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Nuclear spin hyperpolarization derived from parahydrogen is a technique for enhancing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) sensitivity. The key to hyperpolarization experiments is to achieve rapid transfer and detection to minimize relaxation losses, while also avoiding bubbles or turbulence to guarantee high spectral resolution. In this article, we describe an experimental approach for the interleaved joint modulation of parahydrogen-induced polarization and NMR. We provide schematic diagrams of parahydrogen-based polarizer with in situ high-pressure detection capability and low-field polarization transfer. This approach can help to control the experimental process and acquire experimental information, one example of which is the attainment of the highest hyperpolarization signal intensity at 3.6 s after closing the valve. The polarizer demonstrates in situ detection capability, allowing sample to be restabilized within 0.3 ± 0.1 s and high-resolution NMR sampling under a pressure of 3 bars. Moreover, it can transfer polarized samples from the polarization transfer field to the detection region of NMR within 1 ± 0.3 s for completing signal amplification by reversible exchange experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an initial boundary value problem of the 2D incompressible Bénard system is concerned. The global existence of a unique strong solution is established by the energy method and a key logarithmic interpolation inequality. In particular, the exponential decay rates for the gradients of velocity and temperature field are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in materials science, device designs and advanced fabrication technologies have enabled the rapid development of transient electronics, which represents a class of devices or systems that their functionalities and constitutions can be partially/completely degraded via chemical reaction or physical disintegration over a stable operation. Therefore, numerous potentials, including zero/reduced waste electronics, bioresorbable electronic implants, hardware security, and others, are expected. In particular, transient electronics with biocompatible and bioresorbable properties could completely eliminate the secondary retrieval surgical procedure after their in-body operation, thus offering significant potentials for biomedical applications. In terms of material strategies for the manufacturing of transient electronics, silicon nanomembranes (SiNMs) are of great interest because of their good physical/chemical properties, modest mechanical flexibility (depending on their dimensions), robust and outstanding device performances, and state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies. As a result, continuous efforts have been made to develop silicon-based transient electronics, mainly focusing on designing manufacturing strategies, fabricating various devices with different functionalities, investigating degradation or failure mechanisms, and exploring their applications. In this review, we will summarize the recent progresses of silicon-based transient electronics, with an emphasis on the manufacturing of SiNMs, devices, as well as their applications. After a brief introduction, strategies and basics for utilizing SiNMs for transient electronics will be discussed. Then, various silicon-based transient electronic devices with different functionalities are described. After that, several examples regarding on the applications, with an emphasis on the biomedical engineering, of silicon-based transient electronics are presented. Finally, summary and perspectives on transient electronics are exhibited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wideband shared-aperture antenna is designed for MIMO application based on asymmetric orthogonal-mode antenna pair. A symmetric T-shaped antenna and an asymmetric double-L-shaped antenna constitute the proposed antenna pair. Two co-planar antenna elements are configured above the ground (on the same substrate side). The wideband self-decoupling characteristic of the antenna pair is achieved via orthogonal modes. The proposed shared-aperture antenna demonstrates good impedance matching, high isolation, and good diversity performance over a bandwidth of 3.04–5.28 GHz, covering the 5G N77/N78/N79 bands, which is suitable for compact 5G MIMO terminals. Two such antenna pairs are arranged along the upper side of the ground to construct a 4-port MIMO antenna. The proposed MIMO antenna is fabricated and tested to verify its performance. Favorable results are realized, including impedance matching, isolation, efficiency, and ECC. The measured results are in good agreement with the simulated results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Podocyte injury plays a crucial role in the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN). A high serum level of insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) has been observed in patients with DN. This paper is to study the role and mechanism of IGF‐1 in high glucose (HG)‐induced podocyte injury. Methods: Mouse podocytes MPC‐5 were treated with HG to establish a DN model in vitro. db/db diabetic mice and db/m nondiabetic mice were used to evaluate the IGF‐1 role in vivo. Western blotting was used for measuring protein levels of IGF‐1 receptor, Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signalling pathway‐related markers, podocyte markers podocin and nephrin, apoptosis‐ and autophagy‐related markers in MPC‐5 cells. Immunofluorescence staining was implemented for measuring the expression of nephrin and the autophagy marker LC3. Flow cytometry was used for detecting podocyte apoptosis. Results: IGF‐1 expression was increased in HG‐stimulated MPC‐5 cells and the kidney of db/db diabetic mice compared with corresponding controls. Knocking down IGF‐1 downregulated IGF‐1R and inhibited JAK2/STAT signalling pathway in HG‐treated MPC‐5 cells and db/db diabetic mice. IGF‐1 silencing attenuated HG‐induced podocyte injury, apoptosis and reduction in autophagy. Activating the JAK2/STAT signalling pathway or inhibiting autophagy reversed the effects of IGF‐1 silencing on HG‐treated MPC‐5 cells. Conclusion: Knocking down IGF‐1 alleviates HG‐induced podocyte injury and apoptosis by inactivating the JAK2/STAT signalling pathway and enhancing autophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the challenges of traditional spindle assembly methods, which rely on trial-and-error approaches, hindering new product development evaluation. A stacking ensemble model is proposed to predict the assembly quality variation of machine tool spindles. The model uses data from 925 single-spindle inspections and extracts evaluation metrics from multiple domains to extract valuable information. Feature selection is performed using a correlation model to identify important features, and various lightweight supervised learning algorithms are applied to analyze the data. To further enhance the model's performance, a stacking ensemble approach is proposed, which combines algorithms. The results demonstrate that the proposed stacking ensemble model is an effective approach for predicting the assembly quality variation of machine tool spindles, using the data available. The proposed ensemble model enhances quality control processes in spindle assembly, enabling practitioners to identify key features and predict machine tool spindle assembly quality variations more accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A S-scheme heterojunction of CuPc/DR-MoS 2 with abundant sulfur vacancies is proposed, enabling extended visible-light absorption, enhanced charge carrier separation/transfer, and improved efficiency of semiconductors. Additionally, sulfur vacancies play a significant role in enhancing CO 2 adsorption/activation on the photocatalyst surface during photocatalysis. [Display omitted] Constructing a heterojunction by combining two semiconductors with similar band structures is a successful approach to obtaining photocatalysts with high efficiency. Herein, a CuPc/DR-MoS 2 heterojunction involving copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) and molybdenum disulfide with S-rich vacancies (13.66%) is successfully prepared by the facile hydrothermal method. Experimental results and theoretical calculations firmly demonstrated that photoelectrons exhibit an S-scheme charge transfer mechanism in the CuPc/DR-MoS 2 heterojunction. The S-scheme heterojunction system has proven significant advantages in promoting the charge separation and transfer of photogenerated carriers, enhancing visible-light responsiveness, and achieving robust photoredox capability. As a result, the optimized 3CuPc/DR-MoS 2 S-scheme heterojunction exhibits photocatalytic yields of CO and CH 4 at 200 and 111.6 μmol g-1h−1, respectively. These values are four times and 4.5 times greater than the photocatalytic yields of pure DR-MoS 2. This study offers novel perspectives on the advancement of innovative and highly effective heterojunction photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First-principles calculations were employed to investigate the adsorption and diffusion energy of hydrogen (H) in the Ti/Ti 3 Al binary system, along with the evolution of the interfacial stability induced by the presence of H. The penetration energy barrier indicates that H can more easily penetrate the substrate through the Ti/Ti 3 Al interface. The formation energy of H increases with distance from the interface and the Ti/Ti 3 Al interface acts as a sink for trapping hydrogen interstitials. When all interstitial