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Background: The relationship between tea and coffee consumption and mortality among patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains barely explored. Herein, this study aimed to examine the association between tea and coffee consumption and the likelihood of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in patients with MetS. Methods: A total of 118,872 participants with MetS at baseline from the UK Biobank cohort were included. Information on tea and coffee consumption was obtained during recruitment using a touchscreen questionnaire. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for mortality were determined using Cox proportional hazards models. Results: During a median follow-up of 13.87 years, 13,666 deaths were recorded, with 5913, 3362, and 994 deaths from cancer, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and respiratory disease (RD), respectively. This research showed a significant inverse association between tea intake and the risk of all-cause and cancer mortality, the respective HRs (95% CI) for consuming tea 2 vs. 0 cup/day were 0.89 (0.84–0.95), and 0.91 (0.83–0.99), and tea intake ≥ 4 cups/day could reduce CVD mortality by 11% (HR 0.89; 95% CI 0.81–0.98). The U-shaped nonlinear association between coffee intake and all-cause/CVD mortality was examined (all p-nonlinear < 0.001). The HRs (95% CI) for coffee consumption 1 vs. 0 cup/day were 0.93 (0.89–0.98) and 0.89 (0.80–0.99), and for ≥ 4 vs. 0 cup/day were 1.05 (1.01–1.11) and 1.13 (1.03–1.25), respectively. Notably, the combined intake of tea and coffee presented a protective effect against all-cause mortality (HR < 1). Conclusions: The importance of daily tea and moderate coffee consumption in individuals with MetS to optimise health benefits are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The relationship between vitamin D levels and cancer incidence and mortality in individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains poorly explored. Herein, we aimed to determine the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations and the risk of 16 cancer incidence types and cancer/all-cause mortality in patients with MetS. Methods: We enrolled 97,621 participants with MetS at recruitment from the UK Biobank cohort. The exposure factor was baseline serum 25(OH)D concentrations. The associations were examined using Cox proportional hazards models, which were displayed as hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Over a median follow-up period of 10.92 years for cancer incidence outcomes, 12,137 new cancer cases were recorded. We observed that 25(OH)D concentrations were inversely related to the risk of colon, lung, and kidney cancer, and HRs (95% CI) for 25(OH)D ≥ 75.0 vs. < 25.0 nmol/L were 0.67 (0.45–0.98), 0.64 (0.45–0.91), and 0.54 (0.31–0.95), respectively. The fully adjusted model revealed a null correlation between 25(OH)D and the incidence of stomach, rectum, liver, pancreas, breast, ovary, bladder, brain, multiple myeloma, leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, esophagus, and corpus uteri cancer. Over a median follow-up period of 12.72 years for mortality outcomes, 8286 fatalities (including 3210 cancer mortalities) were documented. An "L-shaped" nonlinear dose–response correlation was detected between 25(OH)D and cancer/all-cause mortality; the respective HRs (95% CI) were 0.75 (0.64–0.89) and 0.65 (0.58–0.72). Conclusion: These findings emphasize the importance of 25(OH)D in cancer prevention and longevity promotion among patients with MetS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radical species and electric fields produced by gas plasmas are increasingly used in dermatology. Plasma-poration is the key basis for the efficient plasma skin treatment, which involves the plasma electric field, the directional motion of charged particles, and the transport of reactive particles. However, the enabling mechanisms of the plasma-poration remain unclear and require urgent attention. Here, the plasma-induced electric fields in each skin layer are accurately measured for the first time. The maximum electric field in the stratum corneum is 43 kV/cm, while the electric field in the active epidermis and dermis is about 1.8 kV/cm. This electric field strength is in the range of strength required for electroporation. Different from traditional electroporation treatments, the plasma-poration mainly relies on the effects of strong electric fields and the conductive current. The active power of the plasma-poration up to 18.5 kW/cm3 in the stratum corneum can rapidly change the structure of the skin. At the same time, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species also pass through the stratum corneum and effectively interact with the skin tissue. The plasma-poration does not cause any pain, which is an inevitable side effect of common electroporation. Mechanism of the plasma-poration and its comparison with traditional electroporation. (a) Mechanism of plasma-poration. In this work, when the plasma is applied topically on the skin, an electric field of up to 43 kV/cm is generated in the stratum corneum (SC), which is sufficient to induce pores in the cell membrane. At the same time, the active power density of the conduction current generated by the charged particles flow is up to 18.5 kW/cm3, which produces a thermal effect to heat the SC and rapidly changes the SC structure leading to better skin permeability. (b) A large number of RONS generated in plasmas penetrate transcutaneously and contact with human tissues, which is the key to the biomedical effects of plasmas. Conventional electroporation does not produce such effects. Conventional electroporation current is more than 1.5 A. Compared with traditional electroporation, the current of the plasma-poration is only 0.014 A. This allows the plasma treatment to avoid any electric shock, which is an inevitable side effect of conventional electroporation. [Display omitted] • Plasma-poration changes the structure of the stratum corneum and enables the effective transport of reactive species. • The maximum plasma-generated electric field in the stratum corneum is 43 kV/cm. • The active power of the plasma-poration in the stratum corneum is 18.5 kW/cm3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We conducted a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study to determine whether