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Abstract Background Childhood emotional maltreatment, non-suicidal self-injury and depression are prevalent among adolescents with mood disorders. While existing model indicated that childhood emotional maltreatment, functions of non-suicidal self-injury and depression are interrelated, not much is understood about the interplay of functions of non-suicidal self-injury in the relationship between childhood emotional maltreatment and depression. Thus, the goal of this research was to ascertain how functions of non-suicidal self-injury relate to childhood emotional maltreatment and depression. Methods The participants were adolescents with mood disorders from three hospitals in Sichuan Province, data was collected using self-administered questionnaires, including the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Ottawa Self-injury Inventory-Functions, and Childhood Depression Inventory. SPSS26.0 software and PROCESS v3.3 model 4 were used for analysis. Results In all, 235 adolescents (M age=14.8, SD = 1.62) participated in the research. The functions of non-suicidal self-injury (r = 0.289, P

Highlights Ordered intermetallic pallium-zinc (PdZn) electrocatalyst comprising a high density of PdZn pairs is synthesized for achieving co-adsorption and co-activation carbon dioxide and nitrate. Both operando measurements and theoretical calculations reveal that the PdZn pairs provide a dual-site geometric structure conducive to the key C–N coupling with a low kinetical barrier. The intermetallic PdZn displays excellent performance for the co-reduction of nitrate (NO3 –) and carbon dioxide (CO2) toward urea, with a maximum FEurea of 62.78% at a small potential of – 0.4 V versus RHE.

Background The cancer burden in China has been increasing over the decades. However, the cancer incidence remains unknown in Ma’anshan, which is one of the central cities in the Yangtze River Delta in Eastern China. The study was designed to describe the cancer incidence and trends in Ma’anshan from 2011 to 2018, providing information about cancer etiology that is useful for prevention programs. Methods The cancer incidence rate and age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) were calculated using the cancer registry data in Ma’anshan during 2011-2018. The average annual percentage change (AAPC) of the ASIR was analyzed by the Joinpoint regression analysis. Age, period, and cohort effects on cancer incidence were estimated through the age-period-cohort model. Results There were 13,508 newly diagnosed cancer cases in males and 9558 in females in Ma’anshan during 2011-2018. The ASIR maintained a steady trend in both males and females. Age effects showed that cancer risk increased with age in both genders; no visible period effects were detected during this study period. Cohort effects changed slowly until the end of the 1950s, then started decreasing in males while increasing in females after 1960. Lung, gastric, female breast, colorectal, cervical, esophageal, liver, thyroid, lymphoma, and pancreatic cancer were the most common cancers in Ma’anshan during the study period. The ASIR of gastric cancer (AAPC: −3.72%), esophageal cancer (AAPC: −8.30%), and liver cancer (AAPC: −5.55%) declined, while that of female breast cancer (AAPC: 3.91%), colorectal cancer (AAPC: 3.23%), and thyroid cancer (AAPC: 22.38%) rose. Conclusion During 2011-2018, the cancer incidence in Ma’anshan was lower than that in China, nation-wide. The incidence of upper gastrointestinal cancer decreased gradually while female breast, colorectal, and thyroid cancers showed an upward trend, consistent with the changes in the cancer spectrum in China. Further studies should be designed to discover the underlying causes of these findings.

Abstract The escalating spread of drug‐resistant bacteria and viruses is a grave concern for global health. Nucleic acids dominate the drug‐resistance and transmission of pathogenic microbes. Here, imidazolium‐type poly(ionic liquid)/porphyrin (PIL‐P) based electrospun nanofibrous membrane and its cerium (IV) ion complex (PIL‐P‐Ce) are developed. The obtained PIL‐P‐Ce membrane exhibits high and stable efficiency in eradicating various microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, and viruses) and decomposing microbial antibiotic resistance genes and viral nucleic acids under light. The nuclease‐mimetic and photocatalytic mechanisms of the PIL‐P‐Ce are elucidated. Co‐infection wound models in mice with methicillin‐resistant S. aureus and hepatitis B virus demonstrate that PIL‐P‐Ce integrate the triple effects of cationic polymer, photocatalysis, and nuclease‐mimetic activities. As revealed by proteomic analysis, PIL‐P‐Ce shows minimal phototoxicity to normal tissues. Hence, PIL‐P‐Ce has potential as a “green” wound dressing to curb the spread of drug‐resistant bacteria and viruses in clinical settings.

ObjectivesDiquat poisoning is an important public health and social security agency. This study aimed to develop a prognostic model and evaluate the prognostic value of plasma diquat concentration in patients with acute oral diquat poisoning, focusing on how its impact changes over time after poisoning.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study using electronic healthcare reports from the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University. The study sample included 80 patients with acute oral Diquat poisoning who were admitted to the hospital between January 2019 and May 2022. Time-to-event analyses were performed to assess the risk of all-cause mortality (30 days and 90 days), controlling for demographics, comorbidities, vital signs, and other laboratory measurements. The prognostic value of plasma DQ concentration on admission was assessed by computing the area under a time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC).ResultsAmong the 80 patients, 29 (36.25%) patients died, and 51 (63.75%) patients survived in the hospital. Non-survivors had a median survival time (IQR) of 1.3(1.0) days and the longest survival time of 4.5 days after DQ poisoning. Compared with non-survivors, survivors had significantly lower amounts of ingestion, plasma DQ concentration on admission, lungs injury within 24 h after admission, liver injury within 24 h after admission, kidney injury within 24 h after admission, and CNS injury within 36 h after admission, higher APACHE II score and PSS within 24 h after admission (all p

Highlights Temperature-responsive transparent nanofiber membranes were successfully fabricated using a straightforward and widely applicable method. The temperature-responsive nanofiber membranes exhibit a lower reaction temperature (~ 37 °C) and higher transmittance (> 90%). The prepared temperature-responsive transparent nanofiber membranes exhibited a short response temperature time (~ 5 s), and remarkable stability

