in kidney-related diseases and sepsis. Furthermore, we employed Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causality between kidney diseases and sepsis.ResultsIn our genetic correlation analysis, we identified significant correlations among BUN, creatinine, UACR, serum urate, kidney stones, and sepsis. The PLACO analysis method identified 24 pleiotropic loci, pinpointing a total of 28 nearby genes. MAGMA gene-set enrichment analysis revealed a total of 50 pathways, and tissue-specific analysis indicated significant enrichment of five pairs of pleiotropic results in kidney tissue. MAGMA gene test and eQTL information (whole blood tissue) identified 33 and 76 pleiotropic genes, respectively. Notably, genes PPP2R3A for BUN, VAMP8 for UACR, DOCK7 for creatinine, and HIBADH for kidney stones were identified as shared risk genes by all three methods. In a series of immune cell-type-specific enrichment analyses of pleiotropy, we identified a total of 37 immune cells. However, MR analysis did not reveal any causal relationships among them.ConclusionsThis study lays the groundwork for shared etiological factors between kidney and sepsis. The confirmed pleiotropic loci, shared pathogenic genes, and enriched pathways and immune cells have enhanced our understanding of the multifaceted relationships among these diseases. This provides insights for early disease intervention and effective treatment, paving the way for further research in this field.

To investigate the effects of initial protein, fat content, and storage temperature on the shelf life of UHT pure milk packaging, three types of UHT pure milk were used as research objects to experimentally measure sample browning index and protein hydrolysis index during storage at 23, 30, and 37 ℃. Integrate the dataset and determine specific input parameters based on its performance on the prediction set, and carry out UHT pure milk packaging shelf life prediction based on BP neural network. The results showed that the fitting degrees of the BP neural network model for the browning index and protein hydrolysis index of UHT milk were 0.9412 and 0.9527, respectively, and compared with traditional multiple linear regression model’s number of 0.8799 and 0.9211, the BP neural network model with optimized hidden layer neuron numbers had higher prediction accuracy for the changes in characteristic indicators during the storage period of UHT pure milk, providing technical support for rapid and accurate prediction of the shelf life of UHT pure milk with different formulas.

Abstract Objectives To explore changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) and white matter in hemodialysis patients. Methods Thirty-three hemodialysis patients who underwent two brain MRI at an interval of three years and 33 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC) underwent structural and arterial spin-labeling MRI examinations. Intergroup differences in CBF in the gray matter, white matter, and whole matter, and regional white matter hyperintensities (WMH) were analyzed. Based on the changes in CBF between the baseline and follow-up groups, the hemodialysis patients were divided into two subgroups: an increased CBF group and a decreased CBF group. Differences in CBF and WMH between the subgroups and HC were analyzed. Results Patients undergoing hemodialysis exhibited increased cerebral watershed (CW) WMH, deep WMH, and periventricular WMH (P

Abstract BackgroundInformal dementia caregivers are those who care for a person living with dementia and do not receive payment (eg, family members, friends, or other unpaid caregivers). These informal caregivers are subject to substantial mental, physical, and financial burdens. Online communities enable these caregivers to exchange caregiving strategies and communicate experiences with other caregivers whom they generally do not know in real life. Research has demonstrated the benefits of peer support in online communities, but this research is limited, focusing merely on caregivers who are already online community users. ObjectiveWe aimed to investigate the perceptions and utilization of online peer support through a survey. MethodsFollowing the Andersen and Newman Framework of Health Services Utilization and using REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture), we designed and administered a survey to investigate the perceptions and utilization of online peer support among informal dementia caregivers. Specifically, we collected types of information that influence whether an informal dementia caregiver accesses online peer support: predisposing factors, which refer to the sociocultural characteristics of caregivers, relationships between caregivers and people living with dementia, and belief in the value of online peer support; enabling factors, which refer to the logistic aspects of accessing online peer support (eg, eHealth literacy and access to high-speed internet); and need factors, which are the most immediate causes of seeking online peer support. We also collected data on caregivers’ experiences with accessing online communities. We distributed the survey link on November 14, 2022, within two online locations: the Alzheimer’s Association website (as an advertisement) and ALZConnected (an online community organized by the Alzheimer’s Association). We collected all responses on February 23, 2023, and conducted a regression analysis to identifyn factors that were associated with accessing online peer support. ResultsWe collected responses from 172 dementia caregivers. Of these participants, 140 (81.4%) completed the entire survey. These caregivers were aged 19 to 87 (mean 54, SD 13.5) years, and a majority were female (123/140, 87.9%) and White (126/140, 90%). Our findings show that the behavior of accessing any online community was significantly associated with participants’ belief in the value of online peer support (P ConclusionsOur findings suggest that online peer support is valuable, but practical strategies are needed to assist informal dementia caregivers who have limited time or online information–searching skills.

Extensional strike-slip basins have unique structural features that influence both sub-sags and traps. Despite previous investigations into the extension-strike-slip fault system, there remains a gap in the comprehensive analysis of its influence on sub-sag formation and trap development. The Huanghekoudong and Miaoxi’nan sub-sags within the Bohai Bay Basin, intersected by the Tan-Lu Fault Zone, offer exemplary cases for examining the interplay between strike-slip and extensional tectonic regimes. The neotectonic strike-slip movements along the Tan-Lu Fault Zone have given rise to various extensional strike-slip overlap zones in these sub-sags, rendering these locales ideal for investigating the dynamics of strike-slip and extensional tectonic processes. Employing three-dimensional seismic data, well logs, and a newly constructed sequence stratigraphic framework, our research delineates the geometric and kinematic phenomena characteristic of the extensional strike-slip fault system, including the dynamics of extensional fault deformation and interaction through time. By scrutinizing the fault system’s vital role in shaping sub-sag evolution and trap genesis, we present a comprehensive model that significantly contributes to our understanding of structural trapping dynamics. This model not only fine-tunes existing trapping models but also offers invaluable insights for future exploration strategies within the Bohai Bay Basin and other similar extensional strike-slip basins worldwide. Our findings highlight the novel and significant implications of the extensional strike-slip fault system in controlling sub-sag and trap features, thus bridging a notable gap in existing geotechnical knowledge.