genetically predicted basal metabolic rate (BMR) was a causal risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC) or whether a genetically predicted CRC risk can influence the BMR level (i.e., reverse causation). Methods: We employed 1,040 genetic variants as proxies for BMR to obtain effect estimates on CRC risk. Another 58 CRC-associated variants were used to estimate effects on BMR levels. Stratified analysis by tumor site was used to examine the causal associations between BMR and colon/rectal cancer risk. Results: The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method indicated a significant causal effect of genetically determined BMR on CRC risk (ORSD = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.07–1.51). No significant reverse causal association was identified between genetically increased CRC risk and BMR levels [IVW (β = 0, 95% CI = -0.01 to 0)]. The results of MR-Egger and the weighted median method were consistent with the IVW method. Stratified analysis by CRC sites identified significant causal associations between BMR and colon cancer [IVW (ORSD = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.16-1-80)], and null evidence of a causal association between BMR and rectal cancer risk was found (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Our findings add to the current literature by validating a positive relationship between high BMR levels and CRC risk instead of reverse causality. The genetically predicted BMR level was causally associated with colon cancer risk but not rectal cancer risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of pathogen adaptation to global warming is important for predicting future disease epidemics and food production in agricultural ecosystems; however, the patterns and mechanisms of such adaptation in many plant pathogens are poorly understood. Here, population genetics combined with physiological assays and common garden experiments were used to analyze the genetics, physiology, and thermal preference of pathogen aggressiveness in an evolutionary context using 140 Phytophthora infestans genotypes under five temperature regimes. Pathogens originating from warmer regions were more thermophilic and had a broader thermal niche than those from cooler regions. Phenotypic plasticity contributed ~10-fold more than heritability measured by genetic variance. Further, experimental temperatures altered the expression of genetic variation and the association of pathogen aggressiveness with the local temperature. Increasing experimental temperature enhanced the variation in aggressiveness. At low experimental temperatures, pathogens from warmer places produced less disease than those from cooler places; however, this pattern was reversed at higher experimental temperatures. These results suggest that geographic variation in the thermal preferences of pathogens should be included in modeling future disease epidemics in agricultural ecosystems in response to global warming, and greater attention should be paid to preventing the movement of pathogens from warmer to cooler places. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslides in nature are harmful to economic development and people's lives and cause irreparable losses to the environment. With the application of image detection technology and intelligent algorithm, a new way for landslide detection is proposed to achieve effective detection and identification of hazards. This paper takes the landslide as the data set, carries on the noise reduction, the image expansion, and the image segmentation processing to the image, and extracts the object region information. The quantitative description of the azimuth displacement and displacement change of the crack curve is completed in this paper. This method is suitable for 3D simulation model, sand and stone model, soil model, and the sliding test results of Panzhihua Flight Field, which proves that the design method is effective. Experiments show that when sliding occurs, the texture and color become chaotic, the usual mountain becomes more in the regular state, and the extraction of features is very different. The method has better recognition effect for the hillside covered with vegetation, the recognition time is short, and the recognition rate can reach 90%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the data and a model showing that the energy loss experienced by the carriers flowing through breakdown spots is the primary cause of progressive breakdown spot growth. The experiments are performed in gate dielectrics of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices subjected to accelerated high electric field constant voltage stress under inversion conditions. The model is analytical and contains few free parameters of clear physical meaning. This is compared to a large set of data on breakdown transients at various oxide thicknesses, stress voltages, and temperatures, both in cases of n-channel and p-channel transistors and polycrystalline Si/oxynitride/Si and metal gate/high k dielectric/Si gate stacks. The basic idea is that the breakdown transient is due to the growth of one or more filaments in the dielectric promoted by electromigration driven by the energy lost by the electrons traveling through the breakdown spots. Both cases of polycrystalline Si/oxynitride/Si and metal gate/high-k dielectric/Si MOS structures are investigated. The best fit values of the model to the data, reported and discussed in the paper, consistently describe a large set of data. The case of simultaneous growth of multiple progressive breakdown spots in the same device is also discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic variation plays a fundamental role in pathogen's adaptation to environmental stresses. Pathogens with low genetic variation tend to survive and proliferate more poorly due to their lack of genotypic/phenotypic polymorphisms in responding to fluctuating environments. Evolutionary theory hypothesizes that the adaptive disadvantage of genes with low genomic variation can be compensated for structural diversity of proteins through post‐translation modification (PTM) but this theory is rarely tested experimentally and its implication to sustainable disease management is hardly discussed. In this study, we analyzed nucleotide characteristics of eukaryotic translation elongation factor‐1α (eEF‐lα) gene from 165 Phytophthora infestans isolates and the