PurposeWe prospectively evaluate the short-term clinical and radiographic outcomes of the only Chinese domestically produced trabecular titanium acetabular cup(3D ACT™ cup) in primary total hip arthroplasty (THA), aiming to provide evidence-based support for its clinical application.MethodsA total of 236 patients, who underwent primary THA using 3D ACT™ cup in the Department of Joint Surgery at our hospital between January 2017 and June 2019, were included in this study. General patient data, imaging information, functional scores, and complications were collected to evaluate the early clinical efficacy.ResultsAll patients were followed up for 33–52 months, with an average of (42.2 ± 9.2) months. At the last follow-up, the preoperative HHS score increased significantly from 43.7 ± 6.8 to 85.6 ± 9.3 points (P

Thick coal seams recorded abundant petrological, geochemical, and mineralogical information regarding their formation, which in turn can reflect the characteristics of the coal-forming environments, provenance attributes, paleoclimate, and so on. In order to explore the geochemical and lead isotope characteristics of thick coal seams, the No. 7 coal seam in the Datun mining area, Jiangsu Province of China, was selected as the research object. In this work, 29 samples (including coal, roof, and floor rock samples) were collected from three coal mines in the Datun mining area. Through an analysis of the mineral composition and element geochemical characteristics in the coal samples, the enrichment degree of trace elements and modes of rare earth elements were determined. The genetic mechanism of abnormal enrichment of enriched elements is discussed, especially the modes of occurrence and isotope characteristics of Pb. The results showed the following: (1) The main minerals in the coal samples include quartz, potassium feldspar, plagioclase, calcite, dolomite, pyrite, gypsum, and clay minerals, with clay minerals, calcite, quartz, and dolomite being the most common. (2) The major element oxides in coal mainly include SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO, CaO, Na2O, K2O, TiO2, P2O5, and FeO. In the vertical direction, the variation of SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO, K2O, and FeO in coal samples from the three coal mines is consistent. The average value of Al2O3/TiO2 in the samples of Kongzhuang, Longdong, and Yaoqiao coal mines is 28.09–50.52, which basically locates the samples in the felsic source area, such that the sediment source is considered to be felsic source rock. (3) Elements U, La, Pb, and other elements are more enriched in Kongzhuang coal mine samples; elements Th, U, La, Pb, and other elements are more enriched in the Longdong coal mine samples; and elements Th, U, La, Pb, and other elements are more enriched in the Yaoqiao coal mine samples. Furthermore, W is enriched in Yaoqiao mine samples and is highly enriched in Longdong mine samples. The mining area is generally rich in the elements U, La, and Pb. The distribution curves of rare earth elements in the three mines are inclined to the right, with negative Eu anomalies. The enrichment is of the light rare earth enrichment type. (4) Pb isotope data show that the samples from the three mines are mainly distributed in the orogenic belt and the subduction zone lead source areas, where the upper crust and the mantle are mixed, with individual sample points distributed in the mantle and upper crust lead source areas.

In response to the phenomenon of interlayer transport channel swelling caused by the hydration of oxygen-containing functional groups on the GO membrane surface, a moderate heat treatment method was employed to controllably reduce the graphene oxide (GO) membrane and prepare a reduced GO composite nanofiltration membrane (mixed cellulose membrane (MCE)/ethylenediamine (EDA)/reduced GO-X (RGO-X)). The associations of different heat treatment temperatures with the hydrophilicity, interlayer structure, permeability and dye/salt rejection properties of GO membranes were systematically explored. The results indicated that the oxygen-containing groups of the GO membrane were partially eliminated after heat treatment, and the hydrophilicity was weakened. This effectively weakened the hydration between the GO membrane and the water molecules and inhibited the swelling of the oxidized graphene membrane. In the dye desalination test, the MCE/EDA/RGO membrane exhibited an ultra-high rejection rate of over 97% for methylene blue (MB) dye molecules. In addition, heat treatment increased the structural defects of the GO membrane and promoted the fast passage of water molecules via the membrane. In pure water flux testing, the water flux of the membrane remained above 46.58 Lm−2h−1bar−1, while the salt rejection rate was relatively low.

Developing biodegradable polyurethane (PU) materials as an alternative to non-degradable petroleum-based PU is a crucial and challenging task. This study utilized lactide as the starting material to synthesize polylactide polyols (PLA-OH). PLA-based polyurethanes (PLA-PUs) were successfully synthesized by introducing PLA-OH into the PU molecular chain. A higher content of PLA-OH in the soft segments resulted in a substantial improvement in the mechanical attributes of the PLA-PUs. This study found that the addition of PLA-OH content significantly improved the tensile stress of the PU from 5.35 MPa to 37.15 MPa and increased the maximum elongation to 820.8%. Additionally, the modulus and toughness of the resulting PLA-PU were also significantly improved with increasing PLA-OH content. Specifically, the PLA-PU with 40% PLA-OH exhibited a high modulus of 33.45 MPa and a toughness of 147.18 MJ m−3. PLA-PU films can be degraded to carbon dioxide and water after 6 months in the soil. This highlights the potential of synthesizing PLA-PU using biomass-renewable polylactide, which is important in green and sustainable chemistry.