Abstract Objective This study aimed to reclassify posterolateral tibial plateau fractures caused by a flexion-valgus force and describe this fracture pattern to provide a relatively programmed surgical treatment based on morphological characteristics that may improve reduction and stabilization. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the fracture pattern and injury mechanism of patients with posterolateral tibial plateau fractures who underwent surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2014 and April 2020. The cohort was divided into three types. Type I was a depression fracture of the posterolateral platform with an intact posterolateral cortex. Type II was a depression fracture of the posterolateral platform with a disrupted posterolateral cortex. Type III was a depression fracture of the posterolateral platform in combination with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture or tibial insertion avulsion fracture of the ACL. The lateral window of the modified Frosch approach with an L-type locking plate was used for patients with type I and type III fractures. For patients with type II fractures, both lateral and posterolateral windows of the modified Frosch approach were used for surgery, and a T-plate on the posterior side with an L-plate on the lateral side were used for fixation. The Rasmussen radiology scoring was used to evaluate the quality of surgical reduction and the Rasmussen functional scoring evaluation standard was used to evaluate knee joint function. Results A total of 69 tibial plateau fractures (36 male, 33 female) involving the posterolateral platform were discovered and included in this study. All patients suffered flexion-valgus force at the moment of the accident. There were 32 cases of Type I fracture, 28 cases of Type II fracture, and 9 cases of Type III fracture. The patients were followed up for 12–30 (mean 20.8 ± 9.4) months. The postoperative Rasmussen radiological scores for the three types of fractures were 15–17 (mean 16.31 ± 0.78), 14–17 (mean 15.93 ± 0.94), and 14–17 (mean 16.22 ± 0.97), respectively. The postoperative Rasmussen functional scores for the three types of fractions were 27–30 (mean 27.97 ± 0.90), 27–29 (mean 27.36 ± 0.56), and 27–29 (mean 27.56 ± 0.73), respectively. Conclusion Flexion-valgus posterolateral tibial plateau fractures were divided into three types based on the integrity of the posterolateral wall and ACL injuries. We hope the classification can play a certain reference role in recognizing and treating flexion-valgus-type posterolateral tibial plateau fractures.

In order to determine the optimal extraction process, and antioxidant and antibacterial activities of anthocyanins from Perilla friesians leaf, in this study, Perilla friesians leaf was used as raw material. Response surface method was used to optimize the optimal process conditions of ultrasonic-assisted extraction of anthocyanins from Perilla friesians leaf, and liquid mass combined technology was used to conduct qualitative and quantitative analysis of anthocyanins and anthocyanins in the extracts. The antioxidant activity and antibacterial activity of the extracts were studied. The results showed that the optimum conditions were as follows: The ratio of material to liquid was 1:20 g/mL, the ultrasonic temperature was 47 ℃, the ultrasonic time was 57 min, and ethanol concentration was 62%, and the maximum extraction rate was 7.18±0.32 mg/g DW under these conditions. The extract was mainly composed of cyanidin, delphinidin 3-O-glucoside, and cyanidin 3-O-glucoside. The extract showed significant scavenging activity on DPPH and ABTS+ free radicals, and the IC50 values were 0.49 and 0.32 mg/mL, respectively. The lowest inhibitory concentration against Staphylococcus aureus was 160 mg/mL. This study provides a theoretical basis for the extraction and application of anthocyanins from Perilla friesians leaf.

The objective of this study is to investigate the variations of optical properties during the progression of black spot disease and select the characteristic wavelengths for disease detection. The optical absorption and scattering properties were measured on winter jujubes using a single integrating sphere detection system in the band range of 900~1650 nm combined with inverse adding-doubling (IAD) algorithm in this study. The characteristic wavelengths were obtained depending on the correlation analysis between optical properties absorption and physicochemical indicators. Finally, the effectiveness of characteristic wavelengths was verified using near-infrared spectroscopy. The results indicated that a* and weight loss increased with storage time, while L*, soluble solids content and chlorophyll showed a consistent decrease. Both the absorption coefficient (μa) and the reduced scattering coefficient (μs') of the winter jujubes showed a significant downward trend with the development of black spot disease. The μa and μs' curves were highly correlated with disease extent (spot area) and some quality indicators (weight loss, L*, a*, soluble solids content and chlorophyll) in the 1400~1650 and 900~1360 nm, respectively. The discriminant models built based on the 10 characteristic variables selected by optical properties performed best compared with the models based on full wavelengths and algorithm-based characteristic wavelengths, with an overall accuracy of 92.53% and 92.35% for the calibration and prediction set, respectively. This study demonstrated the potential of the short- and mid-wave infrared optical signal in the disease detection on winter jujubes and the effectiveness of characteristic wavelengths on the basis of optical properties.

This study described the quality detection and rapid identification of frying oil waste points based on gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS). A total of 48 volatile substances were identified, among which the levels of 11 components, including 2-pentylfuran, 2-butylfuran, and 2-hexanone, increased with prolonged frying time after 40 h in cottonseed oil. Conversely, the levels of hexanal, heptanal, and E,E-2,4-heptadienal decreased as frying time extended. Correlation analysis revealed a significant association between volatile substances of the oil and acid value (p < 0.05) and polar components with volatile substances (p < 0.05). Furthermore, significant differences in the types and contents of flavor substances were observed in cottonseed oil at different frying times (including before and after reaching the discard point) (p < 0.05). Subsequently, principal component analysis (PCA) results clearly showed that the cottonseed oil samples at different frying times were well distinguished by the volatile compounds; moreover, discriminant model analysis indicated a model accuracy rate of 100%. These results showed the potential of GC-IMS-based approaches in discriminating the waste points of frying oil.

