Search

Fast‐charging technology plays a pivotal role in propelling the commercialization of zinc‐air batteries (ZABs). While the lifetime of ZABs under fast‐charging is severely shortened by the abundant O2 bubbles and the deactivation of the cathode catalysts. Herein, a defective Mo─Co/N─C electrocatalyst is presented with Co nanoparticles and molybdenum‐oxo subnano clusters by pyrolyzing the Lindqvist polyoxometalate incorporated ZIF‐67 precursor. The crystalline defects are exacerbated by doping the polyoxometalate into the pores of ZIF‐67. Furthermore, the accessibility of the pore defects is increased by Mo‐leaching during the pre‐activation. These accessible pore defects effectively prevent the exfoliation of catalysts from the support under the attack of O2 bubbles, and improve the electrolyte penetration. Besides, the pore defects offer numerous active sites for the electrocatalytic reactions, resulting in an active and stable Mo─Co/N─C catalyst. Hence, such a Mo─Co/N─C electrocatalyst achieves a long lifetime of 1538 h at 5 mA cm−2, and a long lifetime of 641 h under a fast charge of 50 mA cm−2 in the homemade ZAB. The unique components and operational mechanisms propel scientists to portray splendid blueprints for durable fast‐charging ZABs for potential industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore college students’ information-re-finding behaviour in the context of social media by identifying different behaviour modes to enrich the research on the information behaviour of social media users. Thirty-two college students volunteered to record their re-finding process once it occurred within two weeks by the video diary method. One hundred and forty-six valid events were collected and analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. It was shown that the behaviour process of information re-finding on social media experienced six stages: scene triggering, information demand generating, social media selecting, re-finding, information confirmation and information processing. Forty-eight kinds of information re-finding modes were illustrated and summarised into seven categories according to where and how the information was finally found: following, chat record, keyword, favourites, history, personal dynamics and the like. From further analysis, it was proved that significant differences did exist between varied re-finding behaviour modes in information needs and re-finding time rather than information processing behaviour. The study could expand the traditional information search model into mixed timing by considering recalling and re-finding. Practically, it generates useful practical implications for the design of re-finding functions, information recommendation and memory services of social media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the theoretical impact of regionalizing cytoreductive surgery for ovarian cancer (OC) to high-volume facilities on patient travel. We retrospectively identified patients with OC who underwent cytoreduction between 1/1/2004–12/31/2018 from the New York State Cancer Registry and Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System. Hospitals were stratified by low-volume (<21 cytoreductive surgical procedures for OC annually) and high-volume centers (≥21 procedures annually). A simulation was performed; outcomes of interest were driving distance and time between the centroid of the patient's residence zip code and the treating facility zip code. Overall, 60,493 patients met inclusion criteria. Between 2004 and 2018, 210 facilities were performing cytoreductive surgery for OC in New York; 159 facilities (75.7%) met low-volume and 51 (24.3%) met high-volume criteria. Overall, 10,514 patients (17.4%) were treated at low-volume and 49,979 (82.6%) at high-volume facilities. In 2004, 78.2% of patients were treated at high-volume facilities, which increased to 84.6% in 2018 (P <.0001). Median travel distance and time for patients treated at high-volume centers was 12.2 miles (IQR, 5.6–25.5) and 23.0 min (IQR, 15.2–37.0), and 8.2 miles (IQR, 3.7–15.9) and 16.8 min (IQR, 12.4–26.0) for patients treated at low-volume centers. If cytoreductive surgery was centralized to high-volume centers, median distance and time traveled for patients originally treated at low-volume centers would be 11.2 miles (IQR, 3.8–32.3; P <.001) and 20.2 min (IQR, 13.6–43.0; P <.001). Centralizing cytoreductive surgery for OC to high-volume centers in New York would increase patient travel burden by negligible amounts of distance and time for most patients. • The impact on patient travel from ovarian cancer surgery regionalization to high-volume centers has not been studied. • Centralizing ovarian cancer surgery in New York State would increase patient travel by negligible distance and time. • These findings could have future implications for patient education and health policy on the regionalization of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractWith the popularity of smart speakers, companionship has emerged as an important aspect of user experiences with these devices. While previous studies have primarily focused on users’ adoption and intentions for continuous AI product usage, only a limited number of qualitative studies have identified the nascent concept of digital companionship. However, these studies often lack a comprehensive elucidation of the underlying psychological motivations. Therefore, this study aims to explore how certain users perceive digital companionship within the context of smart speakers and elucidate the motivations driving these parasocial needs. Our investigation adopts a Human-Centered AI perspective for a deeper understanding. A survey was conducted, encompassing 460 valid questionnaires. The findings underscore the influence of user personality on their psychological perceptions of smart speakers. Specifically, extroverted and conscientious users tend to view smart speakers as sources of happiness, akin to “happiness goodies.” Conversely, other users tend to perceive the companionship of smart speakers less strongly, akin to “white elephants.” Notably, our research reveals that perceived attraction and intimacy jointly mediate the influence of user personality traits, including extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, on digital companionship. This study contributes to illustrating why AI-based products, such as smart speakers, could be regarded as friends by digital companionship. Furthermore, it holds practical implications for personalizing AI roles and building trustworthy AI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the goat mammary gland is mainly under the control of ovarian hormones particularly estrogen and progesterone (P4). Amino acids play an essential role in mammary gland development and milk production, and sodium-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2 (SNAT2) was reported to be expressed in the mammary gland of rats and bovine mammary epithelial cells, which may affect the synthesis of milk proteins or mammary cell proliferation by mediating prolactin, 17β-estradiol (E2) or methionine function. However, whether SNAT2 mediates the regulatory effects of E2 and P4 on the development of the ruminant mammary gland is still unclear. In this study, we show that E2 and P4 could increase the proliferation of goat mammary epithelial cells (GMECs) and regulate SNAT2 mRNA and protein expression in a dose-dependent manner. Further investigation revealed that SNAT2 is abundantly expressed in the mammary gland during late pregnancy and early lactation, while knockdown and overexpression of SNAT2 in GMECs could inhibit or enhance E2- and P4-induced cell proliferation as well as mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. We also found that the accelerated proliferation induced by SNAT2 overexpression in GMECs was suppressed by the mTOR signaling pathway inhibitor rapamycin. This indicates that the regulation of GMECs proliferation mediated by SNAT2 in response to E2 and P4 is dependent on the mTOR signaling pathway. Finally, we found that the total content of the amino acids in GMECs changed after knocking-down and overexpressing SNAT2. In summary, the results demonstrate that the regulatory effects of E2 and P4 on GMECs proliferation may be mediated by the SNAT2-transported amino acid pathway. These results may offer a novel nutritional target for improving the development of the ruminant mammary gland and milk production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Most of the existing studies on the evolution of emergency topics in social media focused on the emergency information demand of fixed user type in emergency while ignoring the changing roles of stakeholders during the emergency. Thus in this study, a three-dimensional dynamic topic evolution model is proposed, in which fine grained division of time, dynamic identification of stakeholders in the emergency, and emergency topic evolution based on both timeline and stakeholder's type are all considered. Design/methodology/approach: Particularly the relevance between the tweets posted and the topic of emergency, the influence on the social network, and the attention of emergency topic are as well taken into account to quantitatively calculate the weight and ranking of stakeholders at different stages of the emergency. To verify the proposed model, an experimental demonstration was carried out under an emergency event posted on social media. Findings: The results show that (1) based on the three-dimensional dynamic topic evolution model, the composition and ranking of stakeholders have obvious differences at different stages; (2) the emergency information needs and the sharing behavior of stakeholders on emergency information also indicate different preferences where the topic concerns of stakeholders at different stages have a strong relationship with their weight ranking; (3) the emergency topic evolution considering both the dynamics of emergency stakeholders and emergency information demand could more accurately reflect the changing regularity of social media users' attention to information in emergency events. Originality/value: This study is one of first to investigate the emergency topic evaluation on social media by considering the dynamic changes of various stakeholders in emergency. It could not only theoretically provide more accurate method to understand how users share and search emergency information in social media, but also practically signify an information recommendation way in social media for emergency tracking. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-02-2021-0098. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As endocrine hormones, glucocorticoids (GCs) play a pivotal role in numerous physiological processes, including mammary growth and lactation, circulatory metabolism, and responses to external stimuli. In the dairy industry, milk production from cows or goats is important for newborns and economic benefits. However, the milk yields from ruminant animals are always affected by the extent of mammary development, mammary disease, stress, or changes in metabolism. Thus, it is necessary to clarify how GCs changes in ruminants affect ruminant mammary gland function and mammary disease. This review summarizes the findings identifying that GCs modulate mammary gland development before lactation, but the stress-induced excessive release of GCs leads to milk production loss. In addition, the manner of GCs release may change under different concentrations of metabolites or during mastitis or inflammatory challenge. Nevertheless, exogenous GCs administration to animals may alleviate the clinical symptoms of mastitis. This review demonstrates that GCs offer a fascinating contribution to both physiologic and pathogenic conditions of the mammary gland in ruminant animals. Characterizing and understanding these changes or functions of endogenous and exogenous GCs in animals will be crucial for developing more endocrine regulators and therapies for improving milk production in ruminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jiugong grid is one of the most used forms of multiple images posting in social media, with nine images arranged in three rows and three columns to present a related topic story from one microblog. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between the big five personality traits and the sequence position of Jiugong grid images. Two hundred thirty-seven volunteers completed a survey on the big five personality traits, and their 4,671 Jiugong grid microblogs with 42,039 photos were also obtained and analyzed. The results showed that users with varied kinds of personality traits could apply the significant position of Jiugong grid to emphasize certain content among multiple photos for a more attractable "story telling" in microblog. Compared with the image sequence position from the perspective of reading order, user personality traits had more relationship with that from the perspective of attention. This study is one of the first investigating the Jiugong grid image sharing behavior, which could theoretically enrich the social media image research from cognitive view and practically reveal the motivation of multiple images usage in social media, such as interface design and marketing purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of industrialization, greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activities, especially carbon dioxide emissions, continue to increase. The BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) account for a significant share of global carbon emissions. This study focuses on the BRICS countries as the subject of inquiry, employing carbon emission-related data spanning the temporal range from 2000 to 2020. This study systematically assesses the interrelationships among variables using the Pearson correlation analysis and Granger causality test. Variables exhibiting pronounced correlation and causality, as discerned from the analytical outcomes, are subsequently identified and selected for further examination. Use the GCAM (Global Change Assessment Model) to simulate the Rcp-ref scenario (baseline scenario) and the Rcp2.6 scenario (assuming that the temperature will not rise by 2 °C), and compare the optimal paths of key variables in the two scenarios, and draw the following conclusions. (1) By the end of this century, the total carbon emissions of the BRICS countries under Rcp2.6 scenario will be 6139MTC less than those under Rcp-ref scenario. (2) Compared with the Rcp-ref scenario, in the Rcp2.6 scenario, the proportion of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal in the main energy consumption significantly reduces, while the proportion of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and biomass increases. It is worth noting that the proportion of nuclear is significantly rising. (3) The demand for electricity increases significantly in the Rcp2.6 scenario. This study reveals the specific directions for improving the energy structure of BRICS countries to achieve the global average temperature rise of no more than 2 °C. It provides suggestions for the future policies of these countries' governments. In addition, BRICS countries should focus on observing changes in some factors, such as the increase in nuclear energy consumption and the increase in electricity demand. The reasons behind the changes in these factors are the direction of future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate aid is a form of official development assistance that addresses climate change mitigation and adaptation and plays a crucial role in combating climate change. However, existing empirical evidence does not suggest a clear link between climate aid and carbon lock-in. Based on country-level panel data from 77 countries spanning the period 2002–2020, this paper empirically examines the impact of climate aid on carbon lock-in and the four sub-indicators of carbon lock-in. Moreover, we investigate the mediating role of technological progress and potential impact mechanisms. We find that (1) climate aid has a significant restraining effect on carbon lock-in, and is an effective means of inhibiting the four aspects of carbon lock-in, namely, the lock-in of industry, institution, technology, and social behavior. (2) Technological progress not only directly leads to carbon lock-in eradication, but also synergizes with climate aid, suggesting that the combined influence of technological progress and climate aid can enhance the efficacy of efforts to mitigate carbon lock-in. (3) Climate aid promotes carbon lock-in mitigation by accelerating energy structure transition and industrial structure transition, which are two internal impact mechanisms in the nexus between climate aid and carbon lock-in. These findings offer concrete and practical policy implications to facilitate the development of climate aid and carbon lock-in eradication. • This paper estimates the impact of climate aid on carbon lock-in. • Climate aid significantly mitigates carbon lock-in and its four dimensions. • Technological progress can further strengthen the inhibiting effect of climate aid on carbon lock-in. • Climate aid indirectly affects carbon lock-in by promoting energy structure transition and industry structure transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contradiction between economic growth demands and the achievement of the "dual-carbon" goals at the regional level is a pressing issue in China. As a significant economic and cultural center in the western region of China, the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration has experienced rapid development and urbanization, making it one of the key areas for national development. Therefore, greater attention should be given to carbon emission reduction in this region. This study focuses on the dataset from 2010 to 2019 in the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration, utilizing an input-output table to construct a carbon dioxide emission inventory. The research investigates the impact of regional classification on carbon emission levels within the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration. Furthermore, the Tapio decoupling analysis method is employed to assess the decoupling coefficient between regional economic development and carbon emissions. Additionally, the Theil index inequality analysis method is utilized to measure the disparities in per capita carbon emissions among cities within the region. Research findings indicate the following: 1) The regional classification of the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration is an effective policy for reducing regional carbon emissions and promoting carbon emissions reduction. 2) There exist variations in energy and industrial structures among cities within the urban agglomeration, necessitating tailored measures for low-carbon transition based on the specific circumstances of each city. 3) The regional classification of the urban agglomeration significantly influences the degree of decoupling between economic development and carbon emissions, with a trend towards stronger decoupling. The study suggests that cities within the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration should adopt measures aligned with their natural conditions and economic characteristics to achieve a low-carbon transition. Leveraging the regional cooperation capacity of the urban agglomeration is crucial to decouple economic development from carbon emissions, thereby promoting sustainable economic growth and environmental protection in a mutually beneficial manner. [Display omitted] • We assess the level of CO 2 emissions in the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration from 2010 to 2019. • We examine the relationship between economic development and CO 2 emissions using decoupling model. • We analyze the inequality between economic development and CO 2 emissions using Theil index. • The regional classification facilitates the promotion of low-carbon transition in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the current research on the information analysis of social media (SM) for public emergency focused on a single dimension such as emotion while neglecting the interaction between multidimensional information. Therefore, in this study, an information dispersing–superimposing model is proposed to explain the implicit regularity of the impact within a symbol, sentiment, and context information and their dependent evolution on the SM. Information hue, saturation, and flux (HSF) are defined to measure the interaction process. An online event was selected to verify the concept and hypothesis of this study. The results proved that the interaction among multidimensional information did exist on the SM for a public emergency. The turning points of information dispersing–superimposing often emerged when the number of online users involved had significant changes, and sentiment and context information were showed to have a strong interaction relationship and tended to be spread at the same time. It was also manifested that the dominant information component was varied at each stage of the emergency. This paper is one of the first to study the interaction of multidimensional information on the SM derived from optics scattering. The findings of the study will try to provide a theoretical explanation for why certain information components may be enhanced during the online dissemination and suggest practical support for the information predictions and interface design for SM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective Methods Results Conclusion Robotic‐assisted bronchoscopy (RAB) is an emerging modality to sample pulmonary lesions. Cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) can be incorporated into RAB. We investigated the magnitude and predictors of patient and staff radiation exposure during mobile CBCT‐guided shape‐sensing RAB.Patient radiation dose was estimated by cumulative dose area product (cDAP) and cumulative reference air kerma (cRAK). Staff equivalent dose was calculated based on isokerma maps and a phantom simulation. Patient, lesion and procedure‐related factors associated with higher radiation doses were identified by logistic regression models.A total of 198 RAB cases were included in the analysis. The median patient cDAP and