physical and chemical properties of its derived proteins. We found a low sequence variation of eEF‐lα protein, possibly attributable to purifying selection and a lack of intra‐genic recombination rather than reduced mutation. In the only two isoforms detected by the study, the major one accounted for >95% of the pathogen collection and displayed a significantly higher fitness than the minor one. High lysine representation enhances the opportunity of the eEF‐1α protein to be methylated and the absence of disulfide bonds is consistent with the structural prediction showing that many disordered regions are existed in the protein. Methylation, structural disordering, and possibly other PTMs ensure the ability of the protein to modify its functions during biological, cellular and biochemical processes, and compensate for its adaptive disadvantage caused by sequence conservation. Our results indicate that PTMs may function synergistically with nucleotide codes to regulate the adaptive landscape of eEF‐1α, possibly as well as other housekeeping genes, in P. infestans. Compensatory evolution between pre‐ and post‐translational phase in eEF‐1α could enable pathogens quickly adapting to disease management strategies while efficiently maintaining critical roles of the protein playing in biological, cellular, and biochemical activities. Implications of these results to sustainable plant disease management are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tatun Volcanic Group (TVG) is proximal to the metropolis of Taipei City (population of ca. 7 million) and has long been a major concern due to the potential risks from volcanic activity to the population and critical infrastructure. While the TVG has been previously considered a dormant or extinct volcano, recent evidence suggests a much younger age of the last eruption event (~ 6000 years) and possible existence of a magma reservoir beneath the TVG. However, the location, dimension, and detailed geometry of the magma reservoir and plumbing system remains largely unknown. To examine the TVG volcanic plumbing structure in detail, the local P-wave travel time data and the teleseismic waveform data from a new island-wide Formosa Array Project are combined for a 3D tomographic joint inversion. The new model reveals a magma reservoir with a notable P-wave velocity reduction of 19% (ca. ~ 19% melt fraction) at 8–20 km beneath eastern TVG and with possible northward extension to a shallower depth near where active submarine volcanoes that have been detected. Enhanced tomographic images also reveal sporadic magmatic intrusion/underplating in the lower crust of Husehshan Range and northern Taiwan. These findings suggest an active volcanic plumbing system induced by post-collisional extension associated with the collapse of the orogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spousal bereavement is associated with elevated risk of morbidity and mortality. Several well-regarded multidisciplinary research teams have investigated the biopsychosocial processes underlying why widows and widowers are at elevated physical-health risk. Here, we review research from multiple investigators showing that, on average, widows and widowers exhibit maladaptive patterns of autonomic, neuroendocrine, and immune activity compared with matched comparison subjects. Widows and widowers also exhibit poorer health behaviors than they did before their spouse's death, and the considerable variation in postloss psychological-adjustment trajectories among widows and widowers likely corresponds to physical-health risk trajectories. Yet there is little biobehavioral research on patterns of change in physical-health risk after the death of a spouse. We summarize recently published work demonstrating how attachment theory can characterize and predict individual differences in physical-health biomarkers, highlighting the need for a biopsychosocial approach to understanding and characterizing postloss trajectory patterns. We conclude by discussing the possibility that this line of inquiry could help researchers, and ultimately providers, identify adjustment trajectories earlier and thus deliver appropriate interventions when they are most needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum secret sharing (QSS) is a project to distribute a secret message to multi-parties, who cannot restore it individually only need to cooperate in order to decode it. Here we design a five-partite QSS scheme to perform continuous-variable threshold quantum secret sharing. To finish the secret reconstruction for five players, we use two different methods including feedfoward loop and Mach-Zehnder interferometers. It shows that this scheme can yield perfect secret reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature plays a multidimensional role in host–pathogen interactions. As an important element of climate change, elevated world temperature resulting from global warming presents new challenges to sustainable disease management. Knowledge of pathogen adaptation to global warming is needed to predict future disease epidemiology and formulate mitigating strategies. In this study, 21 Phytophthora infestans isolates originating from seven thermal environments were acclimated for 200 days under stepwise increase or decrease of experimental temperatures and evolutionary responses of the isolates to the thermal changes were evaluated. We found temperature acclimation significantly increased the fitness and genetic adaptation of P. infestans isolates at both low and high temperatures. Low‐temperature acclimation enforced the countergradient adaptation of the pathogen to its past selection and enhanced the positive association between the pathogen's intrinsic growth rate and aggressiveness. At high temperatures, we found that pathogen growth collapsed near the maximum temperature for growth, suggesting a thermal niche boundary may exist in the evolutionary adaptation of P. infestans. These results indicate that pathogens can quickly adapt to temperature shifts in global warming. If this is associated with environmental conditions favoring pathogen spread, it will threaten future food security and human health and require the establishment of mitigating actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expected global changes in environmental conditions underline the need for a better understanding of genetic variation in ecological traits and their