Exosomes are membrane-bound structures released by cells into the external environment that carry a significant amount of important cargo, such as proteins, DNA, RNA, and lipids. They play a crucial role in intercellular communication. Parasites have complex life cycles and can release exosomes at different stages. Exosomes released by parasitic pathogens or infected cells contain parasitic nucleic acids, antigenic molecules, virulence factors, drug-resistant proteins, proteases, lipids, etc. These components can regulate host gene expression across species or modulate signaling pathways, thereby dampening or activating host immune responses, causing pathological damage, and participating in disease progression. This review focuses on the means by which parasitic exosomes modulate host immune responses, elaborates on the pathogenic mechanisms of parasites, clarifies the interactions between parasites and hosts, and provides a theoretical basis and research directions for the prevention and treatment of parasitic diseases.

In order to study the optimal conditions for ultrasonic assisted extraction of polyphenols from Cistanche tubulosa by deep eutectic solvents (DES), the optimal DES (proline:glycerol=2:5) was first selected. Further, response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the extraction processes based on the single factor experiments. The extraction kinetics and antioxidant activity were further studied. The results showed that the optimal conditions were as follows: Ultrasonic temperature of 40 ℃, liquid to solid ratio of 45 mL/g, water content of 40%, extraction time of 28 min. The extraction rate at this condition was 37.76 mg/g DW. Ultrasonic assisted extraction of polyphenols from Cistanche tubulosa conformed to the second-order reaction kinetics. The IC50 values of polyphenol extracts on DPPH and ABTS+ free radical scavenging rates were 0.875 and 0.501 mg/mL, respectively. The results would provide a theoretical basis for green extraction and application of polyphenols from Cistanche tubulosa in Xinjiang.

Low temperature is the most common abiotic stress factors during the eggplant cultivation in solar greenhouses. Melatonin plays important roles in plant resistance to low temperature. However, the role of melatonin in regulating chilling tolerance and extending the preharvest shelf life of eggplant fruits is still unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of exogenous melatonin on eggplant plants and fruits in response to low temperature. Under simulated low-temperature conditions, exogenous melatonin significantly relieved the chilling symptoms of seedlings by reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and relative leakage rates. These reductions were caused by higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities and increased endogenous polyamine and melatonin levels compared with those in untreated seedlings. Notably, the expression levels of SOD, CAT1/2, and polyamine synthesis genes (ADC and ODC) were also increased by 100 μmol · L−1 melatonin, as well as those of genes involved in melatonin synthesis (TDC, T5H, SNAT, ASMT, and COMT) and cold regulation (COR1, CBFa/b, and ZAT2/6/12). To further investigate the effects of melatonin on eggplant leaves and fruits under natural low temperature conditions, 100 μmol · L−1 melatonin was sprayed on the functional leaves at three days before commodity maturation. Melatonin significantly alleviated chilling injury in the leaves and pericarp and extended the preharvest shelf life of the fruit by increasing the expression of COR1, CBF, ZAT2/6/12, and API5 and decreasing the expression of senescence-related genes (NCED1/2 and SAG12). Therefore, 100 μmol · L−1 melatonin improved chilling tolerance and fruit shelf life by upregulating ZAT2/6/12 to affect ROS- and senescence-related processes, which provides a reference for alleviating cold stress and extending the preharvest fruit shelf life in eggplant.

ObjectiveThe presence of urinary autoantibodies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been confirmed by several studies; however, the significance of their presence in urine remains unclear. This study aims to further investigate the association between urine autoantibodies and disease activity as well as organ involvement in SLE.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 89 SLE patients. Data collected included anti-nuclear antibody (ANA), anti-ENA antibodies, and anti-dsDNA antibody levels in both serum and urine, complement (C) 3, C4 levels in serum, SLE disease activity index-2000 (SLEDAI-2000), renal domains of SLEDAI (RSLEDAI) and non-renal SLEDAI (NRSLEDAI).ResultsThe rate of positive urine ANA (uANA) was 33.3% (29/87) among the enrolled patients. Compared to the uANA negative group, the positive group exhibited significantly higher SLEDAI-2000 scores (7.85 ± 5.88 vs. 18.69 ± 6.93, p

Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) primarily affects the respiratory system, this disease can affect multiple systems, including the musculoskeletal system. However, studies regarding the effect of COVID-19 on musculoskeletal system are limited. This study analyzed the bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition of 33 patients with COVID-19 using their chest CT scans at admission, discharge, and one-year follow-up. Among the patients, 2 were asymptomatic, 8 had mild symptoms, 19 had ordinary symptoms, and 4 had severe symptoms, and no critical patients were included. The mean length of hospital stay was (29.5±9.6) days, and the mean duration to follow-up was (423.0±53.6) days. The study found no significant changes in BMD of segmental or total thoracic vertebrae at admission, discharge, and one-year follow-up. No significant changes were observed in the subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) area, visceral adipose tissue (VAT) area, and total adipose tissue (TAT) of the mid-slice of the T12~L1 intervertebral disc. However, the asymptomatic and mild group had a higher average BMD of the T1~T12 than that of the common and severe group at admission and one-year follow-up. The common and severe group had higher VAT and TAT area than those of the asymptomatic and mild group at admission and one-year follow-up. This study provides valuable insights into the effects of COVID-19 on the musculoskeletal system and suggests that COVID-19 does not significantly affect thoracic BMD and abdominal adipose tissue after one year of infection.

Incorporating human driving style into car-following modeling is critical for achieving higher levels of driving automation. By capturing the characteristics of human driving, it can lead to a more natural and seamless transition from human-driven to automated driving. A clustering approach is introduced that utilized principal component analysis (PCA) and k-means clustering algorithm to identify driving style types such as aggressive, moderate and conservative at the timestep level. Additionally, an online driving style recognition technique is developed based on the memory effect in driving behavior, allowing for real-time identification of a driver's driving style and enabling adaptive control in automated driving. Finally, the Intelligent Driver Model (IDM) has been improved through the incorporation of an online driving style recognition strategy into car-following modeling, resulting in a human-like IDM that emulates real-world driving behaviors. This enhancement has important implications for the field of automated driving, as it allows for greater accuracy and adaptability in modeling human driving behavior and may ultimately lead to more effective and seamless transitions between human-driven and automated driving modes. The results show that the time-step level driving style recognition method provides a more precise understanding of driving styles that accounts for both inter-driver heterogeneity and intra-driver variation. The proposed human-like IDM performs well in capturing driving style characteristics and reproducing driving behavior. The stability of this improved human-like IDM is also confirmed, indicating its reliability and effectiveness. Overall, the research suggests that the proposed model has promising performance and potential applications in the field of automated driving.