sites are completely occupied by H, the cleavage energy along the interface decreases from 1.935 to 1.094 J/m2, suggesting that H doping significantly reduces the strength of the Ti-Ti 3 Al (01–10) interface. When the area density of H-doping at the interface exceeds 0.37 atoms/Å2, the α-Ti lattice expands. Consistent with experimental observations, this triggers atomic migration and the generation of Ti-hydrides. Further analysis of the atomic structure and Bader charge transfers indicate that the interaction of Ti and H can alter the localized electronic structure of Al, leading to a weakened interface due to loss of interface bond strength. In summary, the theoretical calculations have provided new insights into possible hydrogen embrittlement (HE) mechanism in titanium alloys. [Display omitted] • Hydrogen enters the substrate preferentially along the Ti/Ti 3 Al interface. • The interface acts as a sink for trapping the hydrogen interstitial. • Hydrogen leads to a reduction of the interfacial bond strength. • Hydride precipitation in α-Ti occurs through a slip + shuffle mechanism at the interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formica is a large genus in the family Formicidae with high diversity in its distribution, morphology, and physiology. To better understand evolutionary characteristics of Formica, the complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of two Formica species were determined and a comparative mitogenomic analysis for this genus was performed. The two newly sequenced Formica mitogenomes each included 37 typical mitochondrial genes and a large non-coding region (putative control region), as observed in other Formica mitogenomes. Base composition, gene order, codon usage, and tRNA secondary structure were well conserved among Formica species, whereas diversity in sequence size and structural characteristics was observed in control regions. We also observed several conserved motifs in the intergenic spacer regions. These conserved genomic features may be related to mitochondrial function and their highly conserved physiological constraints, while the diversity of the control regions may be associated with adaptive evolution among heterogenous habitats. A negative AT-skew value on the majority chain was presented in each of Formica mitogenomes, indicating a reversal of strand asymmetry in base composition. Strong codon usage bias was observed in Formica mitogenomes, which was predominantly determined by nucleotide composition. All 13 mitochondrial protein-coding genes of Formica species exhibited molecular signatures of purifying selection, as indicated by the ratio of non-synonymous substitutions to synonymous substitutions being less than 1 for each protein-coding gene. Phylogenetic analyses based on mitogenomic data obtained fairly consistent phylogenetic relationships, except for two Formica species that had unstable phylogenetic positions, indicating mitogenomic data are useful for constructing phylogenies of ants. Beyond characterizing two additional Formica mitogenomes, this study also provided some key evolutionary insights into Formica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of complex event processing refers to the process of tracking and analyzing a set of related events and drawing conclusions from them. For such systems, complex event recognition is essential. The object of complex event recognition is to recognize meaningful events or patterns and construct processing rules to respond to them. Researchers have conducted numerous studies on the recognition of complex event patterns by using recognition languages or models. However, the completeness of the process in complex event recognition has rarely been discussed. Although the reality of the event is uncertain, the structure for modeling and explaining complex event interactions of contingent information remains unclear. In this study, we focused on developing a general framework for addressing these problems and demonstrating the applicability of model-based approaches to represent spatio-temporal dimensions and causality in complex event recognition. In this paper, we propose an event behavior model for complex event recognition from a process perspective. The developed model could detect and explain anomalies associated with complex events. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the model performance. The results revealed that temporal operations within overlapping events were crucial to event pattern recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a refractive index (RI) sensor is presented on the basis of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of double-ring hollow-core anti-resonant fiber (DR-HC-ARF), which has great sensitivity and wide detection range. In the design, the DR-HC-ARF consists of 12 silica tubes in two layers inside and outside, with the X-forward inner silica tube filled with gold wire. The simulation results indicated that the achievable maximum sensitivity, minimum resolution, and largest figure of merit of the DR-HC-ARF sensor filled with gold wire are −20600 nm/RIU, 4.85 × 10−6 RIU, and 615.79 RIU−1, respectively, when measuring using the confinement loss approach. The maximum sensitivity, minimum resolution, and largest birefringence of the DR-HC-ARF sensor filled with gold wire are −21200 nm/RIU, 4.71 × 10−6 RIU, and 2.38 × 10−4, respectively, for the birefringence analysis approach. The ultrahigh RI sensitivity of DR-HC-ARF sensor filled with gold wire paves a promising way on the applications in the field of biochemical detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the translated Chinese version of the Communication Complexity Scale (C-CCS) in a Chinese sample of preschool-aged children with minimal verbal skills. A total of 120 children with autism spectrum disorders or children with developmental delays aged 2 to 5 years with minimal verbal skills (i.e., produced less than 20 functional words) were recruited to complete the C-CCS. First, we tested the protocol with 20 children and shortened it based on their results. Second, the interrater reliability, test-retest reliability, and concurrent validity for 100 participants were examined. C-CCS scores were compared with scores from the Chinese Communicative Development Inventories (CCDI) for concurrent validity. Ten C-CCS interactive scripts were administered to 100 participants. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) between independent observers were high. The ICCs for overall optimal scores, optimal BR scores and optimal JA scores were 0.978, 0.971 and 0.977 respectively. Agreement for scores within scripted opportunities and communication level were high-Kappa coefficients 0.869 and 1.000 respectively. The test-retest reliability was high (r = 0.911). A moderate correlation was found between the C-CCS and the CCDI (r = 0.401). The results indicate that C-CCS could be used as a measurement tool in research and clinical practice to describe communication levels in children with minimal verbal skills in China. The Chinese version of the Communication Complexity Scale was developed through a rigorous cultural adaptation process. The evidence shows that the Chinese version of the Communication Complexity Scale is a reliable and valid tool for children with minimal verbal skills in China. The Chinese version of the Communication Complexity Scale can be used in research and clinical practice to assess the general level of social communication skills of Chinese children who mainly communicate using preverbal communication and develop intervention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Materials and Methods Results Conclusions Impairment of masticatory function in elderly patients with terminal dentition due to stage IV periodontitis (TDS4P) may lead to lower nutritional intake. The study aimed to report the dietary intake and nutrition status of elderly patients with TDS4P and compare them with those of the elderly Chinese population and the Chinese Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs).Fifty‐one consecutive subjects (≥55 years old) with TDS4P were enrolled. Average dietary intake was evaluated based on a 3‐day 24‐h dietary recall (24HR) and food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The daily intake of fresh vegetables and fruits, dietary energy as well as macro and micronutrients were calculated and compared with matched national data and the Chinese DRIs. Nutritional status was assessed by Short‐Form Mini‐Nutritional assessment.Of the subjects, 19.6% (95% CI: 7.2%–28.1%) were at risk of malnutrition. The mean daily energy intake was 1517.4 kcal (95% CI: 1400.5–1634.3) for males and 1110.7 kcal (95% CI: 1001.5–1219.9) for females, which were very low compared with both the national data and the DRIs. Females derived a higher percentage of energy from fat. The mean daily intake of vegetables was 151.4 g (95% CI: 128.1–174.8) by FFQ and 130.9 g (95% CI: 104.6–157.3) by 24HR. Both results were significantly lower than the national reports (95% CI: 310.3–340.1) and the DRIs (300–450 g). Insufficient micronutrient intake, especially vitamins A, C and E, was also found.Elderly subjects with TDS4P had a lower daily energy intake, vegetable and fruit consumption and essential macro and micronutrient intake. More studies are needed to clarify the impact of periodontitis and tooth loss/replacement on nutrition and healthy ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate thejob satisfaction and analyze influencing factors of health workers in basic public health service projects. Methods 164 primary medical institutions in