Abstract Background 3D cancer stem cell (CSC) cultures are widely used as in vitro tumor models. In this study, we determined the effects of enriching HCT116 tumor spheres initially cultured in serum-free medium with different concentrations of serum, focusing on the effect of microserum environment stimulation on extraction and biological function of colorectal cancer stem cells (CCSCs). Methods CCSCs were enriched in standard serum-free medium and serum-free medium with different concentrations of serum for 1 week. The expression of CSC-associated markers in CCSCs, and the presence and relative proportion of CSCs (CD133/CD44 cell sorting) were then determined to elucidate the effect of the microserum environment on the preservation of CSC-related features. Further, the tumorigenic capacity of CCSCs was evaluated in an immunodeficiency mouse model. Results Our data indicated that a significantly greater number of spheres with a greater size range and high viability without drastic alteration in biological and structural features, which maintained self‐renewal potential after sequential passages were formed after serum supplementation. Real-time analysis showed that both serum spheres and serum-free spheres displayed similar expression patterns for key stemness genes. Serum spheres showed higher expression of the CSC surface markers CD133 and CD44 than did CSCs spheres cultured in serum-free medium. Adherent cultures in complete medium could adapt to the serum-containing microenvironment faster and showed higher proliferation ability. The addition of serum induced EMT and promoted the migration and invasion of serum globular cells. Compared with serum-free cells and adherent cells, serum spheres showed higher tumor initiation ability. Conclusions Microserum environment stimulation could be an effective strategy for reliable enrichment of intact CCSCs, and a more efficient CSC enrichment method.

This paper explores the temperature distribution (TD) and maximum temperature (MT) below the ceiling induced by the ceiling jet of an asymmetric dual fire sources in a naturally ventilated tunnel. Considering strong plumes, this study investigates the effects of fire size and spacing of asymmetric dual fire sources on TD and MT. With the same power of fire source, when the size of one of the fire sources increases, the corresponding maximum temperature beneath ceiling decreases. Additionally, the temperature peak below the ceiling shifts from one to two, and the peak temperature of the larger fire source is lower compared to that of smaller one. When the fire sources distance increases, the maximum temperature initially decreases and then increases. Beyond a certain distance, the maximum temperature no longer changes with increasing distance. In this study, we investigated the effect of fire source size and spacing on the MT of the tunnel ceiling for asymmetric dual fire sources. A new model for predicting the MT underneath the tunnel ceiling was developed, taking into account the factors as fire spacing and fire size. The model is able to make effective predictions of the simulation results.

INTRODUCTION: With the development of technology and policy support, high-speed rail's temporal and spatial layout is gradually expanding, and it becomes essential to ensure high-safety operation. OBJECTIVES: The real-time correlation fault diagnosis technology of critical components of electromechanical systems of high-speed trains is analyzed, and a new method of automatic fault diagnosis based on genetic support vector machine is proposed. METHODS: In this study, the Author combines two techniques, IFD and AE, and introduces an adaptive weighting algorithm to fuse the data of the two and experimentally verify their accuracy. RESULTS: The experimental results show that in the IFD experiment, the 2-point frequency at 1050 speed is 347.6 Hz, and the 3-point frequency is 498.4 Hz, both of which are very close to the 2 and 3 times frequencies of the 1-point frequency, and the multiplicative relationship is much more straightforward. CONCLUSION: Combining IFD and AE can realize automatic and accurate diagnosis of bearing state and pre-diagnosis of bearings by adaptive weighted fusion algorithm, which is effective in the practical mechanical diagnosis of rolling bearing faults in high-speed railroads.

IntroductionFluoride is considered an environmental pollutant that seriously affects organisms and ecosystems, and its harmfulness is a perpetual public health concern. The toxic effects of fluoride include organelle damage, oxidative stress, cell cycle destruction, inflammatory factor secretion, apoptosis induction, and synaptic nerve transmission destruction. To reveal the mechanism of fluorosis-induced brain damage, we analyzed the molecular mechanism and learning and memory function of the SIRT1-mediated BDNF–TrkB signaling pathway cascade reaction in fluorosis-induced brain damage through in vivo experiments.MethodsThis study constructed rat models of drinking water fluorosis using 50 mg/L, 100 mg/L, and 150 mg/L fluoride, and observed the occurrence of dental fluorosis in the rats. Subsequently, we measured the fluoride content in rat blood, urine, and bones, and measured the rat learning and memory abilities. Furthermore, oxidative stress products, inflammatory factor levels, and acetylcholinesterase (AchE) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity were detected. The pathological structural changes to the rat bones and brain tissue were observed. The SIRT1, BDNF, TrkB, and apoptotic protein levels were determined using western blotting.ResultsAll rats in the fluoride exposure groups exhibited dental fluorosis; decreased learning and memory abilities; and higher urinary fluoride, bone fluoride, blood fluoride, oxidative stress product, and inflammatory factor levels compared to the control group. The fluoride-exposed rat brain tissue had abnormal AchE and ChAT activity, sparsely arranged hippocampal neurons, blurred cell boundaries, significantly fewer astrocytes, and swollen cells. Furthermore, the nucleoli were absent from the fluoride-exposed rat brain tissue, which also contained folded neuron membranes, deformed mitochondria, absent cristae, vacuole formation, and pyknotic and hyperchromatic chromatin. The fluoride exposure groups had lower SIRT1, BDNF, and TrkB protein levels and higher apoptotic protein levels than the control group, which were closely related to the fluoride dose. The findings demonstrated that excessive fluoride caused brain damage and affected learning and memory abilities.DiscussionCurrently, there is no effective treatment method for the tissue damage caused by fluorosis. Therefore, the effective method for preventing and treating fluorosis damage is to control fluoride intake.