The present study aims at clarifying the quality differences of Cistanche deserticola (CD) from different areas. The contents of bioactive compounds extracted from different parts (root, middle and top stems) and their antioxidant activities were comparatively analyzed. The results showed that the contents and antioxidant activities of bioactive components were significantly affected by origins and parts. The samples from the southern Tengger desert (D) showed high concentrations of total polyphenols (17.66 mg GAE/g DW) and verbascoside (6.98 mg/g DW). These compounds showed high scavenging abilities against ABTS+ (IC50=1.48 mg/mL) and DPPH (IC50=0.38 mg/mL) free radical. Samples from the southern Gurbantunggut desert (E) showed the highest content of total flavonoids (16.58 mg RE/g DW). The highest content of total triterpenoid appeared in the sample from Badangirin desert (A) (18.63 mg OAE/g DW). Samples from the Gurbantunggut desert (F) had polysaccharides and procyanidins at levels of 31.18 and 4.71 mg PCE/g DW, respectively. The samples from the northern Tengger desert (C) had the highest echinoside content (17.75 mg/g DW) and hydroxyl radical scavenging ability (IC50=3.05 mg/mL). Three principal components were extracted by principal component analysis (PCA) with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 85.43%. Through hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), the samples were divided into three groups. The four producing areas (A, B, C and D) of the first and second groups were distributed in Inner Mongolia and Gansu, and the comprehensive score was the top four. The results of this study would provide a theoretical basis for quality evaluation, product development and standardization of Cistanche deserticola in China.

The molten-pool boundary morphology and its stability play a key role in dendrite growth and solidification texture during laser additive manufacturing. In the present work, we have confirmed the advantages of quasi-continuous wave laser additive manufacturing (QCW-LAM) in enhancing the molten-pool boundary stability and promoting the continuously epitaxial growth of columnar dendrite. The influence of laser modes on the molten-pool boundary stability and solidification microstructure during laser additive manufacturing of Inconel 718 is investigated. Compared with the fluctuating molten-pool boundary of continuous-wave laser additive manufacturing (CW-LAM), the QCW-LAM is characterized by the high molten-pool boundary stability and the in-situ high-frequency remelting. These characteristics promote the continuously epitaxial growth of columnar dendrite and result in the directionally columnar structure. This work provides new insights into the control of the dendritic growth and solidification structure by improving the molten-pool boundary stability.

BackgroundAlzheimer disease or related dementias (ADRD) are severe neurological disorders that impair the thinking and memory skills of older adults. Most persons living with dementia receive care at home from their family members or other unpaid informal caregivers; this results in significant mental, physical, and financial challenges for these caregivers. To combat these challenges, many informal ADRD caregivers seek social support in online environments. Although research examining online caregiving discussions is growing, few investigations have distinguished caregivers according to their kin relationships with persons living with dementias. Various studies have suggested that caregivers in different relationships experience distinct caregiving challenges and support needs. ObjectiveThis study aims to examine and compare the online behaviors of adult-child and spousal caregivers, the 2 largest groups of informal ADRD caregivers, in an open online community. MethodsWe collected posts from ALZConnected, an online community managed by the Alzheimer’s Association. To gain insights into online behaviors, we first applied structural topic modeling to identify topics and topic prevalence between adult-child and spousal caregivers. Next, we applied VADER (Valence Aware Dictionary for Sentiment Reasoning) and LIWC (Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count) to evaluate sentiment changes in the online posts over time for both types of caregivers. We further built machine learning models to distinguish the posts of each caregiver type and evaluated them in terms of precision, recall, F1-score, and area under the precision-recall curve. Finally, we applied the best prediction model to compare the temporal trend of relationship-predicting capacities in posts between the 2 types of caregivers. ResultsOur analysis showed that the number of posts from both types of caregivers followed a long-tailed distribution, indicating that most caregivers in this online community were infrequent users. In comparison with adult-child caregivers, spousal caregivers tended to be more active in the community, publishing more posts and engaging in discussions on a wider range of caregiving topics. Spousal caregivers also exhibited slower growth in positive emotional communication over time. The best machine learning model for predicting adult-child, spousal, or other caregivers achieved an area under the precision-recall curve of 81.3%. The subsequent trend analysis showed that it became more difficult to predict adult-child caregiver posts than spousal caregiver posts over time. This suggests that adult-child and spousal caregivers might gradually shift their discussions from questions that are more directly related to their own experiences and needs to questions that are more general and applicable to other types of caregivers. ConclusionsOur findings suggest that it is important for researchers and community organizers to consider the heterogeneity of caregiving experiences and subsequent online behaviors among different types of caregivers when tailoring online peer support to meet the specific needs of each caregiver group.

In order to optimize the ultrasonic-assisted extraction process of phenylethanol glycosides from Cistanche tubulosa (Ct) in Xinjiang, box-behnken design was used to optimize the extraction conditions based on single factor experiments. Optimal conditions were the temperature of 40 ℃, the solid-liquid ratio of 1:41.7 g/mL and the ethanol concentration of 51%. The extraction yield under the optimal conditions was (14.36±0.12) mg/g. The extracts were mainly composed of echinacoside and verbascoside, the contents of which were (12.96±0.33) mg/g and (1.19±0.09) mg/g, respectively. The phenylethanoside extracts showed strong scavenging ability to hydroxyl radical and DPPH free radical, and the semi-inhibitory concentration (IC50) values were 60.196 mg/mL and 0.875 mg/mL, respectively. This study provides basic data for the extraction of phenylethanoside from Cistanche tubulosa in Xinjiang.