strategies of adaptation to the stresses. In this study, evolutionary mechanisms and processes of UV adaptation in plant pathogens were investigated by combining statistical genetics, physiological assays, and common garden experiment approaches in an assessment of the potato late blight pathogen, Phytophthora infestans, sampled from various geographic locations in China. We found spatial divergence caused by diversifying selection in UV tolerance among P. infestans populations. Local UV radiation was the driving force of selection as indicated by a positive correlation between UV tolerance in P. infestans populations and the altitude of collection sites. Plasticity accounted for 68% of population variation while heritability was negligible, suggesting temporary changes in gene expression and/or enzymatic activity play a more important role than permanent modification of gene structure in the evolution of UV adaptation. This adaptation strategy may explain the lack of fitness penalty observed in genotypes with higher UV tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Cases of pancreatitis were identified in the eluxadoline clinical development program, reflected in initial product labelling, and the subject of postmarketing reports. Aim: To analyse postmarketing cases of eluxadoline‐associated pancreatitis. Methods: We retrospectively analysed all US adverse event reports of pancreatitis associated with eluxadoline reported to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database from May 27, 2015 through February 15, 2017. Results: The analysis included 119 cases of pancreatitis associated with eluxadoline; one resulted in death and 75 in hospitalisation. Sixty‐seven cases reported the presence (n = 12) or absence (n = 55) of the patient's gallbladder. The eluxadoline dose received in the 55 cases of patients without gallbladders was 75 mg (n = 43), 100 mg (n = 5), or not reported (n = 7). Of the 119 cases, 37 reported the patient did not abuse alcohol and 82 did not report the alcohol abuse status. The single fatal case occurred in a patient without a gallbladder who received eluxadoline 75 mg and did not abuse alcohol. Forty‐seven cases reported development of pancreatitis within the first or second dose of eluxadoline initiation. The median time to onset for the development of pancreatitis (n = 83) was 1 day, ranging from 1 to 56 days of continued use of eluxadoline. Conclusion: The FAERS cases suggest that patients with or without a gallbladder receiving eluxadoline are at risk for the development of pancreatitis. However, patients without a gallbladder, despite receiving the recommended lower dose of eluxadoline 75 mg and screening for alcohol abuse, appear to be overrepresented among patients who developed eluxadoline‐associated pancreatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Chronic hepatitis C virus ( HCV) infection is the leading cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC) in the United States ( US) and an emerging cause in China. Aim To compare the clinical characteristics of hepatitis C patients in the US and China, and factors influencing disease stage. Methods Prospective study of 2 cohorts of HCV patients recruited at 1 site in the US and 3 sites in China. Standardised questionnaire on risk factors and medical history were used and diagnosis of cirrhosis and HCC was based on pre-defined criteria. Results One thousand nine hundred and fifty seven patients (1000 US and 957 China) were enrolled. US patients were more likely to be men (61.4% vs 48.5%), older (median age 57 vs 53 years), obese (38.4% vs 16.8%) and diabetic (21.8% vs 10.8%). A significantly higher per cent of US patients had cirrhosis (38.2% vs 16.0%) and HCC (14.1% vs 2.7%). Investigator estimated time at infection in US was 10 years earlier than in Chinese patients but US patients were more likely to have advanced disease even after stratifying for duration of infection. Study site in the US, older age, truncal obesity, diabetes and prior HCV treatment were significant predictors of advanced disease on multivariate analysis. Conclusions HCV patients in the US had more advanced liver disease than those in China. We speculate that underlying fatty liver disease may be a major contributor to this difference, and management of glycometabolic abnormalities should occur in parallel with anti-viral therapy to achieve optimal outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of non-HLA antibodies, such as MICA and AT1R, in pediatric heart transplant (HTx) is not well delineated. While both may contribute to worse outcomes after HTx, regular surveillance monitoring and B-cell treatment is generally reserved for recipients with HLA-DSA. Case report describing the development of non-HLA DSA in a patient who is s/p second HTx with concern for CAV in both allografts. We introduce a 16-yo male who received a HTx for familial DCM in 2007, at age 2yo. Prior to HTx he was mechanically supported with ECMO (10 dys) and a Berlin Heart (6 wks). PRA were negative and his retrospective cross match (XM) was invalid due to auto-reactivity. Immunosuppression (ISX) was maintained with tacrolimus and sirolimus. Three years (2010) after HTx de novo HLA-DSA (DQ8, DR53) were detected following a period of medical non-compliance; HLA-DSA gradually increased in strength to 20,000 MFI. While all surveillance biopsies since transplant remained without evidence of ACR or AMR, he required treatment for clinical rejection in 2011 (pulse steroids, IVIG) and 2015 (pulse steroids, ATG) and MMF was added to his ISX. He eventually developed micro-vascular CAV, presenting as heart block and diastolic dysfunction, and received a second HTx in 2016. His retrospective XM again showed autoreactivity; he had a negative virtual XM and never developed new HLA-DSA. A recent biopsy, prompted by mild diastolic dysfunction, revealed new endothelial swelling (ACR 1R, AMR 1H, C4D neg). Additional analysis showed high levels of donor-specific MICA, and AT1R antibodies; both remained high despite initiation of B-cell therapy (rituximab, bortezomib, IVIG). Further retrospective analysis revealed that the MICA antibodies were developed de novo against his first heart (targeting a common epitope present on both donors' MICA) alongside the HLA-DSA, while AT1R antibodies were already present before his first HTx. Thus, MICA-DSA may have contributed to accelerated CAV in his first allograft, and