Staphylococci, mainly including Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS), are one of the most common pathogens causing bovine mastitis worldwide. In this study, we investigated the antimicrobial resistance and virulence profiles of staphylococci from clinical bovine mastitis in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China. Antimicrobial resistance was determined by disc diffusion combined with E-test method. Genes of antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors were determined by PCR. A total of 332 staphylococcal isolates were confirmed from 1,519 mastitic milk samples, including 172 S. aureus and 160 CNS isolates. Fifteen CNS species were identified, with S. chromogenes being the most frequent found (49.4%), followed by S. equorum (13.8%). Noticeably, 2 S. agnetis isolates were found among the CNS isolates. To our knowledge, this is the first report documenting the presence of S. agnetis from bovine mastitis in China. The S. aureus and CNS isolates showed high resistance against penicillin, followed by erythromycin and tetracycline. Multidrug resistance was found in 11.6 and 16.3% of the S. aureus and CNS isolates, respectively. Resistance to penicillin was attributed to the presence of blaZ, erythromycin resistance to ermC (alone or combined with ermB) and tetracycline resistance to tetK (alone or combined with tetM). Notably, one S. equorum isolate and one S. saprophyticus isolate were both methicillin-resistant and mecA positive. Additionally, all S. aureus isolates carried the adhesin genes fnbpA, clfA, clfB, and sdrC, and most of them contained cna and sdrE. Conversely, only a few of the CNS isolates carried clfA, cna, and fnbA. Regarding toxin genes, all S. aureus isolates harbored hlb, and most of them were hlg positive. The lukE-lukD, lukM, sec, sed, sei, sen, seo, tst, seg, seh, and sej were also detected with low frequencies. However, no toxin genes were observed in CNS isolates. This study reveals high species diversity of staphylococci from clinical bovine mastitis in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China. The findings for the genetic determinants of antimicrobial resistance and virulence factor provide valuable information for control and prevention of staphylococcal bovine mastitis.

Abstract Background Medical and nursing students’ attitudes toward mental disorders have a large impact on their working intentions in mental health settings and patients’ health outcomes. However, there are few studies about the stigma toward mental disorders among medical and nursing students in China. Methods In this cross-sectional study, a total of 838 medical and nursing students completed questionnaires on their sociodemographic characteristics and familiarity with people diagnosed with mental disorders as well as the Community Attitudes toward Mental Illness Scale (CAMI). The stigma was compared between medical students and nursing students by ANOVA. A multiple logistic regression model was built to explore the relationships among sociodemographic characteristics, familiarity with mental disorders and stigma. Results The total mean score of the CAMI was 137.61 (SD = 15.63). The score for authoritarianism (M = 33.33, SD = 3.62) was the lowest score of the four subscales. Medical students showed more positive attitudes toward mental disorders than nursing students. However, after controlling the co-variables, the difference disappeared. Stigma was significantly associated with students’ education, area of residence, marital status, economic status, history of mental disorders and familiarity with mental disorders. Conclusions Medical and nursing students show a negative attitude toward mental illness to a certain degree, especially regarding the view that people with mental disorders are inferior. Higher education level, residence in urban areas, single marital status, better economic status, and better familiarity with mental disorders may be related to less stigma among medical and nursing students.

Abstract Background Flexible ureteroscopic incision and drainage is a relatively new surgical method for treating parapelvic cysts. Considering that the intraoperative localization of the cyst may fail with a flexible ureteroscope, we use an innovative ultrasound-guided method to locate the cystic wall during flexible ureteroscopic surgery. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 17 consecutive cases of parapelvic renal cysts treated by ultrasound-guided flexible ureteroscopy between March 2017 and May 2020. The differences between the simple flexible ureteroscopic technique and ultrasound-guided flexible ureteroscopic technique were compared. The surgical procedures, postoperative complications, results and patient follow-ups were evaluated. Results The cyst wall was seen clearly in 10 patients with ureteroscopic vision. Another 7 patients underwent ultrasound-guided flexible ureteroscopic surgery since it was difficult to identify the cyst wall. The mean operative time was 25.9 ± 8.7 min and 37.1 ± 10.1 min for the conventional and modified techniques, respectively (P = 0.004); the mean time to search for cysts was 17.6 ± 5.8 min and 26.5 ± 8.4 min, respectively (P = 0.002); and the mean incision time was 7.1 ± 4.9 min and 12.1 ± 5.6 min, respectively (P = 0.000). All of the patients were followed-up for 12 months, and no serious complications or recurrence were observed. Conclusions We demonstrated that it is feasible and safe to treat parapelvic renal cysts by ultrasound-guided flexible ureteroscopic incision and drainage. The small sample size and need for further studies were the limitations of our work.

This research examines the factors that affect Photo Voltaic (PV) solar technology’s usage intention in rural households in Bangladesh. The conceptual model for this research was developed according to past studies. There were five hypotheses developed and verified in this study. Cross sectional quantitative method was used in this research. The model was tested using empirical data collected from 209 households. This research mentions that PV solar technology usage intention was predicted by environmental concern, environmental knowledge, adoption cost, awareness, and government initiatives. The model shows a larger proposition (95 %) in the variance of PV solar technology usage in rural households in Bangladesh. According to the results of this study, we have accepted all hypotheses (H1–H5). From a practical perspective, this study’s results provide a guideline for investment decisions for the usage of PV solar technology in Bangladesh.

Abstract Background Restless arms syndrome (RAS) is characterized by uncomfortable aching or burning sensations in the arms. RAS is regarded as an upper limb variant of restless legs syndrome (RLS). The lack of specific diagnostic criteria makes it difficult to recognize the RAS. Therefore, RAS is usually neglected in clinical practice. Moreover, when a patient was diagnosed with RAS, the adjustment of medications was the first choice for doctors, which may make the patient’s condition unstable. Case presentation A 33-year-old woman was diagnosed with schizophrenia and major depressive disorder. Starting with 0.6 g/d amisulpride, 0.1 g/d quetiapine, 75 mg/d venlafaxine sustained-release tablets, the patient reported symptoms of RAS (itching arms) on the fourth day since the latest hospitalization. After ruling out other factors, her RAS was suspected to be induced by antidepressants or antipsychotics. Without medication adjustment, RAS spontaneously remitted. Conclusions This case suggests that psychiatrists should pay attention to RAS when using antipsychotics and/or antidepressants. Moreover, RAS may be transitory. When a patient manifests RAS, observation may be one choice instead of an immediate medication adjustment.