cRAK were 10.86 Gy cm2 (IQR: 4.62–20.84) and 76.20 mGy (IQR: 38.96–148.38), respectively. Among staff members, the bronchoscopist was exposed to the highest median equivalent dose of 1.48 μSv (IQR: 0.85–2.69). Both patient and staff radiation doses increased with the number of CBCT spins and targeted lesions (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). Patient obesity, negative bronchus sign, lesion size <2.0 cm and inadequate sampling by on‐site evaluation were associated with a higher patient dose, while patient obesity and inadequate sampling by on‐site evaluation were associated with a higher bronchoscopist equivalent dose.The magnitude of patient and staff radiation exposure during CBCT‐RAB is aligned with safety thresholds recommended by regulatory authorities. Factors associated with a higher radiation exposure during CBCT‐RAB can be identified pre‐operatively and solicit procedural optimization by reinforcing radiation protective measures. Future studies are needed to confirm these findings across multiple institutions and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2015, China and other member states of the United Nations adopted the goal of eliminating dog-mediated rabies by 2030. China has made substantial progress in reducing dog-mediated human rabies since peaking with more than 3,300 reported cases in 2007. To further improve coordination and planning, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in collaboration with the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conducted a Stepwise Approach towards Rabies Elimination (SARE) assessment in March 2019. Assessment goals included outlining progress and identifying activities critical for eliminating dog-mediated rabies. Participants representing national, provincial and local human and animal health sectors in China used the SARE assessment tool to answer 115 questions about the current dog-mediated rabies control and prevention programs in China. The established surveillance system for human rabies cases and availability of post-exposure prophylaxis were identified as strengths. Low dog vaccination coverage and limited laboratory confirmation of rabid dogs were identified gaps, resulting in an overall score of 1.5 on a scale of 0 to 5. Participants outlined steps to increase cross-sectoral information sharing, improve surveillance for dog rabies, increase dog vaccination coverage, and increase laboratory capacity to diagnose rabies at the provincial level. All assessment participants committed to strengthening cross-sector collaboration using a One Health approach to achieve dog-mediated human rabies elimination by 2030. Author summary: Rabies is an acute zoonosis with a mortality rate of almost 100% following the onset of symptoms. In China, the increased access to post-exposure prophylaxis has substantially reduced the number of human rabies deaths. However, rabies continues to circulate in many rural parts of the country, resulting in hundreds of rabid dog-related exposures and deaths each year. In 2015, member states of the United Nations adopted the goal of eliminating dog-mediated rabies by 2030. We conducted a Stepwise Approach towards Rabies Elimination (SARE) assessment to outline progress and identify steps needed to achieve the elimination goal in China. The assessment involved representatives from the national and 12 selected provincial-level human and animal health sectors. The 12 provinces were purposefully selected based on the current dog-mediated rabies burden, an interest in participating, and the ability to complete the SARE assessment tool. This cross-sector–or One Health—approach was useful for improving coordination and planning. In particular, the assessment identified opportunities to improve collaboration between sectors on laboratory diagnostic capacity, implementing mass dog vaccination campaigns and conducting epidemiologic investigations on dog-mediated rabies exposures. An integrated One Health strategy should be strengthened in China as well as in other countries aiming to eliminate dog-mediated rabies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thematic analysis based on a social network is one of the effective means in emergency management. To improve users' understanding, the results of the thematic analysis are often displayed through visualization. However, the previous researches on text theme visualization rarely considered the unified representation of theme structure and theme evolution. Cognitive load leads to difficulty, and it happens due to the separate representation of structure and evolution relationship and it still increases because of the characteristics of urgency, uncertainty, etc. Therefore, a metaphor map is introduced in this study to overcome the limits of previous visualization tools in characterizing the structure and evolutionary relationship of emergency. On the one hand, different elements in the metaphor map represent the information of popularity and structure of the demand, respectively. On the other hand, the visual design based on the metaphor map strengthens the representation of the content and evolution states of the demand themes. At the theoretical level, a visualization method for emergency needs based on the metaphor map is proposed in this study, which enriches the theory of emergency information visualization. At the practical level, this study explores the design of a visualization system based on the metaphor map under crisis scenarios, which enhances the interaction between users and crisis information, and provides references for decision-making such as emergency material scheduling and emergency resource coordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Graphic-based tag clouds aim to visually represent tag content and tag structure, and then to better represent tagged information for later search. However, few studies have clarified the features among varied visualization approaches involved in graphic-based tag clouds and compared them for the purpose of information search. Design/methodology/approach: After reviewing four kinds of graphic-based tag clouds, an experimental demonstration was conducted in our study to verify how user performs in information search for a general seeking task by using them. Precision ratio, recall ratio, clicks on search and time for search were four variables tested in the experiment. Also, two supplementary tests were respectively carried out to manifest how graphic-based tag clouds contributed to the identification of target tags and tag clusters. Findings: The experimental results showed that compared to tag content visual tag structure was more important to find related tags from tag clouds for information search. In addition, tag clouds that visually represented the semantic relationships within tags could make user more confident about their search result and carry out a shorter learning process during searching, which signified a tag-based information search path when visual elements were applied. Originality/value: This research is one of the first to illustrate systematically the graphic-based tag clouds and their impacts on information search. The research findings could suggest on how to build up more effective and interactive tag clouds and make proposition for the design of search user interface by using graphic-based tag clouds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To characterize the role of clinical and sociodemographic factors in the use of conservative management for localized prostate cancer in the US between 2010 and 2015, and to understand how those factors evolved in light of the recent national increase in conservative management rates.Methods: Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program "Prostate with Watchful Waiting Database," where conservative treatment was delineated by a distinct classifier, was used to evaluate factors associated with electing for conservative management at initial diagnosis (2010-2015). Men aged ≥40 years with cT1-T2a and T2NOS with Gleason score 3 + 3 and 3 + 4 were included (n = 118,415). Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the association between clinical and sociodemographic factors and electing conservative management.Results: Between 2010 and 15, a total of 22,099 (18.6%) men were managed conservatively. Mean age of men managed conservatively decreased from 66.6 to 64.6 years, and median prostate-specific antigen (PSA) increased from 5.7 to 6.0 ng/mL, P <.0001. Men with lower income experienced a greater increase in conservative management rates compared to those with high income (152% vs 72% for third and fifth [richest] income quintiles, respectively). On multivariable analysis, Gleason score 3 + 3, older age, lower PSA, more recent year, treatment in the West, and higher levels of county income were significantly associated with conservative management.Conclusion: Characteristics of men undergoing conservative management are rapidly changing. Younger men, men with higher PSAs, and men of all incomes are increasingly being managed conservatively. Narrowing of income-based disparities with concurrent broadening of patients considered eligible for surveillance is encouraging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rabies is a fatal viral disease typically transmitted through the bite of rabid animal. Domestic dogs cause over 99% of human rabies deaths. Over half of the world's population lives in a country where the canine rabies virus variant is endemic and dog bites are common. An estimated 29 million people worldwide receive post-bite vaccination after being exposed to animals suspected of rabies. Accurate and timely risk assessment of rabies in biting dogs is critical to ensure that rabies PEP is administered to all persons with a suspected rabies exposure, while avoiding PEP administration in situations where rabies can be definitively ruled out. In this study, a logistic regression model was developed to quantify the risk of rabies in biting dogs, using data from Haiti's animal rabies surveillance program. Significant risk factors identified in the model were used to quantify the probability of rabies in biting dogs. The risk of rabies in a biting dog as assessed through Haiti's rabies surveillance program was highly elevated when the dog displayed hypersalivation (OR = 34.6, 95% CI 11.3–106.5) or paralysis (OR = 19.0, 95% CI 4.8–74.8) and when the dog was dead at the time of the assessment (OR = 20.7, 95% CI 6.7–63.7). Lack of prior rabies vaccination, biting 2 or more people, and if the dog was a puppy also increased the probability that a biting dog would have rabies. The model showed high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (97%) when examined using validation data. This model enables us to project the risk of rabies in biting dogs in Haiti shortly after the bite event and make provisional PEP recommendations prior to laboratory testing or dog quarantine results. Application of this model may improve adherence to PEP for bite victims who can be educated on the quantitative risk of the exposure event. This model can also be used to reduce unnecessary PEP costs when the risk of rabies is determined as sufficiently