Jiangxi Province were selected according to the method of phased cluster sampling. A questionnaire survey was conducted on the health personnel providing basic public health services in these institutions. Nonparametric test and ordered multiclass logistic regression were used to analyze the influencing factors of job satisfaction. Results Among the 3 018 basic public health service workers, the average score of job satisfaction was 24.52 ± 6.84 points. The proportion of very dissatisfied, relatively dissatisfied, average, fairly satisfied and very satisfied were 3.78%, 9.87%, 39.83%, 23.92% and 22.60%, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that educational background, job category, working years, income, overtime, training and performance reward mechanism had statistical significance on the overall job satisfaction score (P < 0.05). Conclusion The job satisfaction of health worker in basic public health service projects in Jiangxi Province was above average. In order to improve the job satisfaction, we can improve the promotion and guarantee mechanism for grassroots talents, strengthen vocational training, and improve the assessment mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep neural network has made surprising achievements in natural language processing, image pattern classification recognition, and other domains in the last few years. It is still tough to apply to hardware-constrained or mobile equipment because of the huge number of parameters, high storage as well as computing costs. In this paper, a new sparse iteration neural network architecture is proposed. First, the pruning method is used to compress the model size and make the network sparse. Then the architecture is iterated on the sparse network model, and the network performance is improved without adding additional parameters. Finally, the hybrid deep learning model was carried out on CV tasks and NLP tasks on ANN, CNN, and Transformer. Compared with the sparse network architecture, we finally found that the accuracy of the MINST, CIFAR10, PASCAL VOC 2012, and SQuAD datasets is improved by 0.47%, 0.64%, 3.75%, and 15.06%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To analyze the perioperative bleeding and hidden blood loss (HBL) of sacroiliac screw minimally invasive treatment of pelvic posterior ring injury and explore the influential factors of HBL after operation for providing reference for clinical treatment. Method: A retrospective analysis was conducted on data from 369 patients with posterior pelvic ring injuries treated with sacroiliac screws internal fixation at our hospital from January 2015 to January 2022. The research was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry in July 2022 (ChiCTR2200061866). The total blood loss (TBL) and HBL of patients were counted, and the factors such as gender, age, and surgical duration were statistically analyzed. The influential factors of HBL were analyzed by multiple linear regression. Results: The TBL was 417.96 ± 98.05 ml, of which the visible blood loss (VBL) was 37.00 ± 9.0 ml and the HBL was 380.96 ± 68.8 ml. The HBL accounted for 91.14 ± 7.36% of the TBL. Gender, surgical duration, fixed position, and fixed depth had significant effects on the HBL (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The HBL was the main cause of anemia after minimally invasive treatment of posterior pelvic ring injury with a sacroiliac screw. Gender, surgical duration, fixed position, and fixed depth were closely related to the occurrence of HBL. In clinical treatment, we should consider these influential factors and take effective measures to reduce the impact of HBL on patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study investigates the potential of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) as vehicles for delivering therapeutic agents, with a focus on the p53 tumor suppressor gene. Fusion with CD63 or ARRDC1 was found to facilitate the overexpression and proper localization of p53 and significantly increase the yield and loading efficiency of sEVs with p53 mRNA and proteins. Moreover, the functional assessment of these engineered sEVs on H1299 cells demonstrated an enhanced anti-tumor effect, particularly with ARP-sEVs, suggesting a superior inhibition of cell proliferation and promotion of apoptosis. These results are expected to be informative in the application of EV therapy. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) have emerged as promising therapeutic agents and drug delivery vehicles. Targeted modification of sEVs and their contents using genetic modification strategies is one of the most popular methods. This study investigated the effects of p53 fusion with arrestin domain-containing protein 1 (ARRDC1) and CD63 on the generation of sEVs, p53 loading efficiency, and therapeutic efficacy. Overexpression of either ARRDC1–p53 (ARP) or CD63–p53 (CDP) significantly elevated p53 mRNA and protein levels. The incorporation of ARRDC1 and CD63 significantly enhanced HEK293T-sEV biogenesis, evidenced by significant increases in sEV-associated proteins TSG101 and LAMP1, resulting in a boost in sEV production. Importantly, fusion with ARRDC1 or CD63 substantially increased the efficiency of loading both p53 fusion proteins and its mRNA into sEVs. sEVs equipped with ARP or CDP significantly enhanced the enrichment of p53 fusion proteins and mRNA in p53-null H1299 cells, resulting in a marked increase in apoptosis and a reduction in cell proliferation, with ARP-sEVs demonstrating greater effectiveness than CDP-sEVs. These findings underscore the enhanced functionality of ARRDC1- and CD63-modified sEVs, emphasizing the potential of genetic modifications in sEV-based therapies for targeted cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The incidence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in people living with HIV is significantly higher than in people without HIV. MetS is not only a major driver of cardiovascular disease (CVD) but is also closely related to the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of and risk factors for MetS and to further understand the degree of damage to target organs. Methods: This was a cross‐sectional descriptive study conducted at Chongqing Public Health Medical Center, China. Information was collected via questionnaire survey, physical examination, and laboratory tests. We used the China Diabetes Society guidelines to define MetS. Pooled cohort equations were calculated to compare CVD risk in the next 10 years in people living with HIV aged ≥40 years with or without MetS. We used Student's t‐test, the chi‐squared test, Fisher's exact test, binary logistic regression, and multiple linear regression in the statistical analysis. Results: The study included 979 people living with HIV, including 13 who have experienced CVD, receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). The median age was 43.0 years, 20.9% were female, and the median ART time was 45.0 months. The prevalence of MetS was 33.9%. The components of MetS criteria were hyperglycaemia (50.4%), hypertriglyceridaemia (48.4%), hypertension (46.8%), low concentrations of high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (28.2%), and abdominal obesity (25.0%). Higher body mass index (odds ratio [OR] 1.266; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.203–1.333), higher total cholesterol (OR 1.267; 95% CI 1.011–1.588), high alcohol consumption (OR 1.973; 95% CI 1.009–3.859), and family history of diabetes (OR 1.726; 95% CI 1.075–2.770) were independent risk factors for MetS. Compared with the non‐MetS group, the MetS group had a higher rate of urine albumin (23.8% vs 14.8%, p = 0.001), and the estimated glomerular filtration rate <90 mL/min/1.73 m2 (18.37% vs. 12.8%, p = 0.020) and β2‐microglobin (p = 0.004) increased more markedly in the MetS group. Regarding the risk of developing CVD events in the next 10 years, 38.5% of those in the MetS group were at high or very high risk, which was significantly higher than in the non‐MetS group (p < 0.001). In addition, age (p < 0.001) and sex (p = 0.002) are independent risk factors for developing CVD events in the next 10 years. Conclusions: The prevalence of MetS in people living with HIV on ART is high in Chongqing, China. Risk factors for the development of MetS are high alcohol consumption, family history of diabetes, higher body mass index, and higher total cholesterol levels. In addition, MetS is associated with a risk of CKD and the incidence of 10‐year CVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bridges are essential portions of a nation's infrastructure systems. Although general rules and guidelines are available for bridge preservation activity prediction, due to the intricate interdependencies among bridge elements, defects, and preservation activities, departments of transportation (DOTs) rely heavily on bridge engineers' experience to determine preservation needs. Hence, identifying and organizing the unwritten and experience-based domain knowledge is essential to automate bridge preservation planning. This research collected 13,994 defects for 442 bridges in North Carolina. A graph neural network (GNN) model was developed to predict preservation activities using a defect dependency graph. This research created a bridge preservation ontology to further leverage experience-based domain knowledge to derive 80 unwritten activity-triggering rules via ontology axioms. A heterogeneous graph was constructed considering the semantics related to bridge defects and elements from the axioms. Tests revealed that, with a domain ontology, the GNN model improved prediction accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score by 4.78%, 4.03%, 15.03%, and 11.62%, respectively. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by proposing a new graph theory–based bridge inspection database to enable GNN learning considering spatial and logical dependencies. Construction practitioners can instantly access and clearly comprehend bridge maintenance contextual information using the ontology database and machine learning models. The framework provides a systematic model for bridge preservation activity planning and enhances the robustness and reliability of bridge preservation decision-making. This research will assist DOT engineers and managers in improving knowledge sharing and automatic planning in bridge management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple system atrophy is a rare, debilitating, adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder that manifests clinically as a diverse combination of parkinsonism, cerebellar ataxia, and autonomic dysfunction. It is pathologically characterized by oligodendroglial cytoplasmic inclusions containing abnormally aggregated α-synuclein. According to the updated Movement Disorder Society diagnostic criteria for multiple system atrophy, the diagnosis of clinically established multiple system atrophy requires the manifestation of autonomic dysfunction in combination with poorly levo-dopa responsive parkinsonism and/or cerebellar syndrome. Although symptomatic management of multiple system atrophy can substantially improve quality of life, therapeutic benefits are often limited, ephemeral, and they fail to modify the disease progression and eradicate underlying causes. Consequently, effective breakthrough treatments that target the causes of disease are needed. Numerous preclinical and clinical studies are currently focusing on a set of hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases to slow or halt the progression of multiple system atrophy: pathological protein aggregation, synaptic dysfunction, aberrant proteostasis, neuronal inflammation, and neuronal cell death. Meanwhile, specific biomarkers and measurements with higher specificity and sensitivity are being developed for the diagnosis of multiple system atrophy, particularly for early detection of the disease. More intriguingly, a growing number of new disease-modifying candidates, which can be used to design multi-targeted, personalized treatment in patients, are being investigated, notwithstanding the failure of most previous attempts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the dynamic linkages among economic policy uncertainty (EPU), the green bond market, the carbon market, and the macroeconomy using the time-varying parameter vector autoregressive (TVP-VAR) model with monthly data spanning from January 2016 to December 2021. Additionally, it assesses the robustness and accuracy of the empirical results through the Bayesian vector autoregressive (BVAR) model. The findings indicate that EPU negatively affects the green bond market in the short term but has a positive impact in the medium and long term. Conversely, EPU has a positive impact on the carbon market in the short term but a negative impact in the medium and long term. Furthermore, the green bond market negatively influences the carbon market in both the short and medium to long term. These results suggest that emerging markets, such as the green bond and carbon markets, are influenced by EPU. The adverse impact of the green bond market on the carbon market, however, contributes to expediting China's attainment of its low-carbon objectives. Appropriate economic policies can play a vital role in accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy. The study also reveals that the US-China trade war has expedited the development of green capital markets in China, despite its impact on the green economic transition in the country. These findings provide insights for the government and investors to formulate suitable strategies for risk mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we successfully inhibited the preferential homodimerization and C−Si/Si−H bond cross‐exchange of benzosilacyclobutenes and monohydro‐silacyclobutanes and achieved the first highly selective C−Si/C−Si bond cross‐exchange reaction by deliberately tuning the Ni‐catalytic system, which constitutes a powerful and atom‐economical ring expansion method for preparing medium‐sized cyclic compounds bearing two silicon atoms at the ring junction, which are otherwise inaccessible. The DFT calculation explicitly elucidated the pivotal role of Si−H bond at silacyclobutanes and the high ring strain of two substrates in realizing the two C−Si bonds cleavage and reformation in the catalytic cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we successfully inhibited the preferential homodimerization and C−Si/Si−H bond cross‐exchange of benzosilacyclobutenes and monohydro‐silacyclobutanes and achieved the first highly selective C−Si/C−Si bond cross‐exchange reaction by deliberately tuning the Ni‐catalytic system, which constitutes a powerful and atom‐economical ring expansion method for preparing medium‐sized cyclic compounds bearing two silicon atoms at the ring junction, which are otherwise inaccessible. The DFT calculation explicitly elucidated the pivotal role of Si−H bond at silacyclobutanes and the high ring strain of two substrates in realizing the two C−Si bonds cleavage and reformation in the catalytic cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Postoperative delirium (POD) is more prevalent among elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Insulin resistance (IR) can be assessed using the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, a novel biomarker. This study aims to investigate the predictive potential of the TyG index for POD in elderly patients with T2DM. Materials and methods: Elderly patients (≥ 65) with T2DM who underwent non-neurosurgery and non-cardiac surgery were enrolled. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between the TyG index and POD. Additionally, subgroup analyses were performed to compare the sex-specific differences in the predictive ability of the TyG index for POD. Results: A total of 4566 patients were included in this retrospective cohort. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis determined the optimal cut-off value for the TyG index to be 8.678. In the univariate model, a TyG index > 8.678 exhibited an odds ratio (OR) of 1.668 (95% CI: 1.210–2.324, P = 0.002) for predicting POD. In the multivariate regression models, the ORs were 1.590 (95% CI: 1.133–2.252, P < 0.008), 1.661 (95% CI: 1.199–2.325, P < 0.003), and 1.603 (95% CI: 1.137–2.283, P = 0.008) for different models. Subgroup analyses demonstrated that the predictive ability of the TyG index was more pronounced in females compared to males. Conclusion: The TyG index shows promise as a novel biomarker for predicting the occurrence of POD in elderly surgical patients with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrolysis of water for production of hydrogen has become one of the most fascinating methods to relieve the energy crisis and environmental pollution. In this paper, a series of M-NiS/Mo 2 S 3 (M = Co, Fe, Ce and Bi) materials was in situ grown on Ni foam through a two-step hydrothermal process, and the synthesized Co–NiS/Mo 2 S 3 material present excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) properties. Under an alkaline condition of 1 M KOH, Co–NiS/Mo 2 S 3 requires only overpotential of 142 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2, and using Co–NiS/Mo 2 S 3 as both cathode and anode, only the potential of 1.574 V is required to drive a current density of 50 mA cm−2, with a relatively good durability over 15 h. Density functional theory (DFT) analysis show that the ΔG H* of Co–NiS is closer to 0 and its density of states near the Fermi energy level is higher, suggesting that Co–NiS improves the electrical conductivity of Co–NiS/Mo 2 S 3 and plays a significant catalytic action. This work proposes novel insights for the future exploration of novel sulfur-based composite electrocatalysts with excellent HER performance. In this paper, a series of M-NiS/Mo 2 S 3 (M = Co, Fe, Ce and Bi) materials was in situ grown on Ni foam by a two-step hydrothermal method, and the synthesized Co–NiS/Mo 2 S 3 material present excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) properties. [Display omitted] • M-NiS/Mo 2 S 3 (M = Co, Fe, Ce and Bi) materials were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal processes. • Co–NiS/Mo 2 S 3 electrode shows excellent catalysis in the cathode reaction of water and water electrolysis. • Co–NiS/Mo 2 S 3 requires only overpotential of 142 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) is a precursor of NAD+, its efficient bio-production through microbial fermentation has rarely been reported. Bacillus subtilis was postulated to lack the inherent ability of NMN biosynthesis, however, certain level of NMN (53.67 mg/L) was detected in the fermentation broth containing nicotinamide. An endogenous enzyme (PncB) previously annotated as a nicotinic acid phosphotransferase was identified to be involved in the key synthetic reaction, since the deletion of pncB revoked the production of NMN, while the enhanced expression of PncB significantly increased the titer of NMN (110.0 mg/L). The structural simulation of PncB revealed the possible catalytic mechanisms of NMN forming. The NMN synthesis was further boosted by removing a possible deamidase (CinA), the yield of extracellular NMN reached 202.9 mg/L. After introducing the NMN transporter PnuC into the host cell, the fermentation level of NMN increased by another 65.34 %. And, with 20 g/L glucose and 10 g/L NAM supplemented in the medium, a maximal of 1.21 g/L of NMN was accumulated, signifying the potential of biological production of NMN using food-grade Bacillus subtilis. [Display omitted] • Bacillus subtilis synthesizes NMN from nicotinamide using its native enzymes. • The nicotinate phosphoribosyltransferase is pivotal for the production of NMN in Bacillus subtilis. • Deletion of an uncharacterized deamidase (CinA) led to a higher titer of NMN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large cohort study published in the Journal of Diabetes investigated the association between sleep patterns and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) mortality among individuals with diabetes. The study found that a healthy sleep score was linearly related to a lower risk of AMI mortality in people with diabetes. Adequate sleep duration was specifically associated with the lowest risk of AMI mortality. The study used data from the UK Biobank cohort study and adjusted for important covariates such as smoking and physical activity. The findings suggest that promoting healthy sleep patterns may have a protective effect against AMI mortality in individuals with diabetes. [Extracted from the article]