cause endothelial swelling and AMR in his second allograft. This may have been further exacerbated by the ongoing presence of AT1R, though their role in our patient's clinical course remains less clear. Non-HLA DSA can be injurious to cardiac allografts, and the presence of AMR or CAV without HLA-DSA warrants further evaluation for MICA-DSA and AT1R antibodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Cutaneous manifestations of pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus cause significant morbidity. Lenalidomide, a thalidomide analogue, has shown promise treating cutaneous lupus erythematosus in adults. Our objective was to evaluate lenalidomide's efficacy and safety in treating refractory cutaneous manifestations of pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of 10 adolescents who received lenalidomide for recalcitrant cutaneous lupus erythematosus. Information was gathered at drug initiation and 6-month follow-up. The Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test was used to assess change in quantitative parameters of disease activity. Results: Nine subjects were girls and six were African-American. Indications for lenalidomide treatment included alopecia, nasal and oral ulcers, extensive malar rash, discoid lesions, bullous lesions, panniculitis, cutaneous vasculitis, and Raynaud's phenomenon with digital ulcerations. Within 6 months, all patients demonstrated complete or near resolution based on physician report. Prednisone dose decreased from a mean 23.5mg (SD±13.3) to 12.25mg (SD±9.2) (P=0.008). Sedimentation rate decreased from a mean 29 mm/hour (SD±31.5) to 17 mm/hour (SD±18.1) (P=0.004). Lenalidomide was well tolerated. Conclusion: Lenalidomide is an effective and safe treatment for a spectrum of dermatological conditions in pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus. Its use may allow a reduction in prednisone dose and decreased disfigurement. Prospective study is needed to clarify lenalidomide's role in treating cutaneous manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a theoretical method to enhance the entanglement between two mechanical resonators in two optomechanical cavities, which are coupled by the photon-hopping process, and each opto-mechanical cavity are consisted of a Fabry-Perot cavity and a mechanical oscillator by applying N atomic medium. We explore the effect of the entanglement between two mechanical oscillators with two atomic mediums and without them, respectively. The results show that the introduction of atoms can effectively increase the entanglement between the two oscillator modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A linguistic multi-criteria decision-making method is introduced. In this method, a maximising discrimination programming assigns the semanteme values to linguistic variables to represent their semantics. Incomplete preferences from using linguistic information are expressed by the constraints of the model. Such assignment can amplify the difference between alternatives. Thus, the discrimination of the decision model is increased, which facilitates the decision-maker to rank or order the alternatives for making a decision. We also discuss the parameter setting and its influence, and use an application example to illustrate the proposed method. Further, the results with three types of semantic structure highlight the ability of the method in handling different semantic structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a scheme to generate the case of macroscopic entanglement in the optomechanical system, which consist of Fabry-Perot cavity and a mechanical oscillator by applying a homodyne-mediated quantum feedback. We explore the effect of feedback on the entanglement in vacuum and coherent state, respectively. The results show that the introduction of quantum feedback can increase the entanglement effectively between the cavity mode and the oscillator mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensitive mid‐infrared (MIR) spectroscopy is highly demanded in various fields ranging from industrial inspection, biomedical diagnosis to astronomical observation. However, the detection sensitivity of conventional MIR spectrometers is severely limited by excessive noises for existing infrared sensors, which hinders widespread use in photon‐scarce scenarios. Here, a broadband MIR single‐photon time‐stretch spectrometer is devised and implemented based on high‐fidelity spectral upconversion and time‐correlated coincidence counting. Specifically, a nanophotonic supercontinuum illumination covering 2.4–4.2 µm is nonlinearly converted to the near‐infrared band, where low‐loss single‐mode fiber and high‐performance silicon detector can be leveraged to facilitate dispersive operation and sensitive detection, respectively. The arrival time for the dispersed upconversion photons is precisely registered with a low‐timing‐jitter photon counter, which enables us to obtain a high spectral resolution about 0.5 cm−1 under a low‐light‐level illumination down to 0.14 photons/nm/pulse. In comparison to previous MIR upconversion spectrometers, the presented time‐stretch architecture favors single‐pixel simplicity and high‐throughput acquisition for the single‐photon spectral measurement. The achieved MIR spectroscopic features of broadband spectral coverage, sub‐wavenumber resolution, single‐photon sensitivity, and room‐temperature operation would stimulate immediate applications in material and life sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linguistic pairwise comparison matrices for decision-making need to be (strongly) order-consistent, which means the judgments should be (strongly) transitive. We introduce the equivalent conditions of (strong) transitivity by using route matrices and digraphs and develop an adjustment procedure to help decision makers correcting the inconsistency. The conclusion can extend to other ordinal-scaled or numerical comparison matrices as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of radiative forcings and climate feedbacks on global cooling over the last millennium is quantified in the CMIP5-PMIP3 transient climate model simulations. Changes in the global energy budget over the last millennium are decomposed into contributions from radiative forcings and climate feedbacks through the use of the approximate partial radiative perturbation method and radiative kernels. Global cooling occurs