low and the animal is available for observation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The 1.5 million Medicare beneficiaries who survive intensive care each year have a high post‐hospitalization mortality rate. We aimed to determine whether mortality after critical illness is higher for Medicare beneficiaries with Medicaid compared with those with commercial insurance. Design: A retrospective cohort study from 2010 through 2014 with 1 year of follow‐up using the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database. Setting: A New York State population‐based study of older (age ≥65 y) survivors of intensive care. Participants: Adult Medicare beneficiaries age 65 years or older who were hospitalized with intensive care at a New York State hospital and survived to discharge. Intervention: None. Measurement: Mortality in the first year after hospital discharge. Results: The study included 340 969 Medicare beneficiary survivors of intensive care with a mean (standard deviation) age of 77 (8) years; 20% died within 1 year. There were 152 869 (45%) with commercial insurance, 78 577 (23%) with Medicaid, and 109 523 (32%) with Medicare alone. Compared with those with commercial insurance, those with Medicare alone had a similar 1‐year mortality rate (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI] = .99‐1.04), and those with Medicaid had a 9% higher 1‐year mortality rate (aHR = 1.09; 95% CI = 1.05‐1.12). Among those discharged home, the 1‐year mortality rate did not vary by insurance coverage, but among those discharged to skilled‐care facilities (SCFs), the 1‐year mortality rate was 16% higher for Medicaid recipients (aHR = 1.16; 95% CI = 1.12‐1.21; P for interaction <.001). Conclusions: Older adults with Medicaid insurance have a higher 1‐year post‐hospitalization mortality compared with those with commercial insurance, especially among those discharged to SCFs. Future studies should investigate care disparities at SCFs that may mediate these higher mortality rates. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2497–2504, 2019 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Visual Distinctive Language (VDL)-based iconic tags are structured visual information annotation. They explicate the content and organization of tagged information by graphical and symbolic features in order to improve the vocabulary problems of textual tags. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how these special icons help in tagged-based user information searching. Design/methodology/approach: A two-stage experiment was designed and conducted so as to follow and quantify the searching process in specific searching target case and no specific searching target case when using VDL-based iconic tags. Findings: The experimental results manifested that VDL-based iconic tags enhanced the role of tag in information searching. They could make user better understand tag clusters, which, in turn, provide global structure of involved topics. Also, VDL-based iconic tags helped user to find out searching target more quickly with higher accuracy by taking advantages of visual representation of tag categories and symbolic signification of tag content. Originality/value: This study is one of the first to verify how structured icons work in information searching and how user's graphical cognition impacts on tag-based information searching process. The research findings are dedicated to the theory of VDL-based iconic tags, as well as to a new visualization method for search user interface design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Polymer materials containing Diels–Alder (abbreviated DA) groups show good self‐healing ability under certain conditions. In this study, the thermal reversible DA bond was introduced into polyurethane by the design of molecular chain to obtain the self‐healing properties. The pre‐polyurethane (HTK) end‐capped with furan rings was synthesized by hexamethylene diisocyanate trimer and furfuryl alcohol firstly. Then, HTK was mixed with bismaleimide (BMI) to synthesize the cross‐linked polyurethane HTK‐PU. Finally, the properties of the HTK‐PU were characterized. It can be observed from DSC that the DA reaction occurred at 76°C and the r‐DA reaction occurred at 109.5°C. This cross‐linked polyurethane shows a remarkable high hardness (shore D80). When preserved at 80°C for 6 hr, the self‐healing efficiency of the HTK‐PU was 53.75% known from tensile test, and cracks on it virtually disappeared as observed from polarizing microscope (POM). When preserved at 80°C for 12 hr, the self‐healing efficiency was 67.56%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tin and molybdenum co-doped titanium dioxide nanotube arrays was prepared by single-step anodization of titanium plate (Sn-Mo-TiO 2 NTs/Ti electrode). The Sn-Mo-TiO 2 NTs/Ti electrode was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The length and inner diameter of nanotubes increased with the increase of anodization voltage. The influences of factors, such as anodization voltage, anodization time, concentrations of Sn 4+ and Mo 6+ , and calcination temperature, on the preparation of the electrode were studied by chronoamperometry under simulated sunlight irradiation. The optical performance of Sn-Mo-TiO 2 NTs/Ti electrode was tested by UV–vis spectrophotometer. Sn-Mo-TiO 2 NTs/Ti electrode exhibited high adsorption in the visible region relative to pure titanium dioxide nanotube arrays. Additionally, the chronoamperometry test results highlighted that the doping of tin and molybdenum could enhance the photoelectrochemical performance of the electrode. The electrode exhibited good photoelectrocatalytic oxidation capacity on phenol at 0.5 V constant bias voltage. Applied bias voltage enhanced the photocatalytic efficiency of nanotube arrays via promoting the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. A possible degradation process for phenol was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal oxide engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) offer a range of opportunities for sustainable agriculture. Despite ENMs acting as vectors of nutrients to plants, it remains unclear whether they promote the uptake of contaminants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), by plants. The present work revealed that ENMs (SiO 2 nanoparticles, nSiO 2 ; CeO 2 nanoparticles, nCeO 2 ; 100 mg L−1) significantly enhanced the accumulation of Pyr by 18.4–34.8% in soybean (Glycine max L.) tissues over 15-d hydroponic cultivation. Metabolomics analyses suggested the metabolic disturbance occurred in both Pyr-only exposure (910.3 ± 87.6 mg kg−1 Pyr) and the co-exposure of Pyr and ENMs (804.5 ± 52.1 – 1226.6 ± 12.0 mg kg−1 Pyr). In addition, higher Pyr contents induced more notable reprogramming of multiple metabolic processes in soybean, such as C/N cycle. Further statistical analyses indicated that more than 70% metabolic permutations were induced by Pyr, which was more profound than ENMs. The results in this study highlight the potential risks and specific molecular mechanisms of emergent ENMs if co-exposure with ubiquitous PAHs. This study also promotes further research into the responsible and sustainable development of nanotechnology in the agriculture. [Display omitted] • nSiO 2 and nCeO 2 significantly increased Pyr contents in soybean by 18.4–34.8%. • Smaller sized nSiO 2 increased the most Pyr accumulation in soybean. • Higher Pyr content enhanced reprogramming of C/N cycle in soybean tissues. • Compared to ENMs, Pyr contributed more to metabolism disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Icon plays a critical role in computer interface design. Studies on icon taxonomy explain the way in which various types of icon represent the objects and provide designers creation rules by which icons are more in line with users’ cognitive psychology. However, along with larger and larger use of icons, the previous classification criterion causes the boundary between categories blur. What’s more, Single classification standard is not able to well illustrate the icons applied in today’s computer applications. The purpose of this paper is to present an objective-oriented icon taxonomy which proposes to categorize icons into action icon and knowledge icon. To assess this proposition, we analyzed a sample of icons that applied in computer interface and suggest precise application domains to both action icon and knowledge icon categories. The results of this practice manifested that action icon and knowledge icon implied a high relation with applied environment and explicated the development trace of computer icons. This work is one of the first to point out the notion of knowledge icon and to highlight the importance of objective of icon application. Findings in this paper could enrich icon use in computer interface design, especially provides possible way to improve online knowledge sharing by visual tool like icon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge organization systems need tags to centralize and provide the keywords that can be employed in classifying, sharing and seeking knowledge for personal or organizational use. However, the increased variety of vocabularies and languages causes the connections between textual tags and the documents marked by them to become less and less distinctive. The purpose of this paper is to present an exploratory study on new type of knowledge tags: structured iconic tags. This kind of tag is created based on the special graphical rule – Visual Distinctive Language (VDL) – and has particular focus on the representation of tag structure. A ‘tagging on paper’ experiment was conducted to compare tagging results among three types of tags: textual tags, iconic tags without explicit structure and VDL-based iconic tags. Experimental results demonstrated that the new type of iconic tags improves the representation of tag structure as well as the interpretation of tag meaning. This work is one of the first to investigate how icons would be applied for tagging and what kind of graphical code would better represent knowledge organization. Findings in this paper could enrich the tagging method, which in turn provides a possible way to develop a visual knowledge organization system and iconic tag clouds for digital library. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