Person re-identification relies on discriminative features. However, most researches focus on extracting features from the high-layer of network while ignoring the middle-layer features, some important details are overlooked frequently. To address this issue, we propose a Multi-Scale and Multi-Patch Feature Fusion Network(MSPF). We employ modified OSFA to extract, align, and fuse the feature maps in the middle-layer of network, which can compensate for the lack of detailed information in the high-level network features. To obtain richer detailed global features of pedestrian, we construct a multi-patch feature fusion module(MPF). We concatenate the global features extracted from modified OSFA and MPF to obtain global features with richer detailed representations. Cross-entropy loss, triplet loss and center loss are combined to constrain our model. We evaluate the performance of our model on Market-1501, CUHK03_labeled and DukeMTMC. The results prove that our method is superior to the state-of-the-art approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic Fe 3 O 4 /α-Fe 2 O 3 heterogeneous nanorods with the saturation magnetization of 69.5 emu/g were prepared via the hydrothermal and calcination-reduction process using β-FeOOH nanorods as precursor and galactose as the reducing agent. The average length and diameter of the nanorods were 81.6 nm and 23.9 nm, respectively. The surfaces of the heterogeneous nanorods were modified with PEI and HAuCl 4 , resulting in magnetic rod-like Fe 3 O 4 /α-Fe 2 O 3 @Au nanocomposites. By utilizing the Au–S effect, Apt/ssDNA hybrid double-strands were loaded onto Fe 3 O 4 /α-Fe 2 O 3 @Au nanocomposites to form Fe 3 O 4 /α-Fe 2 O 3 @Au-Apt/ssDNA biosensors capable of recognizing mucoprotein-1 (MUC1) mucoprotein. These biosensors could be magnetically assembled onto a magnetic glassy carbon electrode to create a "Turn off" type electrochemical biosensor. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) techniques were used to evaluate the detection performance. Based on the change in DPV signals, the optimal concentrations of magnetic Fe 3 O 4 /α-Fe 2 O 3 @Au nanocomposites and Apt/ssDNA double-stranded probes were 12 mg/mL and 9 μM, respectively, while the optimal incubation time was 2 h. Under these conditions, the sensor exhibited a linear detection range of 0.1 pg/mL to 1500 pg/mL (R2 = 0.9988), with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.1 pM and a limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 0.34 pM. The biosensor demonstrated excellent performance in terms of selectivity, reproducibility (RSD = 2.9 %), and stability. When actual serum samples diluted by a factor of 20 in PBS were tested, the recovery rate ranged from 95.65 % to 103.40 %, indicating that this approach for sensitive detection of MUC1 holds promising prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we are concerned with a Kirchhoff-Choquard type equation with L2-prescribed mass. Under different cases of the potential, we prove the existence of normalized ground state solutions to this equation. To obtain the boundedness from below of the energy functional and the compactness of the minimizing sequence, we apply the Gagliardo-Nirenberg inequality with the Riesz potential and the relationship between the different minimal energies corresponding to different mass. We also extend the results to the fractional Kirchhoff-Choquard type equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal‐catalyzed annulations of four‐membered rings via C−C activation are powerful tools to construct complex fused and bridged ring systems. Despite significant progress in (4+1), (4+2) and (4+4) annulations, the (4+3) annulation remains unexplored. Herein, we develop an asymmetric Rh‐catalyzed intramolecular (4+3) annulation of α‐arylalkene‐tethered benzocyclobutenols for the synthesis of dihydrofuran‐annulated dibenzocycloheptanols with two discontinuous chiral carbon centers via a C−C and C−H activation cascade. The reaction features excellent diastereo‐ and enantioselectivities and 100 % atom economy, and is applicable to late‐stage modification of complex molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal‐catalyzed annulations of four‐membered rings via C−C activation are powerful tools to construct complex fused and bridged ring systems. Despite significant progress in (4+1), (4+2) and (4+4) annulations, the (4+3) annulation remains unexplored. Herein, we develop an asymmetric Rh‐catalyzed intramolecular (4+3) annulation of α‐arylalkene‐tethered benzocyclobutenols for the synthesis of dihydrofuran‐annulated dibenzocycloheptanols with two discontinuous chiral carbon centers via a C−C and C−H activation cascade. The reaction features excellent diastereo‐ and enantioselectivities and 100 % atom economy, and is applicable to late‐stage modification of complex molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ce-doped gadolinium gallium aluminum oxide (Ce: GGAG) precursors were first prepared by the microwave-assisted homogeneous precipitation method (MAHP). Thermal gravity-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), specific surface area analysis (BET) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) were employed to investigate the crystal structure, phase evolution and morphologies of the Ce: GGAG precursors and powders. The influence of Ga ion concentration in the salt solution on the properties of Ce: GGAG powders was investigated. All the precursors were transformed into single-phase GGAG after being calcined at 950 °C in a furnace for 3 h. Monodispersed Ce: GGAG powders were obtained as the Ga ion concentration was lower than 0.06 mol/L. Single-phase and dense Ce: GGAG ceramics were obtained after sintering at 1600 °C in a flowing oxygen atmosphere for 10 h. Specifically, the Ce: GGAG ceramic reached its maximum density of ~6.68 g/cm3, which was close to its theoretical density of 6.70 g/cm3, and exhibited the highest optical transmittance of 65.2% at 800 nm after hot isostatic pressing sintering (HIP) as the Ga ion concentration was 0.02 mol/L. The decay time and light yield of the GGAG ceramic were 35 ns and 35,000 ± 1250 ph/MeV, respectively, suggesting that Ce: GGAG ceramics prepared using MAHP-synthesized nanopowders are promising for scintillation applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrocatalytic water splitting is considered as a green and efficient way of hydrogen production. How to promote the performance of electrode and develop stable non-precious metal catalysts has caused extensive research. One of the effective strategies is combining two or more catalytic materials to build heterogeneous structures. In this paper, a series of Co 0.3 -Ni 3 S 2 /Ni 3 Sn 2 S 2 heterostructured materials were synthesized to in-situ grow Ni 3 S 2 /Ni 3 Sn 2 S 2 on Ni foam with a 3D porous structure by modulating the substance ratio of elemental cobalt and elemental sulfur through a one-step hydrothermal process. The materials have superior oxygen evolution reaction (OER) properties and urea oxidation reaction (UOR) performance. Under an alkaline electrolyte of 1 M KOH, for OER, Co 0.3 -Ni 3 S 2 /Ni 3 Sn 2 S 2 only requires overpotential of 251 mV to obtain a current density of 10 mA cm−2. In an alkaline solution of 1 M KOH +0.5 M urea, for UOR, only the potential of 1.326 V was demanded for the catalyst to reach a current density of 50 mA cm−2, but its stability over 15 h was average. Density Functional Theory (DFT) analyses suggest that Co–Ni 3 S 2 has better metallic properties and promote the dynamics in catalysis. This study put forward a new thought for future research on nickel-tin binary metal sulfide hybrid electrocatalysts with excellent freshwater, seawater and urea oxidation properties. In this paper, a series of Co x -Ni 3 S 2 /Ni 3 Sn 2 S 2 materials was in situ grown on Ni foam by a one-step hydrothermal method, and the synthesized Co 0.3 -Ni 3 S 2 /Ni 3 Sn 2 S 2 material present excellent water and urea oxidation properties. [Display omitted] • Co 0.3 -Ni 3 S 2 /Ni 3 Sn 2 S 2 materials were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal processes. • Co 0.3 -Ni 3 S 2 /Ni 3 Sn 2 S 2 electrode shows excellent catalysis in the cathode reaction of water and urea. • Co 0.3 -Ni 3 S 2 /Ni 3 Sn 2 S 2 requires only potential of 1.326 V to achieve a current density of 50 mA cm−2 for UOR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With mandelic acid (MA) as the chiral core, two series of non-symmetric liquid crystal (LC) dimers have been synthesised by changing the rigidity of the side-arms, namely the DBM-nC2B series and the DBBM-nC2B series. In the DBM-nC2B series, one side-arm is the same, while the length of the flexible tail of the other side-arm increases from 0 to 4. The same is true of the DBBM-nC2B series. Chemical structures and LC properties of the two series LC dimers were characterised by FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, DSC, TGA and POM. The results show that the DBM-nC2B series LC dimers display the nematic phase (N), and the DBBM-nC2B series LC dimers exhibit the chiral nematic phase (N*). It shows that the side-arm should have sufficient rigidity for MA to induce the N* phase. In the same series, when the length of the flexible tails of the side-arm increases from 0 to 4, it does not change the mesophase, while it has some effect on the melting temperature (Tm), the clearing temperature (TN(*)I), and mesophase range of the dimers. The molecular length-width ratio (l/w) and dipole moment (μ) were used to explain the variation of Tm and (TN(*)I) of LC dimer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aims to assess the association between trajectories of depressive symptoms and the risk of dementia, and to compare the predictive ability of trajectories using multiple data points with depressive symptoms at a single data point. Methods: We included 5306 older adults from the Health and Retirement Study. We assessed depressive symptoms using the Center for Epidemiology Depression Scale (CES‐D), and identified its 8‐ year trajectories (2002–2010) using latent class trajectory modeling. We calculated hazard ratios (HR) using Cox proportional hazards models. The concordance index (C‐index) was used to compare the discriminative power of the models. Results: We identified two trajectories of depressive symptoms, characterized by maintaining low CES‐D scores, and moderate starting scores that steadily increased throughout the follow‐up period. During 40,199 person‐years, compared to the low trajectory, the increasing trajectory of depressive symptoms was associated with a higher risk of dementia (HR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.09–1.67) (C‐index = 0.759). For every point increase in the degree of depressive symptoms (CES‐D scores) in 2010, the risk of dementia increased by 7% (95% CI: 1.03–1.12) (C‐index = 0.760). The presence of depressive symptoms (CES‐D scores ≥3) in 2010 was not associated with an increased risk of dementia (HR = 1.18; 95% CI: 0.98–1.43) (C‐index = 0.759). The C‐index values of cox models showed similar discriminative power. Conclusions: The increasing trajectory of depressive symptoms at multiple data points and the degree of depressive symptoms at a single data point were associated with an increased risk of subsequent dementia among older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Spaceborne broadband circularly polarized conformal antenna for ultra high frequency band is presented. The antenna mounted on the outer surface of the circular arc spherical cone satellite works in 390–450 MHz frequency band, and has the characteristics of broadband, light miniature. The measured results for the antenna demonstrate an impedance bandwidth of 32.5% from 360 to 500 MHz, an axial ratio bandwidth of 27.2% from 380 to 500 MHz, and a peak gain of 6.7 dBic. The antenna form can be applied to the field of broadband circularly polarized conformal antenna on satellite and missile, and has a wide application prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The WO3-Ag3PO4 heterojunction on carbon cloth (CC@WO3-Ag3PO4) was prepared through a facile two step approach. The photocatalysts are evaluated in the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation; CC@WO3-Ag3PO4 exhibited enhanced photocatalytic RhB efficiency. The calculated k for the degradation of RhB over CC@WO3@Ag3PO4 is 0.03097 min−1, which is higher than those for reactions over CC@Ag3PO4 (0.01254 min−1) and CC@WO3 (0.00935 min−1). The photocatalytic efficiency is significantly enhanced after formation of the CC@WO3-Ag3PO4 heterojunction. This could be mainly attributed to improved photogenerated electron-hole pairs separation ability after formation of the CC@WO3-Ag3PO4 heterojunction. Furthermore, the carbon cloth serving as support for photocatalyst can enhance the contact area of the photocatalyst with RhB solution and visible light due to its large specific surface area. Additionally, CC@WO3-Ag3PO4 photocatalyst can be quickly and completely recycled, effectively avoiding recontamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) is a hereditary eye disease that could cause blindness. It has been established that Norrin forms dimers to activate β‐catenin signaling, yet the core interface for Norrin dimerization and the precise mechanism by which Norrin dimerization contributes to the pathogenesis of FEVR remain elusive. Here, we report an NDP variant, c.265T>C (p.Phe89Leu), that interrupted β‐catenin signaling by disrupting Norrin dimerization. Structural and functional analysis revealed that the Phe‐89 of one Norrin monomer interacts with Pro‐98, Ser‐101, Arg‐121, and Ile‐123 of another, forming two core symmetrical dimerization interfaces that are pivotal for the formation of a "hand‐by‐arm" dimer. Intriguingly, we proved that one of the two core symmetrical interfaces is sufficient for dimerization and activation of β‐catenin signaling, with a substantial contribution from the Phe‐89/Pro‐98 interaction. Further functional analysis revealed that the disruption of both dimeric interfaces eliminates potential binding sites for LRP5, which could be partially restored by over‐expression of TSPAN12. In conclusion, our findings unveil a core dimerization interface that regulates Norrin/LRP5 interaction, highlighting the essential role of Norrin dimerization on β‐catenin signaling and providing potential therapeutic avenues for the treatment of FEVR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research and development of environmentally friendly, stable and low cost catalyst for water electrolysis is the general trend and imminent direction. In this paper, the cobalt-nickel phosphide with nanoflake (Ni 12 P 5 /Co 2 P@NF) was prepared by a simple hydrothermal reaction and low temperature phosphating process for the first time. As a catalyst for urea assisted water electrolysis, Ni 12 P 5 /Co 2 P@NF exhibits excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity, providing a very small overpotential of 124 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in 1.0 M KOH solution containing 0.5 M urea. At the same time, it also present a very low Tafel slope (61.98 mA dec−1), which demonstrates that the faster the rate of charge transfer is, the better the reaction is. We also tested HER performance in seawater solution containing 0.5 M urea and 1.0 M KOH, and the overpotential was 146 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2. Moreover, the stability of the Ni 12 P 5 /Co 2 P@NF material for HER was also tested for a long time, and the result showed that the catalytic performance decreased first and then was relatively stable. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation demonstrates that the Ni 12 P 5 monomer presents the optimal Gibbs free energy for hydrogen, the introduction of Co 2 P promotes the conductivity of the electrode, and the synergistic catalysis of the Ni 12 P 5 and Co 2 P promotes the electrochemistry performance of the electrode. This work proposes a novel idea and strategy for designing reasonable metal phosphide as an environmentally friendly and stable electrode. Ni 12 P 5 /Co 2 P@NF exhibits excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance, providing a very low overpotential of 124 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in 1.0 M KOH solution containing 0.5 M urea. [Display omitted] • Ni 12 P 5 /Co 2 P@NF was prepared by a simple hydrothermal reaction and low temperature phosphating process. • Ni 12 P 5 /Co 2 P@NF exhibits excellent HER performance, providing a very low overpotential of 124 mV at 10 mA cm−2. • The catalytic performance decreased first and then was relatively stable for Ni 12 P 5 /Co 2 P@NF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This work aimed to investigate the potential benefits of administering Prevotella and its primary metabolite succinate on performance, hepatic lipid accumulation and gut microbiota in laying hens. Results: One hundred and fifty 58-week-old Hyline Brown laying hens, with laying rate below 80% and plasma triglyceride (TG) exceeding 5 mmol/L, were used in this study. The hens were randomly allocated into 5 groups and subjected to one of the following treatments: fed with a basal diet (negative control, NC), oral gavage of 3 mL/hen saline every other day (positive control, PC), gavage of 3 mL/hen Prevotella melaninogenica (107 CFU/mL, PM) or 3 mL/hen Prevotella copri (107 CFU/mL, P. copri) every other day, and basal diet supplemented with 0.25% sodium succinate (Succinate). The results showed that PM and P. copri treatments significantly improved laying rate compared to the PC (P < 0.05). The amount of lipid droplet was notably decreased by PM, P. copri, and Succinate treatments at week 4 and decreased by P. copri at week 8 (P < 0.05). Correspondingly, the plasma TG level in Succinate group was lower than that