Abstract Background People with mental illness (PWMI) often suffer from public stigma, which can make them unwilling to seek help and reduce access to early treatment. The aims of this study were to determine attitudes towards PWMI among the general public in a Chinese sample and to explore the relationships with sociodemographic characteristics. Methods A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted from March to June 2019. The participants’ attitudes towards PWMI were evaluated by the Chinese version of the Social Distance Scale (SDSC). An independent-sample T-test and one-way ANOVA were used to determine the association of categorical variables with the outcome variable. Multiple linear regression and Spearman correlations were computed to explore the correlation between SDSC scores and individual-level socioeconomic status (SES). Results A total of 1437 participants were recruited, and their total SDSC score was 12.53 (SD: 3.11). Univariate analysis results showed that age, education level, educational attainment, and individual-level SES as well as whether they were caregivers/family members of PWMI were correlated with SDSC scores. The results of regression analysis showed a significant effect caused by contact or familiarity with PWMI (B = -1.134, β = -.190, P

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the main polyphenolic substance in tea, exhibits well-known biological benefits. In order to improve fat solubility and bioavailability, a novel path for the lipase enzymatic transesterification synthesis of acylated EGCG derivatives in an ionic liquid solvent was established. The optimal reaction parameters were determined and a maximum conversion of the transesterification reaction was achieved at 98.65%. [Bmim][BF4] was the best reaction medium and the immobilized lipase Novozym 435 was the best catalyst. The enzyme was added to a final concentration of 2% (w/w, EGCG), and the reaction was performed at an optimum temperature of 70°C stirring for 10 h at 250 rpm. The most suitable acyl donor, vinyl acetate, and EGCG were mixed at a molar ratio of 90:1 for the reaction. The structure of the purified acetylated EGCG was determined to be 5″-O-acetyl-EGCG and 3″, 5″-2-O-acetyl-EGCG by mass spectrometry, NMR, and infrared analyses.

Recently, deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been widely explored in single image super-resolution(SISR) and obtained remarkable performance. However, most of the existing CNN-based SISR methods tend to produce over-smoothed outputs and miss some textural details. To address these issues, we propose a wavelet-based asymmetric convolution network (WACN). Different from conventional CNN methods that directly infer HR images, our approach firstly learns to predict the LR’s corresponding series of HR’s wavelet coefficients before reconstructing HR images from them. This helps to capture more structural information in images to preserve texture information and avoid artifacts. To enhance the ability of feature extraction, we propose an asymmetric convolution block (ACB) structure to form a very deep network. In the training phase, ACB can provide different receptive fields to enrich feature information. In the inference phase, ACB’s asymmetric convolution kernel can be equivalently fused into the standard square-kernel layers, such that no extra computational burdens are introduced in the inference phase. Furthermore, we propose a variance-based channel attention (VCA) mechanism to adaptively rescale channel-wise features by considering interdependencies among channels. Extensive experimental results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed WACN in comparison with the state-of-the-art methods.

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), the most abundant polyphenolic compound in catechins, exerts excellent physiological effects including antioxidant. However, with its high hydrophilicity and poor lipophilicity, the application of EGCG in oil products is limited. In this study, EGCG acetylated derivatives were prepared by transesterification of EGCG with vinyl ester in acetonitrile/isopropanol (1:1 v/v). Lipase Lipozyme RM IM was found to be the optimum catalyst at concentration of 12 U/g EGCG, with a molar ratio of 1:5 of EGCG to vinyl acetate as the substrates. And 83.2% conversion was obtained after 10 h reaction at 50 °C. Based on the ping-pong model, the kinetic equation was constructed to determine the reaction kinetic parameters. The analysis of the initial rate and progress curve indicated that the transesterification of EGCG and vinyl acetate was kinetically regulated. Two major acetylated derivatives were identified as 5″-O-acetyl-EGCG and 3″, 5″-di-O-acetyl-EGCG by LC-MS/MS and NMR. Their enhanced lipophilicity was confirmed by transmittance test and octanol–water partition coefficient. The antioxidant activity of di-acetylated EGCG was superior to mono-acetylated EGCG and EGCG, but slightly lower than tert-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ) as determined by peroxide values (POV) and Rancimat test. Acetylated EGCG might be used as a potent antioxidant for controlling oxidation of oil.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of organic–inorganic hybrid functional materials generally formed via self-assembly of metal ions or metal clusters and rigid organic ligands with nitrogen and oxygen atoms. The wide range of potential applications of MOF materials includes gas storage and separation, catalysis, sensing, and drug transportation and release, which can be attributed to their versatile designable structures, modifiable chemical functionality, low-density framework, large specific surface area, and functional and permanent pore space. MOF and its composite materials have also been employed to remove various contaminants from the environment in the recent decade. To present the remarkable research progress and outcomes of MOF materials in the removal of pollutants from the water environment, the related studies on the removal of heavy metals and organic pollutants from the water environment were reviewed in this paper. This was the second paper on the topic that mainly introduced the research progress of MOF materials in the removal of organic pollutants in aqueous solution. The previous studies have shown that MOF materials have open metal sites and Lewis acid–base sites; thus, they exhibit a high adsorption performance for dyes, antibiotics, pesticides, and persistent organic pollutants. Hydrogen bonding, π–π interaction, hydrophobic interaction, and electrostatic attraction are the main mechanisms for their adsorption of organic pollutants. In addition, the large pore structure of some MOF materials is conducive to the adsorption of macromolecular organic pollutants. Moreover, some MOF materials that can be used as catalysts for Fenton-like reactions, photocatalytic reactions, and persulfate activation to degrade organic pollutants, exhibit excellent catalytic performance. The degradation of pollutants in photocatalytic reactions can be mainly attributed to the contributions of ·O2−, ·OH, and h+. In the persulfate system, ·O2−, ·OH, SO4·−, and 1O2 are the main reactive oxide species that cause the decomposition of organic pollutants. Based on the review of previous studies, it is believed that future research will include but will not be limited to the following: (1) the improvement of the performance of MOF in removing organic pollutants and its recyclability; (2) the preparation of new MOF catalytic materials and investigation of catalytic reaction mechanisms; (3) the regulation of the defect structure of MOF to develop new MOF materials with high adsorption and catalytic efficiency; and (4) the analysis of new framework materials, e.g., covalent organic framework materials, and their applications in the field of pollutant purification.