• VDL-based structured icon is no longer a kind of supplementary representation tool of emergency but a visual coordination center for all types of collaborators. • The correlation among emergency information could be represented through the visual similarity of the pre-icon of VDL-based icons. • Proposed interaction mode based on structured icon could reinforce the user's cognition of dynamic information and optimize the whole emergency cooperation process. Accurate and timely information sharing among multiple participants is one of the crucial factors for collaboration in crisis management. The icon-based map was frequently applied as an effective means for crisis interaction and collaboration. However, former studies only regarded the icons as supplementary visualization components during the whole crisis collaboration process. In this paper, the concept of a structured-icon-relied interactive method was proposed to directly integrate all kinds of crisis and coordination information through icons on the crisis map. Moreover, structured icons are supposed to explicitly show the correlation among crisis information and to improve the interactive experience of information search. The effectiveness of this interactive method was verified by a controlled experiment with three sub-tasks for simulated crisis rescue. The results of the experiment showed that the design of the crisis map based on structured icons had a positive impact on collaborative decision-making and crisis interaction. The dynamic characteristics of the structured icon could represent the temporal and spatial attributes of crisis information and enhance users' crisis coordination ability. The study aims to enrich the theory of crisis information visualization and interaction based on structured iconic representation. In practice, this research could optimize the design of a crisis collaboration system based on the icon as well as the interaction between people, crisis information, and collaborative system, which in turn provides accurate and timely rescue decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Two major techniques are currently used to estimate rabies virus antibody values: neutralization assays, such as the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). The RFFIT is considered the gold standard assay and has been used to assess the titer of rabies virus neutralizing antibodies for more than three decades. In the late 1970s, ELISA began to be used to estimate the level of rabies virus antibody and has recently been used by some laboratories as an alternate screening test for animal sera. Although the ELISA appears simpler, safer and more efficient, the assay is less sensitive in detecting low values of rabies virus neutralizing antibodies than neutralization tests. This study was designed to evaluate a new ELISA-based method for detecting rabies virus binding antibody. This new technique uses electro-chemi-luminescence labels and carbon electrode plates to detect binding events. In this comparative study, the RFFIT and the new ELISA-based technique were used to evaluate the level of rabies virus antibodies in human and animal serum samples. By using a conservative approximation of 0.15IU/ml as a cutoff point, the new ELISA-based technique demonstrated a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 95% for human samples and for experimental animal samples. The sensitivity and specificity for field animal samples was 96% and 95%, respectively. The preliminary results from this study appear promising and demonstrate a higher sensitivity than traditional ELISA methods. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

HPV vaccination rates remain suboptimal despite proven efficacy. Data suggest misconceptions or lack of knowledge are leading barriers. Our study aimed to develop and pilot a novel interactive education resource designed to educate parents and patients about HPV vaccines. This is a prospective pilot study conducted in an urban teaching hospital pediatric clinic. The Patient Activated Learning System (PALS) intervention included 3 web-based videos with HPV vaccine-related educational content. Participants were parents of adolescent patients, aged 11–17 years, and young adult patients, aged 18–26 years. Enrolled participants completed an HPV vaccine knowledge survey before and after watching PALS; paired scores were evaluated. Acceptability and participant-reported impact of PALS modules were measured via Likert-scale surveys. 132 individuals were approached; 101 (76%) enrolled and completed the study. Participants self-identified as Hispanic (50%), non-Hispanic Black (23%), non-Hispanic White (7%), Asian (6%), American/Alaskan/Hawaiian Native or Pacific Islander (5%). Half reported earning ≤$40,000 annually; 57% had only a high school education. Post-intervention knowledge scores were increased compared to baseline (9.87/27 points vs 17.53/27 points, p < 0.01). PALS modules were reported as enjoyable to use and understandable (89% and 93%, respectively), and improved participants' understanding of the importance of HPV vaccination (90%). Of the 18 patients unvaccinated at baseline, 39% received 1 shot of the HPV vaccine within one month. The PALS HPV vaccine educational intervention was feasible, acceptable, and improved knowledge among a diverse, underserved population. Our intervention may positively influence HPV vaccination rates, with potential to overcome HPV vaccine hesitancy. • HPV vaccine-related educational modules were made for the Patient Activated Learning System (PALS) platform. • Participants reported feeling more comfortable with HPV vaccine for boys and girls after using the PALS modules. • HPV vaccine-related knowledge increased after use of PALS modules in participants recruited at a diverse pediatric clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress induced by ischemia‐reperfusion causes severe secondary injury in stroke patients. The blood‐brain barrier (BBB) and the challenges in targeting the stroke core hinder the therapeutic effect of drugs. This study introduces a precise biomimetic drug delivery system called SHp‐NM@Edv/RCD (SNM‐NPs), which possesses multiple stepwise targeting capabilities. SNM‐NPs are encapsulated by the neutrophil membranes (NMs) and exhibit a targeting effect (5.16‐fold) on the inflammatory microenvironment. The modification of stroke‐homing peptides (SHp) makes SNM‐NPs target damaged neurons faster, with a targeting efficiency 5.68 times higher than that of β‐cyclodextrins (RCD). Then, RCD encapsulated in SNM‐NPs responds to reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to the release of edaravone (Edv), scavenges ROS, inhibits neuroinflammation, and reduces neuronal apoptosis by 90%. Mechanistically, SNM‐NPs deliver Edv precisely to the cerebral ischemia‐reperfusion injury (CIRI) site, resulting in the elimination of ROS, a decrease in the number of microglia, an improvement in tubulin expression in neurons, and the inhibition of neuronal apoptosis through Caspase 3 pathway. Preliminary experiments also show that SNM‐NPs exhibit a good safety profile both in intravenous therapy and in vitro cell experiments. As a result, SNM‐NPs hold promise for further development as effective and safe agents for target therapy of CIRI and other diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We created discriminative models of different regions of interest (ROIs) using radiomic texture features of neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) and evaluated the feasibility of each model in differentiating glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) from solitary brain metastasis (SBM). Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 204 patients with GBM (n = 146) or SBM (n = 58). Radiomic texture features were extracted from five ROIs based on three metric maps (intracellular volume fraction, orientation dispersion index, and isotropic volume fraction of NODDI), including necrosis, solid tumors, peritumoral edema, tumor bulk volume (TBV), and abnormal bulk volume. Four feature selection methods and eight classifiers were used for the radiomic texture feature selection and model construction. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the models. Routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomic texture feature models generated in the same manner were used for the horizontal comparison. Results: NODDI-radiomic texture analysis based on TBV subregions exhibited the highest accuracy (although nonsignificant) in differentiating GBM from SBM, with area under the ROC curve (AUC) values of 0.918 and 0.882 in the training and test datasets, respectively, compared to necrosis (AUCtraining:0.845, AUCtest:0.714), solid tumor (AUCtraining:0.852, AUCtest:0.821), peritumoral edema (AUCtraining:0.817, AUCtest:0.762), and ABV (AUCtraining:0.834, AUCtest:0.779). The performance of the five ROI radiomic texture models in routine MRI was inferior to that of the NODDI-radiomic texture model. Conclusion: Preoperative NODDI-radiomic texture analysis based on TBV subregions shows great potential for distinguishing GBM from SBM. Key points: • NODDI-radiomic texture analysis can distinguish glioblastoma multiforme from solitary brain metastasis. • ROI division affects efficiency, and tumor bulk volume outperformed other ROIs. • NODDI-based outperforms routine magnetic resonance imaging-based radiomic texture analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Speckle-type POZ protein (SPOP) mutation defines one of the dominant prostate cancer genomic subtypes, yet the impact of this mutation on clinical prognosis is unknown.Methods: We defined SPOP mutation status either by DNA sequencing or by transcriptional signature in a pooled retrospective multi-institutional cohort, the Decipher retrospective cohort, the Decipher Genomics Resource Information Database prospective cohort, and The Cancer Genome Atlas. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariable Cox models were used to assess the independent impact of SPOP mutation on survival, biochemical recurrence and time to metastasis. The Decipher retrospective cohort was also used to assess the impact of the addition of SPOP mutation status to a model predicting adverse pathology at prostatectomy which was then validated in the Decipher prospective cohort.Results: A fixed-effect model incorporating results from multivariable Cox regression including 5,811 subjects demonstrated that SPOP mutation was associated with a lower rate of adverse pathology at radical prostatectomy (odds ratios 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.34-0.93), independent of preoperative prostate-specific antigen, age, and pathologic Gleason score. SPOP was not associated with biochemical recurrence, metastasis-free survival, or cancer-specific survival independent of pathologic information. The addition of SPOP status to prognostic models reclassified a large proportion of patients with the mutation (55%) into a favorable risk group when used to predict adverse pathology.Conclusion: While the clinical utility of delineating any single molecular alteration in prostate cancer remains unclear, these results illustrates the importance of genomic subtypes in prostate cancer behavior and potential role in prognostic tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Objective: To understand the effect of obstructive sleep apnea on readmission rates and post-operative atrial fibrillation in the cardiac surgical population.Design: Retrospective cohort study.Setting: Administrative database consisting of 2007-2014 data from California, Florida, New York, Kentucky, and Maryland from the State Inpatient Databases, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project.Patients: A total of 506,604 patients ≥18 years old who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG) and/or valve surgery were included in the study. After excluding for death during the index hospitalization and missing data, 396,657 patients remained for 30-day readmission analysis.Interventions: None.Measurements: Primary outcomes were unadjusted rates and adjusted odds of 30-day readmission. Secondary outcomes included post-operative atrial fibrillation and readmission diagnoses. Bivariate associations were assessed between OSA status, covariates and potential confounders, and outcomes. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. Statistical significance was assessed at p < 0.05.Main Results: The overall 30-day readmission rate was 17.2%, with a rate of 19.6% vs. 17.1% in the OSA vs. non-OSA group (p < 0.001). Patients with OSA had higher odds of 30-day readmission (OR = 1.08, 95% CI 1.06-1.11) and higher odds of developing post-operative atrial fibrillation (OR = 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.08) compared to non-OSA patients. The most common reason for readmission was atrial fibrillation (38.6%), with OSA patients presenting with atrial fibrillation more frequently than their counterparts (41.7% vs. 38.4%, p < 0.001).Conclusions: Patients with OSA are at increased risk of 30-day readmission and post-operative atrial fibrillation following cardiac surgery compared to those without OSA. Although the importance of OSA is increasingly recognized, it remains a significant risk factor for post-operative readmissions and morbidity. Further research is needed to optimize perioperative management of patients with OSA, but these results highlight the importance of this disease on patient outcomes and healthcare costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amide proton transfer (APT) imaging is a noninvasive molecular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique based on the chemical exchange-dependent saturation transfer mechanism. The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic performance of APT MRI in detecting intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) at hyperacute, acute and subacute stages by comparing with susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI). APT MRI and SWI were performed on 33 included patients with ICH by using a 3-T MRI unit. A two-sided Mann-Whitney U test was used to detect differences in APT-weighted (APTw) and SWI signal intensities of ICH at hyperacute, acute and subacute stages. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to assess the diagnostic utilities of APT MRI and SWI. Our results showed that APT MRI could detect ICH at hyperacute, acute and subacute stages. Therefore, APTw signal intensity may serve as a reliable, noninvasive imaging biomarker for detecting ICH at hyperacute, acute and subacute stages. Moreover, APT MRI could provide additional information for the ICH compared with SWI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, a series of flower-like CuS/UiO-66 composites with different UiO-66 contents were fabricated via a facile solvothermal method. The as-prepared composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–vis optical absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. The CuS/UiO-66 composites exhibited remarkable performance for the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) as compared to pure UiO-66 under visible-light irradiation. Moreover, the catalytic activity was related to the weight ratio of CuS to UiO-66 in the composites, and the CuS/UiO-66 (weight ratio 2.4:1) composites exhibited the highest photocatalytic activities. The improved photocatalytic activity contributed to the synergetic effect between CuS and UiO-66, which facilitated the separation efficiency of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The possible mechanism of the enhanced photocatalytic performance of the CuS/UiO-66 composites was also discussed. This work demonstrates that the CuS/UiO-66 composite is a promising photocatalyst for removing of organic pollutants. Unlabelled Image • A series of flower-like CuS/UiO-66 composites were prepared. • The CuS/UiO-66 composites exhibited remarkable performance for the degradation of RhB. • The enhanced photocatalytic performance was attributed to the synergistic effect of CuS and UiO-66. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient one-pot Sonogashira coupling and annulation reaction affording 4 H -quinolizin-4-ones in moderate to excellent yields is described. A variety of substituted iodoarenes and 2-alkylazaarenes were well tolerated, and especially the unsaturated double and triple bonds were compatible under the standard conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anesthesiologists' contribution to perioperative healthcare disparities remains unclear because patient and surgeon preferences can influence care choices. Postoperative nausea and vomiting is a patient- centered outcome measure and a main driver of unplanned admissions. Antiemetic administration is under the sole domain of anesthesiologists. In a U.S. sample, Medicaid insured versus commercially insured patients and those with lower versus higher median income had reduced antiemetic administration, but not all risk factors were controlled for. This study examined whether a patient's race is associated with perioperative antiemetic administration and hypothesized that Black versus White race is associated with reduced receipt of antiemetics. Methods: An analysis was performed of 2004 to 2018 Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes Group data. The primary outcome of interest was administration of either ondansetron or dexamethasone; secondary outcomes were administration of each drug individually or both drugs together. The confounder-adjusted analysis included relevant patient demographics (Apfel postoperative nausea and vomiting risk factors: sex, smoking history, postoperative nausea and vomiting or motion sickness history, and postoperative opioid use; as well as age) and included institutions as random effects. Results: The Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes Group data contained 5.1 million anesthetic cases from 39 institutions located in the United States and The Netherlands. Multivariable regression demonstrates that Black patients were less likely to receive antiemetic administration with either ondansetron or dexamethasone than White patients (290,208 of 496,456 [58.5%] vs. 2.24 million of 3.49 million [64.1%]; adjusted odds ratio, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.81 to 0.82; P < 0.001). Black as compared to White patients were less likely to receive any dexamethasone (140,642 of 496,456 [28.3%] vs. 1.29 million of 3.49 million [37.0%]; adjusted odds ratio, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.77 to 0.78; P < 0.001), any ondansetron (262,086 of 496,456 [52.8%] vs. 1.96 million of 3.49 million [56.1%]; adjusted odds ratio, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.84 to 0.85; P < 0.001), and dexamethasone and ondansetron together (112,520 of 496,456 [22.7%] vs. 1.0 million of 3.49 million [28.9%]; adjusted odds ratio, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.77 to 0.79; P < 0.001). Conclusions: In a perioperative registry data set, Black versus White patient race was associated with less antiemetic administration, after controlling for all accepted postoperative nausea and vomiting risk factors. Using data from the Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes Group registry and adjusting for Apfel postoperative nausea and vomiting risk factors, Black versus White patient race was associated with less antiemetic administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly cross-linked polyurethanes based on Diels-Alder (DA) reaction have high hardness but poor toughness. A modified polyurethane with three-furyl diol (TF) was synthesized innovatively to improve its mechanical properties. Three-furyl diol (TF) and hydroxyl terminated polyurethane IDI-TF were synthesized first. Then the reaction of IDI-TF with xylene bismaleimide (BMI) generates cross-linked polyurethane ITB-PU (its soft segment content is 11.5%). Finally, the properties of the polyurethane ITB-PU were characterized by a series of methods. It can be observed that the DA reaction occurred at 50.33 °C, the r-DA reaction at 69.55 °C. When heated at 80 °C for 6 h, the self-healing efficiency of the ITB-PU was 43.91% known from the tensile test, and cracks on it virtually disappeared seen from polarizing microscope (POM). When heat was preserved for 12 h, the self-healing efficiency can reach 80.02%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a malignant brain tumor with a poor prognosis that is highly heterogeneous and invasive. One of the most major challenges of GBM treatment in the clinic is the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Additionally, the tumor microenvironment (TME) is highly enriched with immunosuppressed M2-like tumor-associated macrophages (M2 TAMs) and glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs), which promoted the malignancy of GBM through the PTN-PTPRZ1 signaling axis. Here, we developed a self-assembled dual-targeted hybrid micelle (DT-GM1) as a nanocarrier to deliver the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin (DOX). We demonstrated that this DT-GM1/DOX can cross the BBB using in vitro and in vivo GBM models, and that M2pep and PTPRZ1 antibodies allow it to precisely target the tumor microenvironment where M2 TAMs and GSCs are enriched, increasing intracellular drug accumulation via multiple internalization pathways. Additionally, simultaneous elimination of M2 TAMs and GSCs blocked the PTN-PTPRZ1 signaling axis, resulting in less M2 TAM infiltration and increased polarization to the M1 phenotype, reshaping the immune microenvironment. Overall, we have established a nanocarrier that can penetrate the BBB and target the TME while also synergizing with GBM chemotherapeutic agents, providing a promising new strategy for GBM treatment. [Display omitted] • Functionalized micelles target both M2 TAMs and GSCs to block the PTN-PTPRZ1 signaling axis. • Functionalized micelles reduce M2 TAMs infiltration, induce M1 polarization, and remodel TME. • Functionalized micelles have potential to synergize with chemotherapeutic agents in GBM treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moisture migration of two types of desulfurization wastewater (pretreated by chemical deposition and pre-concentration) during evaporation was revealed by single droplet drying, isothermal evaporation experiments, and low-field 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR). Moreover, spray drying experiments were conducted on a pilot-scale spray dryer. The results show wastewater droplet evaporation can be divided into three stages: shrinkage, inflation, and deflation. The locking point and internal bubble motion are influenced by the evaporation conditions. The density, viscosity, and surface tension continue to change during wastewater evaporation. The main crystallization products in sequence are CaSO 4 · n H 2 O, NaCl, MgCl 2 ·6H 2 O, and NaCl again. Evaporation rates of wastewater decrease because of increasing binding energy between water and solids from the left-shifted T 2 peak in the LF-NMR analysis. Additionally, in the spray drying experiments, increasing the gas-liquid ratio helps to decrease the