circa 1200-1850 CE in the multimodel ensemble mean with pronounced minima corresponding with volcanically active periods that are outside the range of natural variability. Analysis of the global energy budget during the last millennium indicates that Little Ice Age (LIA; 1600-1850 CE) cooling is largely driven by volcanic forcing (comprising an average of 65% of the total forcing among models), while contributions due to changes in land use (13%), greenhouse gas concentrations (12%), and insolation (10%) are substantially lower. The combination of these forcings directly contributes to 47% of the global cooling during the LIA, while the remainder of the cooling arises from the sum of the climate feedbacks. The dominant positive feedback is the water vapor feedback, which contributes 29% of the global cooling. Additional positive feedbacks include the surface albedo feedback (which contributes 7% of the global cooling and arises owing to high-latitude sea ice expansion and increased snow cover) and the lapse rate feedback (which contributes an additional 7% of the global cooling and arises owing to greater cooling near the surface than aloft in the middle and high latitudes). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A scheme to generate stationary entanglement between two distant Fabry-Perot cavities with parametric interactions is proposed in the current paper. The bipartite entanglement between two distant mirrors and the entanglement between a mirror and a distant cavity mode are quantified. The logarithmic negativity, which characterizes continuous-variable (CV) entanglement between two systems, is found to increase with the help of parametric interactions. Moreover, such macroscopic entanglement between two distant mirrors and between a mirror and a distant cavity mode persists for environment temperatures of about 60K and 6K, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasensitive spectroscopy is an essential component in mid-infrared (MIR) technology. However, the drawbacks of MIR detectors pose challenges to robust MIR spectroscopy at the single-photon level. We propose an MIR single-photon frequency upconversion spectroscopy nonlocally mapping the MIR information to the time domain. Broadband MIR photons from spontaneous parametric downconversion are frequency-upconverted to the near-infrared band with quantum correlation preservation. Via the group delay of fiber, the MIR spectral information within a 1.18-micrometer bandwidth of 2.76 to 3.94 micrometers is then successfully projected to arrival times of correlated photon pairs. Under the conditions of 6.4 × 106 photons per second illumination, the transmission spectra of polymers with single-photon sensitivity are demonstrated using single-pixel detectors. The developed approach circumvents scanning and frequency selection instability, which stands out for its inherent compatibility for evolving environments and scalability for various wavelengths. Because of its high sensitivity and robustness, characterization of biochemical samples and weak measurement of quantum systems are possible to foresee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Obesity induces insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, impacting human health. The relationship between obesity, gut microbiota, and regulatory mechanisms has been studied extensively. Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide (DOP), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, potentially reduces insulin resistance. However, the mechanism through which DOP affects gut microbiota and alleviates obesity‐induced insulin resistance in rats requires further investigation. RESULTS: The current study aimed to assess the impact of DOP on gut microbiota and insulin resistance in rats on a high‐fat diet. The results revealed that DOP effectively reduced blood lipids, glucose disorders, oxidative stress, and inflammatory infiltration in the liver of obese Sprague Dawley rats. This was achieved by downregulating SOCS3 expression and upregulating insulin receptor substrate‐1 (IRS‐1) by regulating the JAK/STAT/SOCS3 signaling pathway. Notably, DOP intervention enhanced the abundance of beneficial gut microbiota and reduced harmful microbiota. Correlation analysis demonstrated significant associations among intestinal microbiota, SOCS3‐mediated IRS‐1 expression, and inflammatory factors. CONCLUSION: Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide regulated the gut microbiota, enhanced IRS‐1 expression, and mitigated liver injury and insulin resistance due to a high‐fat diet. These findings depict the potential anti‐insulin resistance properties of DOP and offer further evidence for addressing obesity and its complications. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a Gram-negative bacterium. It causes plants to produce crown gall disease because of the transfer, integration and expression of oncogenes encoded by the T- DNA (transferred DNA) region of the tumour-inducing ( Ti) plasmid. A set of transferred genes directs the production of bacterial nutrients, called opines, formed by condensation of an amino acid and a keto acid or a sugar. Transformed cells synthesize and secrete substantial quantities of particular opines, which A. tumefaciens then uses as a carbon and sometimes nitrogen source. Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains are usually classified on the basis of the opines they can catabolize. Because of the ability to transfer DNA between different kingdoms, A. tumefaciens is also frequently used to generate transgenic plants. This study analyses five poorly characterized wildtype Agrobacterium strains, 1D1108, 1 D1460, 1 D132, 1 D1478 and 1 D1487, isolated from Euonymus, cane, cherry, Salix and apple, respectively. Partial Ti-plasmid sequence analysis demonstrated that the five strains harbour the nopaline-type Ti plasmid. Tumorigenesis and transient transformation assays of the five analysed and six wildtype A. tumefaciens strains were performed with selected plant species, including two or three species of Brassicaceae, Asteraceae, Solanaceae, Apiaceae and Leguminosae. The A. tumefaciens strains 1 D1108, 1 D1460 and 1 D1478 showed higher transformation efficiencies than the previously characterized A. tumefaciens strains with several economically important crops. These data suggest the potential use of these newly characterized wildtype A. tumefaciens