The relationship between solidification structure and cooling rate is critical for optimizing processing parameters to achieve desired mechanical property of additive manufactured parts. However, the establishment of the above relationship during laser additive manufacturing (LAM) is still challenging. In the present work, the molten-pool temperature was experimentally measured using a two-color pyrometer during LAM of Inconel 718. The relationship among laser processing parameters, molten-pool cooling parameters, solidification structure and mechanical property was investigated. The results showed that the Nb segregation ratio decreases from 9.30 to 4.26 and the volume fraction of Laves-phase particles decreases from 14.5% to 4.8% as the cooling rate increases from 480 °C/s to 2630 °C/s. The quantitative relationship between primary dendritic arm spacing λ1 and cooling rate ε was determined as λ1=438.5∗ε−0.5773. The laser processing parameter that creats the high cooling rate and rational molten-pool lifetime is recommend to achieve a good combination of tensile strength and plasticity, as it reduces the Nb segregation, the Laves volume fraction and the metallurgical defect. This work establishes the quantitative relationship between solidification structure and cooling rate, and provides the potential method for online evaluation of solidification structure and mechanical property.

In order to improve the melting phenomenon of gelatin due to poor thermal stability during heating, gelatin was modified with tannic acid to explore the effects of modified gelatin fat substitutes on the structure and functional properties. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), freeze-thaw stability, cooking resistance, water holding capacity and texture properties were used to explore the effects of tannic acid modified gelatin fat substitutes on the structure and functional properties. The results showed that when the pH value was 5, the mass ratio of gelatin to tannic acid was 1.2:1, and heated at 36 ℃ for 30 min, the functional groups between tannic acid and gelatin combined with each other, the two reacted and changed the protein structure of gelatin, and the microstructure changed from dense and uniform mass structure to loose and porous pore structure; Freeze thaw stability and cooking resistance increased, water holding capacity and swelling capacity decreased, hardness and chewability increased, elasticity, cohesion and adhesion decreased, and L*, a* and b* increased. After modification, the thermal stability of gelatin fat substitute was improved, the structural characteristics of gelatin fat substitute were improved, and the product texture was improved, which provided a theoretical basis for the preparation of fat substitute of polyphenol modified gelatin.

In this paper, the bioactive components and antioxidant activities of Cistanche tubulosa (CT) cultivated in Qinghai Province were comprehensively analyzed. The results showed that the bioactive components in different parts of Cistanche tubulosa were significantly different (P

Located on the Songnen block of the Northeast Asia block group, the Songliao Basin is sandwiched by three major plates in Siberia, North China, and the Pacific Ocean. The recognition of the basin's properties and the dynamic processes of formation, evolution, and late reformation of the Late Paleozoic–Early Mesozoic Basin (LP-EMB), which has suffered from intense multi-stage, and various types of late reformation, are always controversial. On the basis of previous research on the regional tectonic geological background, combined with petrochemical and chronological data from core samples and seismic data, the attributes, evolution process, and late reformation of the LP-EMB and its dynamic environments have been deeply analyzed. Since the Late Paleozoic, it has successively experienced the development of Late Hercynian to Early–Middle Indosinian rifts and subsequent multi-stage superimposed transformation stages, which can be divided into the near-north-trending thrust reformation in the Late Indosinian, the near-west-trending thrust reformation in the Early Yanshanian, the differential extensional reformation in the early Late Yanshanian, the strike-slip shearing and deep burial reformation in the middle Late Yanshanian, and the strike-slip compression fold transformation in the late Late Yanshanian to the early Himalayan. The formation of the LP-EMB was mainly controlled by back-arc extension caused by the subduction and retreat of the paleo-Pacific Plate and partly by the closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean between the North China Plate and the Northeast Asia micro-block group. The later reformation stages were closely related to the collision extrusion, strike-slip activity, and deep mantle activity caused by either the relative convergence movement between Songnen and other micro-blocks in the Northeast China micro-block group or by the remote collision effect of the Northeast China micro-block group and the surrounding plates. The inner fault zone (body), which was formed by multi-phase fault cutting, and the top weathering and denudation unconformity surface, are potential sites of hydrocarbon accumulation, from which natural gas has been transported along the fault and fracture belt into the weathering crust and the inner fracture zone in the Upper Paleozoic–Lower Mesozoic (UP-LM). This study significantly expands our knowledge of the tectonic evolution and gas exploration of the Songliao Basin.

Abstract Background The activation of immune response driven by the eggs of Schistosoma japonicum and the subsequent secretions is the culprit behind granulomatous inflammation and liver fibrosis. Evidence suggests that PKCλ/ι participates in a variety of physiological and pathological processes, including the regulation of metabolism, growth, proliferation and differentiation of cells. However, the role of PKCλ/ι in liver disease caused by Schistosoma japonicum remains unclear. Methods In the present study, we observe the pathological changes of egg-induced granulomatous inflammation and fibrosis in the liver of mice infected by Schistosoma japonicum by using conditional PKCλ/ι-knockout mice and wild-type control. Immune cytokines and fibrogenic factors were analyzed by performing flow cytometry and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Results The results of H&E and Masson staining show that the degree of granulomatous lesions and fibrosis in the liver of the infected PKCλ/ι-knockout mice was significantly reduced compared with those of the infected wild-type mice. The mean area of single granuloma and hepatic fibrosis in the PKCλ/ι-knockout mice was significantly lower than that of the wild-type mice (85,295.10 ± 5399.30 μm2 vs. 1,433,702.04 ± 16,294.01 μm2, P

Epitaxial growth of dendrites often results in a strong texture, which is a common phenomenon in a laser additive manufacturing process. In this study, pulsed lasers with flat-top and Gaussian intensity profiles were used to modulate the molten pool morphology and the solidification texture with a unidirectional scanning strategy. The melt pool is planar for the flat-top mode and it turns arc-shaped for the Gaussian mode. Long columnar grains are uniformly distributed and a strong fiber texture with a weak cube texture is obtained for the flat-top mode sample due to a uniform heat flux through many deposition layers. In contrast, large grains and fine grains are alternately arranged for Gaussian mode sample. The large grains exhibit a strong rotated cubic texture with a V-pattern in the overlapping area of the melt pool due to side-branching from the curved melt pool boundary; while the fine grains exhibit a weak fiber texture in the center of melt pool with a less restriction of the other two crystallographic axes perpendicular to the build direction. After heat treatment, the intensity of the textures of both samples is reduced. More recrystallized grains with twin boundaries are found under Gaussian mode due to the accumulated residual strain. This work manifests a promising method for texture customization by manipulating the heat flux strategy for laser additive manufacturing.