of PC (P < 0.05). Hepatic TG content, however, was not significantly influenced at week 4 and 8 (P > 0.05). PM treatment increased (P < 0.05) the mRNA levels of genes PGC-1β and APB-5B at week 4, and ACC and CPT-1 at week 8. The results indicated enhanced antioxidant activities at week 8, as evidenced by reduced hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) level and improved antioxidant enzymes activities in PM and Succinate groups (P < 0.05). Supplementing with Prevotella or succinate can alter the cecal microbiota. Specifically, the abundance of Prevotella in the Succinate group was significantly higher than that in the other 4 groups at the family and genus levels (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Oral intake of Prevotella and dietary supplementation of succinate can ameliorate lipid metabolism of laying hens. The beneficial effect of Prevotella is consistent across different species. The finding highlights that succinate, the primary metabolite of Prevotella, represents a more feasible feed additive for alleviating fatty liver in laying hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies concerning the association between preoperative Hemoglobin (HB) level and the Length Of hospital Stay (LOS) in patients with non-cardiac surgery and non-obstetric surgery remain inconclusive. Herein, the objective of this study was to analyze whether and to what extent the preoperative HB level was connected with the LOS in non-cardiac and non-obstetric surgery patients. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was performed at a single institution, involving patients who underwent elective non-cardiac, non-obstetric surgery from April 2007 to September 2013. Clinical characteristics of patients such as demographics, comorbidities, preoperative HB level, LOS, mortality, procedure length, and pulmonary hypertension (PHTN) Severity Class data were collected. A univariate analysis was used to determine the association between clinical characteristics and LOS. Multivariate regression analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between preoperative HB level and LOS. Results and discussion: In this study, 311 patients were included. We observed that compared with the LOS > 7 days group, the average HB level of patients in the LOS ≤ 7 days group was higher (12.04 ± 2.20 g/dl vs. 10.92 ± 2.22 g/dl, p < 0.001). In addition, there were fewer patients with moderate-to-severe anemia in LOS ≤ 7 days group than the LOS > 7 days group (32.74% vs 58.82%, p < 0.001). In addition, we found that patients with LOS ≤ 7 days were accompanied with lower mortality (0.44% vs. 7.06%, p < 0.001) and lower mean combined pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) and right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) than that in patients with LOS > 7 days (42.56 ± 11.97 vs. 46.00 ± 12.37, p < 0.05). After controlling for relevant confounders, we discovered a nonlinear association between preoperative HB level and LOS as well as a threshold effect based on LOS. Specifically, when preoperative HB level was less than 11.9 g/dL, LOS decreased by 2 days for each 1 g/dL increase in HB level. However, LOS did not alter substantially with the rise of preoperative HB level when it was higher than 11.9 g/dL. Conclusion: Our study showed a close non-linear association between preoperative HB level and LOS in patients with non-cardiac surgery and non-obstetric surgery. In particular, for patients with preoperative HB less than 11.9 g/dL, increasing the preoperative HB level can help shorten the LOS after operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two yeast strains designated as 20–27–1 and 20–28 were isolated from the fruiting bodies of Tricholoma gambosum and Marasmius maximus, respectively, which were collected in Wudaogou, Weichang county, Chengde area, Hebei Province, China. The multi-locus analysis of the sequences of the rDNA ITS, D1/D2 LSU, and SSU regions, together with partial sequences of two protein-coding genes RPB1 and TEF1 indicates that the two strains are closely related to Nakazawaea ernobii and Nakazawaea holstii, showing the similarity values of 99.3–98.7%, 97.2–97.1%, 91.9–92.5%, and 84.6% in D1/D2 LSU, ITS, TEF1, and RPB1, respectively. Physiologically, the two strains are different from N. ernobii and N. holstii in the assimilation of melibiose, inulin, and DL-lactic acid. Both the phenotypic and phylogenetic analyses indicate that those two strains represent a novel species in the genus Nakazawaea, for which the name Nakazawaea tricholomae f.a., sp. nov. (Fungal Names: FN 571492) is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies concerning the association between preoperative Hemoglobin (HB) level and the Length Of hospital Stay (LOS) in patients with non-cardiac surgery and non-obstetric surgery remain inconclusive. Herein, the objective of this study was to analyze whether and to what extent the preoperative HB level was connected with the LOS in non-cardiac and non-obstetric surgery patients. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was performed at a single institution, involving patients who underwent elective non-cardiac, non-obstetric surgery from April 2007 to September 2013. Clinical characteristics of patients such as demographics, comorbidities, preoperative HB level, LOS, mortality, procedure length, and pulmonary hypertension (PHTN) Severity Class data were collected. A univariate analysis was used to determine the association between clinical characteristics and LOS. Multivariate regression analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between preoperative HB level and LOS. Results and discussion: In this study, 311 patients were included. We observed that compared with the LOS > 7 days group, the average HB level of patients in the LOS ≤ 7 days group was higher (12.04 ± 2.20 g/dl vs. 10.92 ± 2.22 g/dl, p < 0.001). In addition, there were fewer patients with moderate-to-severe anemia in LOS ≤ 7 days group than the LOS > 7 days group (32.74% vs 58.82%, p < 0.001). In addition, we found that patients with LOS ≤ 7 days were accompanied with lower mortality (0.44% vs. 7.06%, p < 0.001) and lower mean combined pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) and right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) than that in patients with LOS > 7 days (42.56 ± 11.97 vs. 46.00 ± 12.37, p < 0.05). After controlling for relevant confounders, we discovered a nonlinear association between preoperative HB level and LOS as well as a threshold effect based on LOS. Specifically, when preoperative HB level was less than 11.9 g/dL, LOS decreased by 2 days for each 1 g/dL increase in HB level. However, LOS did not alter substantially with the rise of preoperative HB level when it was higher than 11.9 g/dL. Conclusion: Our study showed a close non-linear association between preoperative HB level and LOS in patients with non-cardiac surgery and non-obstetric surgery. In particular, for patients with preoperative HB less than 11.9 g/dL, increasing the preoperative HB level can help shorten the LOS after operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the stay cables of cable-stayed bridges become longer, parametric resonance with a large amplitude is more easily triggered, which becomes a vibration hazard of super-long stay cables. An increasing number of practical applications of vibration mitigation on stay cables demonstrate that vibration control strategies can effectively facilitate hazard mitigation and improve cable-stayed bridge reliability and service life. This study proposes a semiactive control approach to reduce the parametric vibration of super-long stay cables in cable-stayed bridges installed with magnetorheological fluid damper (MRFD). First, using the cable's gravity sag curve equation, an equation governing the combined stay cable-bridge deck-damper control system was established to consider the effect of the chordwise force of cable gravity. Subsequently, a targeted LQR-based optimal active control law is proposed to provide the target control force in the semiactive control. The parametric influences on the performance of the LQR-based optimal active control were analysed to provide insight into the proposed control strategy. Since the semiactive control could achieve almost the same control efficacy of the targeted optimal active control, a semiactive control strategy employing MRFD is proposed to mitigate the parametric vibration of a super-long stay cable. Based on the proposed semiactive control strategy, the system was attached with the MRFD of the longest cable, S36, in the designed prototype long cable-stayed bridge. The efficacy of the established semiactive control system was also analysed. The analysis results confirm that the proposed semiactive control strategy and designed semiactive control system can perform similar to the LQR-based optimal active control. The semiactive control system attached to the MRFD can mitigate the parametric vibration of super-long stay cables in cable-stayed bridge engineering practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While gut‐to‐systemic translocation of pyrogenic endotoxin due to a leaky gut elicits systemic inflammation, at the intestine, the endocannabinoid system (eCB) also plays a major role in modulating the impact of gut dysbiosis on the host system. Therefore, we hypothesized that coadministration of prebiotic inulin with probiotics would improve the eCB system, gut microbial composition, and inflammatory parameters associated with coronary artery diseases (CAD). We designed a randomized, double‐blind trial with 92 CAD