Abstract Background Exocytosis is a process by which vesicles are transported to and fused with specific areas of the plasma membrane. Although several studies have shown that sphingolipids are the main components of exocytic compartments, whether they control exocytosis process is unclear. Results Here, we have investigated the role of sphingolipids in exocytosis by reducing the activity of the serine palmitoyl-transferase (SPT), which catalyzes the first step in sphingolipid synthesis in endoplasmic reticulum. We found that the exocyst polarity and exocytic secretion were impaired in lcb1-100 mutant cells and in wild type cells treated with myriocin, a chemical which can specifically inhibit SPT enzyme activity, suggesting that sphingolipids controls exocytic secretion. This speculation was further confirmed by immuno-fluorescence and electron microscopy results that small secretory vesicles were accumulated in lcb1-100 mutant cells. Conclusions Taken together, our results suggest that sphingolipids are required for exocytosis. Mammals may use similar regulatory mechanisms because components of the exocytic secretion apparatus and signaling pathways are conserved.

Abstract Background Inflammatory molecular signals are modulated by a variety of intracellular transduction pathways, the activation of which may induce and amplify the spread of inflammatory response. Suppresser of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) is an established negative feedback regulation transcription factor associated with tumor, diabetes mellitus, inflammation and anaphylaxis. Herein, we investigated whether SOCS3 in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) can attenuate pro-inflammatory responses, and thereby relieve the inflammatory pain. Methods Adeno-associated virus (AAV) overexpressing SOCS3 was pre-injected into the PVN. Three weeks later, rat model of chronic inflammatory pain was established via subcutaneous injection of complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) into the plantar center of hind paws. The therapeutic effect of SOCS3 was tested by the measurement of thermal and mechanical allodynia. In mechanistic study, the protein level of SOCS3 was evaluated by Western blotting, and the expression of c-fos and Iba-1 were assessed by immunofluorescent staining. Results Inflammatory pain was associated with upregulated interleukin 6 (IL-6) and SOCS3 in PVN in the acute phase. Thermal hyperalgesia can be relieved by intra-PVN injection of IL-6 neutralizing antibody (NA). Meanwhile, the upregulated c-fos and microglial activation was reversed. Furthermore, SOCS3 expression in PVN was downregulated in the chronic phase. Intra-PVN injection of AAV overexpressing SOCS3 suppressed the activation of neurons and attenuated thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia. Conclusion Inhibition of IL-6 signaling attenuated inflammatory hyperalgesia in the acute phase. SOCS3 overexpression in the PVN attenuated inflammatory pain in the chronic phase via suppression of neuronal activation.

This paper focuses on the inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging of nonuniformly rotating targets under low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) environment, and an effective ISAR imaging algorithm based on a novel parameter estimation method is proposed. For nonuniformly rotating targets, the received signals in a range cell can be modeled as multicomponent cubic phase signals (CPSs) after the migration compensation and translation-induced phase error correction. For the CPS model, the chirp rate (CR) and quadratic chirp rate (QCR) will induce image defocus. To estimate the CR and QCR of CPS, a novel parameter method is presented. The basic idea of this method is to design a third order autocorrelation function (TOAF) which enable coherent accumulation of the signal energy in both of the time and lag-time domain. Compared with several state-of-the-art algorithms, the proposed method has a significant anti-noise performance improvement, while offering a proper computational complexity. The effectiveness and the superiority of the proposed ISAR imaging algorithm have been demonstrated through several simulation results.

In this study, PVDF/GO-h composite membranes were synthesised using a homogeniser to improve the dispersion of GO nanosheets within the composite membrane’s structure, and then characterised and contrasted to PVDF/GO-s control samples, which were synthesised via traditional blending method-implementing a magnetic stirrer. By characterizing membrane via X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water contact angle (WCA) and membrane performance. SEM results showed that the number of the finger-like structure channels and pores in the sponge like structure of PVDF/GO-h composite membranes become more compared with PVDF/GO-s membranes. Water contact angle tests showed that the PVDF/GO-h composite membranes have lower contact angle than PVDF/GO-s control, which indicated the PVDF/GO-h composite membranes are more hydrophilic. Results also showed that composite membranes blended using homogeniser exhibited both improved water flux and rejection of target pollutants. In summary, it was shown that the performance of composite membranes could be improved significantly via homogenisation during synthesis, thus outlining the importance of further research into proper mixing.

Graphene oxide (GO) membranes have attracted significant attention in the field of water processing in recent years due to their unique characteristics. However, few reports focus on both membrane stability and the “trade-off” effect. In this study, a series of aliphatic diamines (1, 2-ethylenediamine, 1, 4-butanediamine, and 1, 6-hexamethylenediamine) of covalent crosslinked GO were used to prepare diamine-modified nanofiltration membranes, BPPO/AX-GO, with adjustable layer spacing using the vacuum extraction–filtration method. Moreover, Ax-GO-modified nanofiltration membranes modified with adipose diamine had higher layer spacing, lower mass-transfer resistance, and better stability. When the number of carbon atoms was 5, the best layer spacing was reached, and when the number of carbon atoms was greater than 4, the modified membrane nanosheets more easily accumulated. With the increase in layer spacing, the water flux of the composite film increased to 26.27 L/m2·h·bar. Meanwhile, adipose diamine crosslinking significantly improved the stability of GO films. The interception sequence of different valence salts in the composite membrane was NaCl > Na2SO4 > MgSO4, and the rejection rate of bivalent salts was higher than that of monovalent salts. The results can provide some experimental basis and research ideas for overcoming the “trade-off” effect of a lamellar GO membrane.