Xinjiang beef has high quality and is one of the famous livestock products resources in Xinjiang. In order to achieve the real-time monitoring of beef freshness, hydrogels were prepared by physical freeze-thaw method using carboxymethyl cellulose and polyvinyl alcohol as raw materials. The physical characteristics of hydrogels were also characterized. Furthermore, an intelligent indicator label was made using Perilla leaf pigment extract as the optimum color pigment, and its intelligent indication effect on the freshness of Xinjiang beef during cold storage was studied. The result showed that the optimum ratio of polyvinyl alcohol to carboxymethyl cellulose was 4:3, and the hydrogel prepared by three freeze-thaw cycles had good water absorption ability(2937.39%), pigment inclusion rate(24.62%), porosity(97.71%), hardness, elasticity, glue viscosity and loose porous network microstructure. The color difference value(ΔE) of indicator label on the second day was 10.2, and which was 26.5 on 18th day. This color change was larger than the threshold of color difference discerned by human eyes(ΔE=3.5). Correlation analysis showed that the ΔE values of indicating label were significantly correlated with pH and volatile base nitrogen contents of beef(P

This paper mainly analyzes the typical thermodynamic response (thermal history, thermal strain and residual stress) in a conventional continuous-wave (CW) laser during Directed Energy Deposition (DED). The influence of process parameters (laser power and scanning speed) on the temperature gradient in the heat-affected zone, thermal strain and residual stress are studied, and the corresponding relationship are established. The results show that a reduction in residual stress can be obtained by decreasing the temperature gradient. However, the method of reducing the temperature gradient by changing process parameters leads to low forming quality and low density. A pulse-wave laser (PW) is proposed to actively control the residual stress of the deposited sample. This laser mode can reduce not only the temperature gradient in the process of DED but also the in situ release of thermal stress, correspondingly greatly reducing the residual stress.

Abstract Introduction Mast cells are regarded as a kind of classical anaphylaxis cells. However autoimmune diseases and allergic reactions have many similarities or overlaps. A large number of papers have proved that mast cells play a significant role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It is speculated that IgE, anti‐IgE antibodies, FcεRI, and anti‐FcεRI antibodies activate mast cells through autoimmune pathways and participate in the disease process of SLE. Naturally occurring protein molecules not only exist in monomer form, but also in polymer of protein molecules. Therefore, whether IgE, FcεRIα, anti‐IgE antibodies, and anti‐FcεRI antibodies also exist in polymeric forms in the natural state is worthy of further investigation. Methods The serum samples and clinical data of 131 patients with SLE were collected from Qilu Hospital (Qingdao). Sixty healthy individuals were collected as the control group. Serum FcεRIα, anti‐IgE, and anti‐FcεRI were detected by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Serum IgE was detected by rate scatter nephelometry. A Chinese hamster ovarian cancer cell line CHO3D10 transfected with human FcεRIα was cultured and the cell protein extract was prepared. The existence forms of FcεRIα in the cell protein extract were detected by the native‐page method. Results The serum FcεRIα in SLE patients was significantly higher than that in control group (3.52 [2.18, 4.71] µg/ml and 1.87 [1.52, 2.33] µg/ml, respectively; p

Computational ghost imaging (CGI) is a method of acquiring object information by measuring light field intensity, which would be used to achieve imaging in a complicated environment. The main issue to be addressed in CGI technology is how to achieve rapid and high-quality imaging while assuring the secure transmission of detection data in practical distant imaging applications. In order to address the mentioned issues, this paper proposes a remote secure CGI method based on quantum communication technology. Using the quantum key distribution (QKD) network, the CGI system can be reconstructed while solving the problem of information security transmission between the detector and the reconstructed computing device. By exploring the influence of different random measurement matrices on the quality of image reconstruction, it is found that the randomness of the numerical sequence constituting the matrix is positively correlated with the imaging quality. Based on this discovery, a new type of quantum cryptography measurement matrix is constructed using quantum cryptography with good randomness. In addition, through further orthogonalization and normalization of the matrix, the matrix has both good randomness and orthogonality, and high-quality imaging results can be obtained at a low sampling rate. The feasibility and effectiveness of the method are verified by simulation imaging experiments. Compared with the traditional GI system, the method proposed in this paper has higher transmission security and high-quality imaging under this premise, which provides a new idea for the practical development of CGI technology.

The heterogeneous trans-scale structures play important roles in achieving high strength and toughness in austenitic stainless steels fabricated by directed energy deposition (DED). In this study, systematic annealing investigations were demonstrated the evolution of trans-scale heterogeneous structures such as dislocations, chemical cells, nano-oxides, grains and recrystallization behavior. Their effects on yield strength were quantified. The experimentally observed yield strength of as-received and annealed samples agrees well with the estimated yield strength using standard Taylor hardening formulae. The dislocation intensity accounted for 200 MPa and became the main strength contributor, among which GND type of dislocation accounted for more than 60% of the total dislocation. Despite the development of DED steel micro inclusions, the synergistic effect of deformation twinning and pre-existing GND-induced back stress results in high tensile plasticity. This research helps to better understand the interplay between DED processing, the microstructure of 316L stainless steel and the mechanical properties that are crucial to meeting new demands.

Background: LIN28B plays an important role in early embryonic development, but its role in villous trophoblast implantation and differentiation remains unknown. This study aims to verify the role of LIN28B in trophoblastic villous tissue and cells from women with URSA (unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion) and artificial termination of pregnancy (negative control, NC). Methods: The LIN28B gene and its protein expression level were detected with real-time quantitative PCR, Western immunoblotting analysis, and immunocytochemistry. The gene was also overexpressed in chorionic villous cell lines (HTR-8/SVneo and BeWo) to examine its effect on trophoblast function. Results: The expression of LIN28B mRNA and protein of URSA villi was lower than that in the NC group. At the cellular level, overexpression of LIN28B enhanced cellular migration, and invasion, and inhibited apoptosis. LIN28B may inhibit apoptosis by promoting Akt phosphorylation and by inhibiting Bad phosphorylation and Bcl-2 expression. In addition, LIN28B inhibited cell fusion and reduced cellular syncytia. Conclusions: LIN28B can inhibit cell invasion and migration in vitro and promote apoptosis and fusion. The low expression of LIN28B in URSA villous trophoblast cells may be one of the causes of abortion. The role of LIN28B in villous trophoblasts needs further study.