patients. Patients were randomly allocated to receive inulin (15 mg/day), LGG capsules 1.9 × 109 colony‐forming unit (CFU) or inulin plus probiotic (synbiotics) supplements, for a duration of 60 days. We assessed gut microbiota composition, expression of cannabinoid receptors (i.e., CB1 and CB2), serum levels of interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR‐4), lipopolysaccharides (LPS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and malondialdehyde (MDA) before and after the supplementation. Probiotic‐inulin cosupplementation significantly decreased IL6, LPS, and TLR‐4 and increased serum TAC concentrations compared with the placebo. While CB1 receptor expression had no difference, significant differences were observed for the CB2 receptor expression among the four treatments. CB2 receptor mRNA expression significantly (p <.05) correlated with serum levels of LPS (r = −.10) and F/B ratio (r = −.407, p =.047). Our data collectively provide preliminary evidence that gut microbiota determines gut permeability through the LPS–eCB system. We also have found that synbiotics improved the eCB receptors, and inflammatory biomarkers more than either of the two supplementations given alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface induces many fascinating physical phenomena, such as dynamic acceleration, surface anchoring, and orientational wetting, and, thus, is of great interest to study. Here, we report classic molecular dynamics simulations on the free-standing surface of imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) [C4mim][PF6] and [C10mim][PF6]. On [C10mim][PF6] surface, a significant orientational wetting is observed, with the wetting strength showing a diverging tendency. Depth of the wetting was captured from the density and orientational order profile by a static length, which remarkably increases below the temperature Tstat upon cooling down. The dynamical correlation length that measures the distance of surface-dynamics acceleration into the bulk was characterized via the spatial-dependent mobility. The translational correlation exhibits a similar drastic increment at Tstat, while the rotational correlation drastically increases at a lower temperature Trot. We connect these results to the dynamics in bulk liquids, by finding Tstat and Trot that correspond to the onset temperatures where the liquids become cooperative for translational and rotational relaxation, respectively. This signifies the importance of collective dynamics in the bulk on the orientational wetting and surface dynamics in the ILs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Hypertension (HTN) is one of the most common adverse drug reactions to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), but little is known about its clinical risk factors. The aim of this study was to elucidate the association between baseline clinical characteristics and the occurrence of HTN in advanced gastric cancer (GC) patients prescribed apatinib, a commonly used VEGF-TKI in China, in a real-world setting. Patients and Methods. Fifty-five GC patients treated with apatinib from December 1st, 2016, to December 1st, 2020, were retrospectively included in electronic medical records. Adverse drug reactions were defined according to the National Cancer Institute's Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v5.0. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to investigate potential clinical risk factors for apatinib-related HTN. Results. The incidence of apatinib-related HTN of all grades was 45.45%, and grade 3 HTN occurred in 16.36% of patients. The median maximal systolic blood pressure (SBP) during apatinib treatment was 153 mm·Hg, and the median time to event was 25 days. New-onset HTN occurred in 10/33 (30.30%) patients. Preexisting HTN (odds ratio [OR]: 4.155; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.252, 13.787; p = 0.020) was the key independent risk factor associated with apatinib-related HTN. Conclusion. The incidence of HTN was high in patients treated with apatinib, and preexisting HTN was an independent risk factor. It is important to provide thorough and close monitoring of patients during treatment with apatinib, especially for those with preexisting HTN. This trial is registered with ChiCTR1900024531. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prelinguistic communication complexity refers to the use of different communication forms such as eye gaze, gestures and vocalisations and the degree to which these forms are coordinated and how directed to a communication partner. To date, little is known about the relationship between prelinguistic communication complexity and expressive language in minimally verbal autistic children. Aims: To test the hypothesis that prelinguistic communication complexity predicts expressive language 12 months later in autistic children and explore whether there are any differences in specific prelinguistic intentional communicative behaviours that are related to later expressive language levels. Methods & Procedures: This longitudinal study examined 37 minimally verbal autistic children (29–71 months old). The Communication Complexity Scale (CCS) was used to measure participants' prelinguistic communication behaviours, which were extracted from a semi‐structured play interaction at Time 1. The Chinese Communicative Development Inventory (CCDI) was used to examine participants' expressive language at Time 1 and Time 2 (12 months later). According to Time 2 vocabulary size, participants were divided into two groups: Low CCDI, between 0 and 62 words, and High CCDI, more than 100 words. Linear regression was used to examine the relationship between early prelinguistic communication complexity and later expressive language. Binary logistic regression was used to determine which of the early communication behaviours were uniquely significantly related to later expressive language levels. Outcomes & Results: There was a significant positive relationship between prelinguistic communication complexity and expressive language 12 months later, even after controlling for age and concurrent language. Findings revealed a group difference in the frequency of gesture and vocalisation combinations between the Low and High CCDI groups at Time 1. Gesture‐vocalisation combinations also predicted better expressive language levels at Time 2. Conclusions & Implications: Our findings suggest that it may be beneficial to incorporate different complex communication behaviours into prelinguistic intervention targets for minimally verbal autistic children. The CCS hierarchies can be used as a reference for the intervention goals of minimally verbal autistic children. These findings highlight the importance of targeting gesture and vocalisation combinations when autistic children transition from single prelinguistic communication behaviours to multimodal behaviours. What this paper adds: What is already known on this subject: Children use eye gaze, gestures and vocalisations to communicate with others before they learn spoken language. There is strong evidence suggest that the frequency of prelinguistic communication predicts later linguistic achievements in autistic children. However, less is known about whether prelinguistic communication complexity also predicts later language and which specific behaviours are most predictive of language outcomes. What this study adds: Minimally verbal autistic children who exhibit more complex prelinguistic communication behaviours have better expressive language 12 months later. Gestures combined with vocalisations predict better expressive language in minimally verbal autistic children. What are the clinical implications of this work?: When identifying intervention targets for minimally verbal autistic children, the clinicians may reference the prelinguistic communication behaviours from the CCS. The gesture and vocalisation combinations are the key behaviours when targets transit from single form to two‐form behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the associations of corneal biomechanical properties as measured by the Corvis ST with refractive errors and ocular biometry in an unselected sample of young adults. Methods: A total of 1645 healthy university students underwent corneal biomechanical parameters measurement by the Corvis ST. The refractive status of the participants was measured using an autorefractor without cycloplegia. Ocular biometric parameters were measured using the IOL Master. Results: After adjusting for the effect of age, sex, biomechanical-corrected intraocular pressure and central corneal thickness, axial length was significantly associated with A1 velocity (A1v, β = -10.47), A2 velocity (A2v, β = 4.66), A2 deflection amplitude (A2DeflA, β = -6.02), HC deflection amplitude (HC-DeflA, β = 5.95), HC peak distance (HC-PD, β = 2.57), deformation amplitude ratio max (DA Rmax, β = -0.36), Ambrósio′s relational thickness to the horizontal profile (ARTh, β = 0.002). For axial length / corneal radius ratio, only A1v (β = -2.01), A1 deflection amplitude (A1DeflA, β = 2.30), HC-DeflA (β = 1.49), HC-PD (β = -0.21), DA Rmax (β = 0.07), stress–strain index (SSI, β = -0.29), ARTh (β < 0.001) were significant associates. A1v (β = 23.18), HC-DeflA (β = -15.36), HC-PD (β = 1.27), DA Rmax (β = -0.66), SSI (β = 3.53), ARTh (β = -0.02) were significantly associated with spherical equivalent. Conclusion: Myopic eyes were more likely to have more deformable corneas and corneas in high myopia were easier to deform and were even softer compared with those in the mild/moderate myopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]