moisture content in the final drying products, which also reduces the caking risks. The moisture distributions in spray drying products characterized by LF-NMR show three distinct water forms: free water, capillary water, and bound water. The bound water is in the majority of the residual water. [Display omitted] • Moisture forms and migration are revealed during desulfurization wastewater evaporation. • Influences of water properties and drying conditions on wastewater evaporation are analyzed. • The crystallization sequence of typical wastewater is CaSO 4 · n H 2 O, NaCl, MgCl 2 ·6H 2 O, and NaCl. • Spray evaporation experiments are conducted on a pilot-scale spray dryer • Three distinct water forms in drying products are characterized by LF-NMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A biomimetic neutrophil and macrophage hybrid membrane-covered nanoplatform with appealing BBB transport and tumor microenvironment stimuli-responsive targetability is developed in this work for glioma treatment. The introduction of neutrophil and macrophage membrane onto nanoparticles bestows traditional nanocarriers with analogous and intrinsic capability of source cells, thereby offering significant advantages in delivering therapeutics across BBB with improved tumor targetability. [Display omitted] • A neutrophil & macrophage dual membrane-coated nanoparticle is developed and optimized. • The nanoparticle possesses specific functionalities of both neutrophil and macrophage. • The nanoparticle with tumor-microenvironment responsive ability enables targeted delivery. Malignant glioma is a significant problem in public health worldwide, due to high infiltrative glioma growth, chemotherapeutic tumor resistance, and formidable obstacle of blood–brain barrier (BBB). Therapeutic drug delivery platforms that can overcome the BBB hurdle and target glioma are urgently needed. Encouraged by the involvement of immune cells in inflammatory response, and their important role in regulating glioma maintenance and progression, we introduce an effective approach based on neutrophil-macrophage hybrid membrane coating nanotechnology for glioma treatment. By covering a rapamycin (RAPA)-loaded poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticle with neutrophil and macrophage membranes (NMm), this biomimetic nanoparticle (NMm-PLGA/RAPA) possesses spontaneous BBB penetrating, and inherently combines the stimuli-homing responsiveness of macrophage with the inflammatory chemotaxis of neutrophils. An in vivo brain inflammatory study confirms that the NMm-PLGA/RAPA can efficiently transmigrate across BBB, respond to inflammatory stimuli, and specifically accumulate within the inflammatory site. On injection of NMm-PLGA/RAPA into a mouse glioma model, the NMm-PLGA/RAPA is found to target the brain tumor, and is capable of eliminating glioma cells and inducing durable tumor regression. Our neutrophil and macrophage membrane-coated nanoplatform presents a viable and efficient drug delivery system able to increase therapeutic efficacy for glioma and possibly other malignant tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Deep-learning based GTV delineation modeling reader variability can predict confidence levels in GTV contours. • Learning of GTV confidence levels can be performed with a modified U-Net with an ordinal loss combined with a training strategy using discretization of target GTV confidence levels. • The agreement between CTV drawn from human and predicted GTV contours is even higher than the agreement between the GTV contours, approaching 90% Dice score. The delineation of the gross tumor volume (GTV) is a critical step for radiation therapy treatment planning. The delineation procedure is typically performed manually which exposes two major issues: cost and reproducibility. Delineation is a time-consuming process that is subject to inter- and intra-observer variability. While methods have been proposed to predict GTV contours, typical approaches ignore variability and therefore fail to utilize the valuable confidence information offered by multiple contours. In this work we propose an automatic GTV contouring method for soft-tissue sarcomas from X-ray computed tomography (CT) images, using deep learning by integrating inter- and intra-observer variability in the learned model. Sixty-eight patients with soft tissue and bone sarcomas were considered in this evaluation, all underwent pre-operative CT imaging used to perform GTV delineation. Four radiation oncologists and radiologists performed three contouring trials each for all patients. We quantify variability by defining confidence levels based on the frequency of inclusion of a given voxel into the GTV and use a deep convolutional neural network to learn GTV confidence maps. Results were compared to confidence maps from the four readers as well as ground-truth consensus contours established jointly by all readers. The resulting continuous Dice score between predicted and true confidence maps was 87% and the Hausdorff distance was 14 mm. Results demonstrate the ability of the proposed method to predict accurate contours while utilizing variability and as such it can be used to improve clinical workflow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The raccoon (Procyon lotor) variant of the rabies virus (RRV) is enzootic in the eastern United States and oral rabies vaccination (ORV) is the primary strategy to prevent and control landscape spread. Breaches of ORV management zones occasionally occur, and emergency "contingency" actions may be implemented to enhance local control. Contingency actions are an integral part of landscape-scale wildlife rabies management but can be very costly and routinely involve enhanced rabies surveillance (ERS) around the index case. We investigated two contingency actions in Ohio (2017–2019 and 2018–2021) and one in Virginia (2017–2019) using a dynamic, multi-method occupancy approach to examine relationships between specific management actions and RRV occurrence, including whether ERS was sufficient around the index case. The RRV occupancy was assessed seasonally at 100-km2 grids and we examined relationships across three spatial scales (regional management zone, RRV free regions, and local contingency areas). The location of a grid relative to the ORV management zone was the strongest predictor of RRV occupancy at the regional scale. In RRV free regions, the neighbor effect and temporal variability were most important in influencing RRV occupancy. Parenteral (hand) vaccination of raccoons was important across all three contingency action areas, but more influential in the Ohio contingency action areas where more raccoons were hand vaccinated. In the Virginia contingency action area, ORV strategies were as important in reducing RRV occupancy as a hand vaccination strategy. The management action to trap, euthanize, and test (TET) raccoons was an important method to increase ERS, yet the impacts of TET on RRV occupancy are not clear. The probability of detecting additional cases of RRV was exceptionally high (>0.95) during the season the index case occurred. The probability of detecting RRV through ERS declined in the seasons following initial TET efforts but remained higher after the contingency action compared to the ERS detection probabilities prior to index case incidence. Local RRV cases were contained within one year and eliminated within 2–3 years of each contingency action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the performance of multiparametric neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) radiomics in distinguishing between glioblastoma (Gb) and solitary brain metastasis (SBM).In this retrospective study, NODDI images were curated from 109 patients with Gb (n = 57) or SBM (n = 52). Automatically segmented multiple volumes of interest (VOIs) encompassed the main tumor regions, including necrosis, solid tumor, and peritumoral edema. Radiomics features were extracted for each main tumor region, using three NODDI parameter maps. Radiomics models were developed based on these three NODDI parameter maps and their amalgamation to differentiate between Gb and SBM. Additionally, radiomics models were constructed based on morphological magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion imaging (diffusion-weighted imaging [DWI]; diffusion tensor imaging [DTI]) for performance comparison.The validation dataset results revealed that the performance of a single NODDI parameter map model was inferior to that of the combined NODDI model. In the necrotic regions, the combined NODDI radiomics model exhibited less than ideal discriminative capabilities (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.701). For peritumoral edema regions, the combined NODDI radiomics model achieved a moderate level of discrimination (AUC = 0.820). Within the solid tumor regions, the combined NODDI radiomics model demonstrated superior performance (AUC = 0.904), surpassing the models of other VOIs. The comparison results demonstrated that the NODDI model was better than the DWI and DTI models, while those of the morphological MRI and NODDI models were similar.The NODDI radiomics model showed promising performance for preoperative discrimination between Gb and SBM.The NODDI radiomics model showed promising performance for preoperative discrimination between Gb and SBM, and radiomics features can be incorporated into the multidimensional phenotypic features that describe tumor heterogeneity.• The neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) radiomics model showed promising performance for preoperative discrimination between glioblastoma and solitary brain metastasis.• Compared with other tumor volumes of interest, the NODDI radiomics model based on solid tumor regions performed best in distinguishing the two types of tumors.• The performance of the single-parameter NODDI model was inferior to that of the combined-parameter NODDI model.Materials and methods: To evaluate the performance of multiparametric neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) radiomics in distinguishing between glioblastoma (Gb) and solitary brain metastasis (SBM).In this retrospective study, NODDI images were curated from 109 patients with Gb (n = 57) or SBM (n = 52). Automatically segmented multiple volumes of interest (VOIs) encompassed the main tumor regions, including necrosis, solid tumor, and peritumoral edema. Radiomics features were extracted for each main tumor region, using three NODDI parameter maps. Radiomics models were developed based on these three NODDI parameter maps and their amalgamation to differentiate between Gb and SBM. Additionally, radiomics models were constructed based on morphological magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion imaging (diffusion-weighted imaging [DWI]; diffusion tensor imaging [DTI]) for performance comparison.The validation dataset results revealed that the performance of a single NODDI parameter map model was inferior to that of the combined NODDI model. In the necrotic regions, the combined NODDI radiomics model exhibited less than ideal discriminative capabilities (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.701). For peritumoral edema regions, the combined NODDI radiomics model achieved a moderate level of discrimination (AUC = 0.820). Within the solid tumor regions, the combined NODDI radiomics model demonstrated superior performance (AUC = 0.904), surpassing the models of other VOIs. The comparison results demonstrated that the NODDI model was better than the DWI and DTI models, while those of the morphological MRI and NODDI models were similar.The NODDI radiomics model showed promising performance for preoperative discrimination between Gb and SBM.The NODDI radiomics model showed promising performance for preoperative discrimination between Gb and SBM, and radiomics features can be incorporated into the multidimensional phenotypic features that describe tumor heterogeneity.