As the last area with unknown oil exploration potential, Zealandia has attracted the attention of petroleum scientists. Under the constraint of the known rift distribution, the gravity and magnetic anomaly data are utilized to predict the distribution of rift basins, and the balanced cross-section technique and basin simulation technique are utilized to analyze the development of the rift basins and hydrocarbon generation history of source rocks for the hydrate prospect prediction of the rift basins of northwest Zealandia. The time of rifting in Zealandia varies greatly from place to place, and it has experienced extensive rifts, migrated to the east of the Lord Howe Ridge, migrated to the west of the Lord Howe Ridge, migrated to the west of the Dampier Ridge, and finally migrated to both sides of the Lord Howe Ridge and then experienced multiple stages of compression transformation and deep burial transformation. The Upper Cretaceous coal source rock in the rift Ⅱ stage has entered the wet gas generation stage in the deep part of the rift or deeper rift on the eastern side of the Lord Howe Ridge, and the coal-generated wet gas may migrate along the fault and form a gas hydrate in the shallow seabed stable zone.

This paper proposes a novel hybrid car-following model: the physics-informed conditional generative adversarial network (PICGAN), designed to enhance multi-step car-following modeling in mixed traffic flow scenarios. This hybrid model leverages the strengths of both physics-based and deep-learning-based models. By taking advantage of the inherent structure of GAN, the PICGAN eliminates the need for an explicit weighting parameter typically used in the combination of traditional physics-based and data-driven models. The effectiveness of the proposed model is substantiated through case studies using the NGSIM I-80 dataset. These studies demonstrate the model’s superior trajectory reproduction, suggesting its potential as a strong contender to replace conventional models in trajectory prediction tasks. Furthermore, the deployment of PICGAN significantly enhances the stability and efficiency in mixed traffic flow environments. Given its reliable and stable results, the PICGAN framework contributes substantially to the development of efficient longitudinal control strategies for connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs) in real-world mixed traffic conditions.

Schistosomiasis is an immunopathogenic disease characterized by egg granuloma and fibrosis. The hepatic fibrosis of schistosomiasis is caused by the coordinated action of local immune cells, liver-resident cells and related cytokines around the eggs of the liver. B-cell-activating factor (BAFF), expressed in many cells, is an essential factor for promoting the survival, differentiation, and maturation of cells. The overexpression of BAFF is closely related to many autoimmune diseases and fibrosis, but has not been reported to play a role in liver fibrosis caused by schistosomiasis. In the study, we found that, during Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum) infection in mice, the level of BAFF and its receptor BAFF-R progressively increased, then decreased with the extension of infection time, which was consistent with the progression of hepatic granuloma and fibrosis. Anti-BAFF treatment attenuated the histopathological damage in the liver of infected mice. The average areas of individual granulomas and liver fibrosis in anti-BAFF treatment mice were significantly lower than those in control mice, respectively. Anti-BAFF treatment increased the IL-10, decreased IL-4, IL-6, IL-17A, TGF-β, and downregulated the antibody level against S. japonicum antigens. These results suggested that BAFF acts a strong player in the immunopathology of schistosomiasis. Anti-BAFF treatment may influence Th2 and Th17 responses, and reduce the inflammatory reaction and fibrosis of schistosomiasis liver egg granuloma. It is suggested that BAFF might be a prospective target for the development of new methods to treat schistosomiasis liver fibrosis.

Abstract Background HIV/AIDS has transformed into a chronic controllable but not yet curable infectious disease as other chronic diseases to some extent. The additional of so called fourth 90% that included the improved health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for people living with HIV (PLWHIV) required solutions beyond antiretroviral therapy and viral load suppression. This study will explore the role of personality, social economic and prevention strategy effection on HRQoL among people living with HIV/AIDS. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among PLWHIV aged more than 16 years old in the 10 municipalities in Yunnan Province, China from October 2019 to May 2020, enrolling total 1997 participants. Individual-level HRQoL data were measured by 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) and EuroQol Five Dimensions Questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L). We assembled municipal-level data about social economic from Yunnan Statistical Yearbook in 2020 and strategy practice information from the self-evaluation system. We used the principal component analysis to build the social economic and strategy effect on each area respectively and one-way ANOVA was used to perform univariate analysis to identify the predictors with significant differences. Finally we used multi-level model (MLM) to explore the personality, social economic and strategy effects in health-related quality of life among PLWHIV. Results The global score for quality of life measured using EQ-5D-5L had an estimated mean score (standard deviation, SD) of 0.901 ± 0.146. The HRQoL score measured using PCS-12 had an estimated mean score (SD) of 46.62 ± 8.55. The mean MCS-12 score (SD) was estimated to be 47.80 ± 9.71. The area-level predictors explained a proportion of 13.6–17.2% for the between-area variation of the HRQoL scores, regardless of the total HRQoL, physical component and mental component. The impacts of stigma (P

Despite the existing studies relating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to changes in gut microbiota, the latter is affected by external factors such as diet and living environment. Herein, we compared the diversity and composition of gut microbiota in SLE patients and in their healthy family members who share the same household, to link gut microbiota, diet and SLE clinical manifestations. The study cohort included 19 patients with SLE and 19 of their healthy family members. Daily nutrition was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Microbiota was analyzed using amplicons from the V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene, to obtain microbiota diversity, taxa relative abundances and network analysis. The gut microbiota in the SLE group had lower alpha diversity and higher heterogeneity than the control group. SLE patients had decreased Acidobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, Nitrospirae and Planctomycetes at the phylum level, and increased Streptococcus, Veillonella, Clostridium_XI, and Rothia at the genus level. Streptococcus was extremely enriched among patients with lupus nephritis. Lactobacillus, Clostridium_XlVa, Lachnospiracea_incertae_sedis and Parasutterella OTUs were associated with diet and clinical features of SLE. Finally, the gut microbiota of SLE patients remained different from that in healthy controls even after accounting for living conditions and diet.