Background: Ocular as well as nasal symptoms contribute to allergic response but remain poorly characterized. The aim of this study was to analyze the levels of substance P (SP), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in tears and nasal secretions of patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (ARC), allergic rhinitis, and allergic conjunctivitis, while exploring possible mechanisms of naso-ocular interactions. Methods: A total of 21 patients with ARC, 17 with allergic rhinitis, 13 with allergic conjunctivitis, and 15 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Nasal secretions and tears were collected. Patient demographics and clinical characteristics were recorded and levels of substance P, VIP, and CGRP were measured. Results: SP levels in nasal secretions and tears were significantly higher in the ARC, AR, and AC groups. Similar results were obtained for VIP levels. CGRP levels in tears were also significantly higher in the 3 patient groups. The level of SP was significantly higher in the nasal secretions than in the tears of the ARC, AR, and AC patient groups. The level of VIP was significantly higher in the nasal secretions than in the tears in the ARC and AR groups. The level of CGRP was significantly higher in the nasal secretions than in the tears in the ARC and AC groups. Finally, both of the nasal and tear levels of SP and VIP but not CGRP were positively correlated with the visual analog scale (VAS) score in the patients with ARC. Conclusion: The results of this study suggested that SP, VIP, and CGRP play important roles in the mechanism of ARC and that nasal neurotransmitters and neuropeptides might have more important roles than those of ocular origin.

Efforts to identify specialty crop genetics and agronomics, such as for edamame (vegetable soybean), that improve crop yields, resilience, and sustainability often fail to account for data on nutritional content, sensory profile, and/or consumer acceptability. Limited exchange of data across agricultural and food sectors challenges the design of specialty crops that meet consumer needs and expectations and the value chain, and can increase cyberbiosecurity risks. Communication and collaboration within the multi-sector system are essential to address cyberbiosecurity issues related to privacy of data producers, ownership of original data, risks of data sharing, security protection for data transfer and storage, and public perceptions of the food supply chain. This paper introduces a new exploration to design domestic (U.S.) edamame, which is based on both our domain knowledge of life science and our information-sharing mechanisms across the agriculture and food sectors. A case study, involving a multidisciplinary team of breeders and non-breeder researchers with expertise in crop/food production, processing, quality, and economics, serves as a model. We introduce the value chain attributed to combining and linking data from different sectors in the research and development phase, and explain why we believe such data-sharing mechanisms can facilitate better analyses that resonate throughout the full system, from seed to consumer. Our perspective illustrates that, by securely sharing and interpreting data across sectors and identifying cyberbiosecurity risks, we can design promising agricultural and food systems to better meet consumers' need and protection of life science data.

The objective of this research is to establish a multiobjective fractional programming (MOFP) model for supporting the operational management of a combined heat and power (CHP) system. Compared with the traditional operational optimization model of the CHP system, the importance of the energy intensity (i.e., the ratio of energy consumption and energy production) was emphasized in the MOFP model, which is considered as the system objective for replacing the common objective of minimizing the economic cost. This innovative transformation effectively reduces excessive energy consumption, accompanied by improvement in the system revenue. The CHP system of an industrial park in the City of Jinan, China, was used as a study case for demonstration. The obtained results reflected that the combination of two gas turbines (GTs) ensured safe, efficient, and stable output for meeting daily power requirements in various seasons. As for the steam load, during the summer, two heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) play a major role, where the insufficient part is supplemented by two gas-fired boilers (SBs); conversely, the steam load in winter is mainly satisfied by the aid of two SBs. The successful application of the MOFP model in the park could provide a good demonstration for CHP management in many other districts and cities.

Background: Giant cell tumors (GCTs) are benign, locally aggressive tumors. We examined the rate of local recurrence of spinal GCTs and sought to identify recurrence factors in patients who underwent surgery. Methods: Between 1995 and 2014, 94 mobile spine GCT patients were treated at our hospital, comprising 43 male and 51 female patients with an average age of 33.4 years. Piecemeal intralesional spondylectomy and total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) were performed. Radiotherapy was suggested for recurrent or residual GCT cases. Since denosumab was not available before 2014 in our country, only interferon and/or zoledronic acid was suggested. Results: Of the 94 patients, four underwent conservative treatment and 90 underwent operations. Seventy-five patients (79.8%) were followed up for a minimum of 24 months or until death. The median follow-up duration was 75.3 months. The overall recurrence rate was 37.3%. Ten patients (13.3%) died before the last follow-up (median: 18.5 months). Two patients (2.6%) developed osteogenic sarcoma. The local recurrence rate was 80.0% (24/30) in patients who underwent intralesional curettage, 8.8% (3/34) in patients who underwent extracapsular piecemeal spondylectomy, and 0 (0/9) in patients who underwent TES. The risk factors for local recurrence were lesions located in the cervical spine (P = 0.049), intralesional curettage (P < 0.001), repeated surgeries (P = 0.014), and malignancy (P < 0.001). Malignant transformation was a significant risk factor for death (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Cervical spinal tumors, curettage, and nonintact tumors were risk factors for local recurrence. Intralesional curettage and malignancy were the most important significant factors for local recurrence and death, respectively.

Ultra-dense network (UDN) is considered as one of the most promising techniques in achieving the increasingly explosive growth of data rates for future 5G system. However, a large number of small cells lead to the increased cell edges and the rugged inter-cell interference, which cause frequent handover events and more radio link failure. In this paper, a local anchor-based dual connectivity (DC) architecture is proposed for a user-centric network based on the analysis of mobility management challenges of UDN. Under the proposed architecture, the local anchor acts as the master eNodeB (MeNB) with neighboring small cells acting as slave eNodeBs (SeNBs) to provide DC transmission for user-centric service following each user's movement. Key procedures for mobility management are correspondingly provided and both the MeNBs and SeNBs are selected from the small cells to investigate the potential of them, which are different from the mobility management methods under the traditional cellular architecture. Performance evaluations are conducted under different parameter configurations to evaluate the maximum potential of the proposed scheme. Simulation results show that in our proposed scheme, the handover failure rate shows a maximum decrease of more than 53% and the average user spectrum efficiency achieves an increase of 5% gains over the current LTE system when the user equipment speed is 3 km/h.