• The neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) radiomics model showed promising performance for preoperative discrimination between glioblastoma and solitary brain metastasis.• Compared with other tumor volumes of interest, the NODDI radiomics model based on solid tumor regions performed best in distinguishing the two types of tumors.• The performance of the single-parameter NODDI model was inferior to that of the combined-parameter NODDI model.Results: To evaluate the performance of multiparametric neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) radiomics in distinguishing between glioblastoma (Gb) and solitary brain metastasis (SBM).In this retrospective study, NODDI images were curated from 109 patients with Gb (n = 57) or SBM (n = 52). Automatically segmented multiple volumes of interest (VOIs) encompassed the main tumor regions, including necrosis, solid tumor, and peritumoral edema. Radiomics features were extracted for each main tumor region, using three NODDI parameter maps. Radiomics models were developed based on these three NODDI parameter maps and their amalgamation to differentiate between Gb and SBM. Additionally, radiomics models were constructed based on morphological magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion imaging (diffusion-weighted imaging [DWI]; diffusion tensor imaging [DTI]) for performance comparison.The validation dataset results revealed that the performance of a single NODDI parameter map model was inferior to that of the combined NODDI model. In the necrotic regions, the combined NODDI radiomics model exhibited less than ideal discriminative capabilities (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.701). For peritumoral edema regions, the combined NODDI radiomics model achieved a moderate level of discrimination (AUC = 0.820). Within the solid tumor regions, the combined NODDI radiomics model demonstrated superior performance (AUC = 0.904), surpassing the models of other VOIs. The comparison results demonstrated that the NODDI model was better than the DWI and DTI models, while those of the morphological MRI and NODDI models were similar.The NODDI radiomics model showed promising performance for preoperative discrimination between Gb and SBM.The NODDI radiomics model showed promising performance for preoperative discrimination between Gb and SBM, and radiomics features can be incorporated into the multidimensional phenotypic features that describe tumor heterogeneity.• The neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) radiomics model showed promising performance for preoperative discrimination between glioblastoma and solitary brain metastasis.• Compared with other tumor volumes of interest, the NODDI radiomics model based on solid tumor regions performed best in distinguishing the two types of tumors.• The performance of the single-parameter NODDI model was inferior to that of the combined-parameter NODDI model.Conclusion: To evaluate the performance of multiparametric neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) radiomics in distinguishing between glioblastoma (Gb) and solitary brain metastasis (SBM).In this retrospective study, NODDI images were curated from 109 patients with Gb (n = 57) or SBM (n = 52). Automatically segmented multiple volumes of interest (VOIs) encompassed the main tumor regions, including necrosis, solid tumor, and peritumoral edema. Radiomics features were extracted for each main tumor region, using three NODDI parameter maps. Radiomics models were developed based on these three NODDI parameter maps and their amalgamation to differentiate between Gb and SBM. Additionally, radiomics models were constructed based on morphological magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion imaging (diffusion-weighted imaging [DWI]; diffusion tensor imaging [DTI]) for performance comparison.The validation dataset results revealed that the performance of a single NODDI parameter map model was inferior to that of the combined NODDI model. In the necrotic regions, the combined NODDI radiomics model exhibited less than ideal discriminative capabilities (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.701). For peritumoral edema regions, the combined NODDI radiomics model achieved a moderate level of discrimination (AUC = 0.820). Within the solid tumor regions, the combined NODDI radiomics model demonstrated superior performance (AUC = 0.904), surpassing the models of other VOIs. The comparison results demonstrated that the NODDI model was better than the DWI and DTI models, while those of the morphological MRI and NODDI models were similar.The NODDI radiomics model showed promising performance for preoperative discrimination between Gb and SBM.The NODDI radiomics model showed promising performance for preoperative discrimination between Gb and SBM, and radiomics features can be incorporated into the multidimensional phenotypic features that describe tumor heterogeneity.• The neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) radiomics model showed promising performance for preoperative discrimination between glioblastoma and solitary brain metastasis.• Compared with other tumor volumes of interest, the NODDI radiomics model based on solid tumor regions performed best in distinguishing the two types of tumors.• The performance of the single-parameter NODDI model was inferior to that of the combined-parameter NODDI model.Clinical relevance statement: To evaluate the performance of multiparametric neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) radiomics in distinguishing between glioblastoma (Gb) and solitary brain metastasis (SBM).In this retrospective study, NODDI images were curated from 109 patients with Gb (n = 57) or SBM (n = 52). Automatically segmented multiple volumes of interest (VOIs) encompassed the main tumor regions, including necrosis, solid tumor, and peritumoral edema. Radiomics features were extracted for each main tumor region, using three NODDI parameter maps. Radiomics models were developed based on these three NODDI parameter maps and their amalgamation to differentiate between Gb and SBM. Additionally, radiomics models were constructed based on morphological magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion imaging (diffusion-weighted imaging [DWI]; diffusion tensor imaging [DTI]) for performance comparison.The validation dataset results revealed that the performance of a single NODDI parameter map model was inferior to that of the combined NODDI model. In the necrotic regions, the combined NODDI radiomics model exhibited less than ideal discriminative capabilities (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.701). For peritumoral edema regions, the combined NODDI radiomics model achieved a moderate level of discrimination (AUC = 0.820). Within the solid tumor regions, the combined NODDI radiomics model demonstrated superior performance (AUC = 0.904), surpassing the models of other VOIs. The comparison results demonstrated that the NODDI model was better than the DWI and DTI models, while those of the morphological MRI and NODDI models were similar.The NODDI radiomics model showed promising performance for preoperative discrimination between Gb and SBM.The NODDI radiomics model showed promising performance for preoperative discrimination between Gb and SBM, and radiomics features can be incorporated into the multidimensional phenotypic features that describe tumor heterogeneity.• The neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) radiomics model showed promising performance for preoperative discrimination between glioblastoma and solitary brain metastasis.• Compared with other tumor volumes of interest, the NODDI radiomics model based on solid tumor regions performed best in distinguishing the two types of tumors.• The performance of the single-parameter NODDI model was inferior to that of the combined-parameter NODDI model.Key Points: To evaluate the performance of multiparametric neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) radiomics in distinguishing between glioblastoma (Gb) and solitary brain metastasis (SBM).In this retrospective study, NODDI images were curated from 109 patients with Gb (n = 57) or SBM (n = 52). Automatically segmented multiple volumes of interest (VOIs) encompassed the main tumor regions, including necrosis, solid tumor, and peritumoral edema. Radiomics features were extracted for each main tumor region, using three NODDI parameter maps. Radiomics models were developed based on these three NODDI parameter maps and their amalgamation to differentiate between Gb and SBM. Additionally, radiomics models were constructed based on morphological magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion imaging (diffusion-weighted imaging [DWI]; diffusion tensor imaging [DTI]) for performance comparison.The validation dataset results revealed that the performance of a single NODDI parameter map model was inferior to that of the combined NODDI model. In the necrotic regions, the combined NODDI radiomics model exhibited less than ideal discriminative capabilities (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.701). For peritumoral edema regions, the combined NODDI radiomics model achieved a moderate level of discrimination (AUC = 0.820). Within the solid tumor regions, the combined NODDI radiomics model demonstrated superior performance (AUC = 0.904), surpassing the models of other VOIs. The comparison results demonstrated that the NODDI model was better than the DWI and DTI models, while those of the morphological MRI and NODDI models were similar.The NODDI radiomics model showed promising performance for preoperative discrimination between Gb and SBM.The NODDI radiomics model showed promising performance for preoperative discrimination between Gb and SBM, and radiomics features can be incorporated into the multidimensional phenotypic features that describe tumor heterogeneity.• The neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) radiomics model showed promising performance for preoperative discrimination between glioblastoma and solitary brain metastasis.• Compared with other tumor volumes of interest, the NODDI radiomics model based on solid tumor regions performed best in distinguishing the two types of tumors.• The performance of the single-parameter NODDI model was inferior to that of the combined-parameter NODDI model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]