Abstract Galectin-9 (Gal-9) is a multifunctional immunomodulatory factor highly expressed in RA. This study aimed to investigate the expression of Gal-9 and its correlation with disease activity and therapeutic response in RA patients. Active RA patients were enrolled and treated with tacrolimus (TAC) alone or in combination therapy for 12 weeks in a prospective cohort study. Clinical and immunological parameters were recorded at baseline and week 12. We measured Gal-9 expression in different T cell subsets and in plasma. The disease activity of RA patients decreased after treatment. At baseline, the Gal-9 expression percentage was higher in the group with severe disease than in mild or moderate groups. After treatment, the Gal-9 expression in CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and CD4-CD8− cell subsets decreased, as well as Gal-9 mean fluorescence intensity in CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Similarly, plasma Gal-9 levels were lower at week 12 than at baseline. Good responders showed significantly lower Gal-9 expression on CD3+ and CD4+ T cell subsets and lower plasma Gal-9 levels than poor responders. Gal-9 expression positively correlates with disease activity in RA patients. Gal-9 can be regarded as a new biomarker for evaluating RA activity and therapeutic effect, including TAC.

This study aimed to investigate the topological characteristics of the resting-state functional network and the underlying pathological mechanism in nondialysis patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD5 ND). Eighty-five subjects (21 patients with CKD5 ND, 32 patients with CKD on maintenance hemodialysis (HD), and 32 healthy controls (HCs)) underwent laboratory examinations, neuropsychological tests, and brain magnetic resonance imaging. The topological characteristics of networks were compared with a graph–theoretical approach, and correlations between neuropsychological scores and network properties were analyzed. All participants exhibited networks with small-world attributes, and global topological attributes were impaired in both groups of patients with CKD 5 (ND and HD) compared with HCs (p < 0.05); these impairments were more severe in the CKD5 ND group than in the HD group (p < 0.05). Compared with the HC group, the degree centrality of the CKD5 ND group decreased mainly in the basal ganglia and increased in the bilateral orbitofrontal gyrus, bilateral precuneus, and right cuneus. Correlation analysis showed that the degree of small-worldness, normalized clustering coefficients, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores were positively correlated and that characteristic path length was negatively correlated with these variables in patients with CKD5 ND. The nodal efficiency of the bilateral putamen (r = 0.53, p < 0.001 and r = 0.47, p < 0.001), left thalamus (r = 0.37, p < 0.001), and right caudate nucleus (r = 0.28, p = 0.01) was positively correlated with MoCA scores. In conclusion, all CKD5 ND patients exhibited changes in functional network topological properties and were closely associated with mild cognitive impairment. More interestingly, the topological property changes in CKD5 ND patients were dominated by basal ganglia areas, which may be more helpful to understand and possibly reveal the underlying pathological mechanisms of cognitive impairment in CKD5 ND.

Abstract The Hemispherical Resonator Gyroscope (HRG) has many advantages such as high precision, high reliability and long life-time, it is widely used in the space-launcher and the satellites. The HRG has been mechanized to operate in the distinct operating modes, the Force to Rebalanced (FTR) mode and the Whole Angle (WA) mode. In the paper, different from the traditional control algorithm is based on average methods which usually used for the WA mode, a new electrostatic control algorithm is presented, which based on the vector composition and decomposition method to control the equivalent drive force in order to track the phase of the standing wave. The mathematics model and the control algorithm are presented in the paper, and the hardware experimental circuit system is implemented, the HRG has a range of more than 300°/s with the linearity of 40 ppm. Meanwhile, the energy transition efficiency increases by an order of magnitude.

With the development of specialization, coordination and intelligence in the manufacturing service process, the issue of how to quickly extract potential resources or capabilities for distributed manufacturing service requirements, and how to carry out resource matching for manufacturing service requirements with correlated mapping characteristics, have become the critical issues to be addressed in the cloud manufacturing environment. Through the combination of the characteristics of relevance, synergy and diversity of manufacturing service tasks on the intelligent cloud platform, a matching decision method for manufacturing service resources is proposed in this paper based on multidimensional information fusion. On the basis of integrating multidimensional information data in cloud manufacturing resource, the information entropy and rough set theory are applied to classify the importance of manufacturing service tasks, while the matching capability are analyzed by using a hybrid collaborative filtering (HCF) algorithm. Then, the information of function attribute, reliability and preference is employed to match and push manufacturing service resources or capabilities actively, so as to realize the matching decision of manufacturing service resources with precise quality, stable service and maximum efficiency. At last, a case study of resources matching decision for body & chassis manufacturing service in a new energy automobile enterprise is presented, in which the experimental results show that the proposed approach is more accuracy and effective compared with other different recommendation algorithms.

Crowdsourcing design for complex products has open objectives and requires collaboration among different fields. It is difficult to use a single approach to describe the process in which the number and interaction of tasks and steps of tasks are changed dynamically depending on the execution state. Motivated by modeling the collaborative business process of crowdsourcing design in complex products, a crowdsourcing hierarchical process modeling approach based on an object-oriented Petri net is proposed. From the perspective of organization and task, the crowdsourcing object interaction and design process are modeled separately. First, an organization layer modeling approach based on expert review is proposed to describe the information transfer relationship among crowdsourcing objects from the organization perspective. Then, the task layer modeling approach based on the component decomposition idea is proposed. From the perspective of the task, the task is decomposed by using a design structure matrix (DSM) and a product structure tree to model the interaction of the design process. The object-oriented Petri net-is used to realize the representation of the model. Finally, the method is verified by taking the model of the crowdsourcing design of an air cooler as an example. The model subnet is analyzed by means of an overlay tree and incidence matrix, and the reliability and robustness of the model are proven. This method provides a reference for the process modeling of the crowdsourcing design of complex products.