Silicon nanowires radial core-shell solar cells have recently attracted significant attention as promising candidates for low cost photovoltaic application, benefit from its strong light trapping, and short radial carrier collection distances. In order to establish optics and electricity improvement, a two-dimensional model based on Shockley-Read-Hall recombination modes has been carried out for radial core-shell junction nanowires solar cell combined with guided resonance modes of light absorption. The impact of SiNWs diameter and absorption layer thickness on device electrical performance based on a fixed nanowires height and diameter-over-periodicity were investigated under illumination. The variation in quantum efficiency indicated that the performance is limited by the mismatch between light absorption and carriers’ collection length.

AIM:To study the effect of intravitreal injection of Bevacizumab for vitreous hemorrhage in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR). METHODS:Fifty eyes in 46 PDR patients with vitreous hemorrhage were randomly divided into two groups. Thirty eyes in 28 patients were given intravitreal bevacizumab injection as the injection group. Twenty eyes in 18 patients were given the same treatment as injection group except bevacizumab injection in the control group. The absorption of vitreous hemorrhage, operation condition, best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), vitreous hemorrhage recurrence and other complications were observed. All the patients were followed up every week. If the hemorrhage was absorbed and the fundus could be seen clearly, the fundus fluorescein angiography(FFA)and laser photocoagulation were given. At 4wk after treatment, if the hemorrhage was not absorbed and became even worse, or retinal detachment occurred during the follow-ups, pars plana vitrectomy(PPV)would be taken. The follow-up time was 3mo. RESULTS:Three months after intravitreal bevacizumab injection, the total number of the eyes avoiding vitrectomy was 10 eyes, 9 eyes(30%)in the injection group compared with 1 eye(5%)in the control group(χ2=6.108,P=0.0171). There were 19 eyes whose BCVA increased in the injection group, the proportion was 63%(19/30); there were 7 eyes whose BCVA increased in the control group,the proportion was 35%(7/20); there was statistically significant difference(χ2=6.102,P=0.014). The total number of the eyes receiving vitrectomy was 40, 5 eyes of 21(24%)were filled with silicone oil in the injection group, compared with 12 eyes of 19(63%)in the control group(χ2=5.2849, P=0.0137).CONCLUSION:Intravitreous injection of bevacizumab for the PDR patients with vitreous hemorrhage can reduce the possibility of vitrectomy for some patients, reduce the difficulties of the vitrectomy for the others. The operation difficulty can be less and the use of silicon oil in the vitrectomy can be reduced. It is helpful in reducing the postoperative vitreous recurrent hemorrhage and improving the postoperative BCVA.

In this study we investigated the effects of jet path on the morphology and mat size of synthetic polystyrene (PS) fibers during the electrospinning process. In addition, the mechanism of the fiber mats, which were prepared by varying the solution concentration, was evaluated. The straight jet length, envelope cone and whipping frequency of each electrospun jet were studied using images captured by a high-speed photography camera. The results showed that higher solution concentrations led to longer straight jet lengths, smaller envelope cones and lower whipping frequencies. The diameter and surface morphology of the PS fibers were also characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that fibers spun with higher solution concentrations exhibited larger diameters and diameter distributions because of their jet path features. Furthermore, the electrospun jets with higher concentrations increased elongation and produced smaller fiber mats and higher breaking forces as a result of their different jet paths, which was a consequence of varying the solution concentration.

ObjectiveInterleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase-4 (IRAK-4) encodes a kinase that is essential for NF-kB activation in Toll-like receptor and T-cell receptor signaling pathways, indicating a possible crosstalk between innate and acquired immunities. We attempted to determine whether the polymorphisms in the Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase-4 (IRAK-4) gene are associated with allergic rhinitis (AR) in the Han Chinese population.MethodsA population of 379 patients with AR and 333 healthy controls was studied. Blood was drawn for DNA extraction and total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE). A total of 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IRAK-4 were selected and individually genotyped.ResultsSignificant allelic differences between cases and controls were obtained for the SNP of rs3794262 in the IRAK-4 gene. In the stratified analysis for gender, two SNPs (rs4251431 and rs6582484) in males appeared as significant associations. Subgroup analysis for the presence of different allergen sensitivities displayed associations only in the house dust mite-allergic cohorts (rs3794262, rs4251481). None of the selected SNPs in IRAK-4 was associated with total IgE level. The haplotype analysis indicated GCCTGCGA was significantly associated with AR. The SNP-SNP interaction information analysis indicated that the selected sets of polymorphisms had no synergistic effect.ConclusionsOur findings did not support the potential contribution of the IRAK-4 gene to serum IgE levels. However, the results demonstrated a gender- and allergen-dependant association pattern between polymorphisms in IRAK-4 and AR in Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is a central player in the allergic response, and raised total IgE levels are considered as an indicator of atopy or potential development of atopy. A recent genome-wide scan in a German population-based cohort of adults identified the gene encoding the alpha chain of the high affinity receptor for IgE (FCER1A) as a susceptibility locus influencing total serum IgE levels. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the polymorphisms in the FCER1A gene are associated with allergic rhinitis (AR) in a Han Chinese population. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A population of 378 patients with AR and 288 healthy controls was studied. Precise phenotyping of patients was accomplished by means of a questionnaire and clinical examination. Blood was drawn for DNA extraction and total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) measurement. A total of 16 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in FCER1A were selected and individually genotyped. None of the SNPs in the FCER1A showed an association with AR. Similarly, the lack of association was also evident in subgroup analysis for the presence of different allergen sensitivities. None of the selected SNPs in FCER1A was associated with total IgE level. CONCLUSIONS: Although FCER1A presents itself as a good candidate for contributing to total serum IgE, this study failed to find an association between SNPs in the FCER1A gene region and IgE level or AR susceptibility.