strains in transient transformation assays with certain plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intuitionistic normal cloud model is defined. And a multi-criteria group decision making method based on intuitionistic normal cloud is proposed. The uncertain decision information elicited from different decision makers are considered as some collections of the cloud drops of an intuitionistic normal cloud. Then, the parameters of this cloud can be estimated. For comparing the decision makers' preference on the alternatives, an algorithm for generating intuitionistic normal clouds drops is designed. And a Monte Carlo simulation based on this algorithm is adopted as well. The samples for this simulation are the drops of the intuitionistic normal clouds corresponding to the conjoint performances of the alternatives. The decision makers can order the alternatives and choose the feasible option according to the statistical results from the simulation. A practical example is also provided to illustrate the feasibility and validity of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vague linguistic numbers are especially adaptive to describe the evaluations of alternatives in multi-criteria decision making. Such description reveals the DM's preference and hesitant degree simultaneously. For handling the uncertainty in setting the weights of criteria, a fuzzy matrix game related with the initial decision matrix is established. This fuzzy game model is then transformed to a linear programming. By solving this programming, the weights of criteria are obtained. The weighted arithmetic average operator of vague linguistic numbers yields the aggregated ranking values of alternatives. An example illustrates the procedure of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a feasible scheme to generate tripartite macroscopic entanglement with three-mode optomechanical interactions. It shows how steady-state tripartite entanglement can be generated by means of radiation pressure. More importantly, we quantify the bipartite entanglement in each field-mirror subsystem and in the mirror-mirror one. We then discuss the influence of the parameters (the frequency of the mirrors, the coupling strength, damping of the cavity and environmental temperature) on tripartite entanglement. It is found that the high intensity of tripartite entanglement between two subsystems can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An outranking method for duplex linguistic multi-criteria decisions is presented. We define a duplex linguistic set that is especially suitable for describing a decision-maker''s preference, and assess each alternative with respect to criteria using duplex linguistic sets in a multi-criteria decision-making problem. An outranking relation between the alternatives is introduced. This novel outranking relation is based on systematic comparison of assessments of the alternatives for each criterion. The dominance of the duplex linguistic sets plays a crucial role in this comparison. Finally, an outranking method similar to the Electre method is proposed to rank the alternatives. An example is provided to illustrate the procedure for the proposed method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

PurposeThe Boston keratoprosthesis has had variable success rates in the past. However, significant modifications to design and management have recently led to successful outcomes. This study was undertaken to evaluate the outcomes of the Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis at our institution.MethodsA retrospective chart review was performed of all Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis procedures conducted at a single practice at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary from December 2006 to August 2010. Outcome measures included visual acuity, retention rates, and complications.ResultsIn all, 58 eyes of 51 patients who received a Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis were included. The most common indication for the keratoprosthesis was failed penetrating keratoplasty (PK) (81.0%; mean 2.4±1.3 PKs per eye). Glaucoma was the most common comorbidity (75.9%). Pre-operative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was <20/400 in 87.9% of eyes. At last follow-up, 43.1% of eyes had a BCVA of 20/200. Retention rate was 87.9% over an average follow-up of 21.5±11.4 months (median 22 months, range 3-47 months). Complications increased with time, with 65.5% of eyes experiencing at least one event by 6 months and 75.9% by 1 year. The most common post-operative complication was retroprosthetic membrane formation (50.0%).ConclusionsThe Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis provides visual recovery for eyes with multiple PK failures or with poor prognosis for primary PK, showing excellent retention rates. However, there is a trend towards a decline in visual acuity with time and the development of late complications, highlighting a need for longer-term studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A quantum well in a microcavity driven by an external field is studied. Applying a linearized fluctuation analysis, single mode quadrature squeezing spectra as well as continuous-variable (CV) entanglement between the cavity field and exciton are investigated. It shows that a maximum squeezing can be achieved by choosing appropriate quadrature angles for different nonlinearities. More importantly, CV entanglement can be generated in this scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Metallic bowtie nanostructures as plasmonic nanoantennas can create highly enhanced local fields when resonating with the incident light. With Au bowtie nanostructures fabricated by lithography method, we experimentally observed that the photoluminescence (PL) spatial profile from a single Au bowtie nanoantenna was strongly dependent on the excitation light polarization. While varying the incident light polarization, the spatial distribution of the PL intensity in the nanogap of an Au bowtie changed as predicted by the simulation results on the electromagnetic field enhancement distribution. The polarization feature of the PL intensity relative to the polarization direction of incident excitation light was also discussed. The study may find application in the design of polarization sensitive plasmonic sensors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We present a detailed analysis of the γ-ray emission from HESS J1745-303 with the data obtained by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope in its first ~29 month observation. The source can clearly be detected at the levels of ~18σ and ~6σ in 1-20 GeV and 10-20 GeV, respectively. We do not find any evidence of the variability seen in the results obtained by the Compton Gamma-ray Observatory. Most of the emission in 10-20 GeV is found to coincide with region C of HESS J1745-303. A simple power law is sufficient to describe the GeV spectrum with a photon index of Γ ~ 2.6. The power-law spectrum inferred in the GeV regime can be connected to that of a particular spatial component of HESS J1745-303 in 1-10 TeV without any spectral break. These properties impose independent constraints for understanding the nature of this "dark particle accelerator." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a Fabry-Perot cavity with one fixed mirror and a movable perfectly reflecting mirror. Applying a linearised fluctuation analysis, we derive the quantum fluctuations and correlation matrix between the cavity and nanomechanical oscillator. We investigate the continuous-variable (CV) entanglement and squeezing between the cavity and nanomechanical oscillator. It is found that high intensity of entanglement and squeezing between the cavity and nanomechanical oscillator can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the effect of timely zoledronic acid (ZA) treatment on clinical outcomes and health care utilization in patients with bone-metastatic prostate cancer. Patients with prostate cancer and bone metastasis were identified in a Veterans Affairs database (01/2002-09/2009). Eligible patients had no documented skeletal-related events (SREs) before the index date (that is, the first bone metastasis diagnosis date). Patients who received early ZA treatment, defined as having a ZA infusion after the index date and before any recorded SREs, were matched 1:1 on propensity score to patients not treated with bisphosphonates (BPs). Risks of SREs, hospitalization and death during the 6-month post-index period were compared between matched cohorts using Kaplan-Meier analyses. Baseline characteristics were well balanced between the matched cohorts (n=73 per group). 6-month SRE-free survival and hospitalization-free survival were higher in patients receiving timely ZA than patients without BP treatment (91.7 versus 71.5%, P<0.01; 80.5 versus 66.3%, P=0.05, respectively). 6-month mortality risk was significantly lower in patients treated with ZA versus those without BP treatment (4.3 versus 13.8%, P=0.04). Timely ZA intervention in bone-metastatic prostate cancer patients was associated with significant reductions in 6-month risks of SREs, hospitalization and mortality, as compared with no BP treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the quantum correlation of a coherently foul-level atomic system coupled by two coherent driven fields. Used the wave function technique, an explicit expression of the photon-photon correlation function is derived. The influence of the driven field as well as the detuning on the second correlation function are investigated. We find that the second correlation function can be controlled by the driven field or the detuning of two coupling lasers. So we can control the magnitude of the joint detection probability by the driving fields. More importantly, we show that this correlated photon states can serve as atomic memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The crystal structure of the deuteride of Ti0.85Mo0.15 alloy Ti0.85Mo0.15D1.47 is determined by neutron powder diffraction to be a tetragonally distorted fluorite-type structure similar to that of ɛ-phase in Ti–H system. The D concentration and c/a axial ratio of this phase are significantly lower than that in the Ti–H system. The formation of ɛ-phase in the Ti–Mo–H system supports the hypothesis that the electron density change play a role in the δ–ɛ phase transition. Considerable broadening of the reflections is observed in the diffraction patterns, and attributed to the D concentration inhomogeneity and anisotropic microstrain in the lattice of the deuteride. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We consider a semiconductor quantum well in the excitation system. Applying the pertinent Hamiltonian, we investigate the second-order intensity correlation function and the entanglement properties between the cavity and exciton mode. It is found that nonclassical (antibunching) effect and sudden death effect occur in our system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photoluminescence of a single nickel-nitrogen NE8 color center in a diamond nanocrystal is investigated at room temperature under pulsed excitation by scanning confocal optical microscopy. Photon arrival times are analyzed in terms of the temporal intensity correlation function. Antibunching at short times and bunching behavior for longer times is observed, associated with sub- and super-Poissonian statistics, respectively. The behavior is interpreted by a 'on-off' state model, and transition rates between these two states are inferred from intensity correlation measurements realized at different excitation powers. NE8 color center photoluminescence quantum yield is evaluated to be 65%, a value higher than achieved for a nitrogen-vacancy color center, which is, up to now, the most practical single emitter to build a reliable single-photon source at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss the generation and evolution of a macroscopic entanglement light with a subthreshold non-degenerate parametric oscillator, coupled to a vacuum reservoir. The four-level atoms driven by two classical fields interact with the parametric oscillator. The master equation for the cavity modes of the scheme is derived and analyzed, the entanglement properties of the two-mode light generated by this scheme inside and outside the cavity is studied. We show that the light produced by this system is strongly entangled with time evolution inside and outside a cavity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Can attending a communication skills workshop focused on advance care planning, shifting focus to palliative care, personal grief, managing anger, and culture and communication result in changes in attitudes and knowledge? One hundred and three clinicians completed surveys prior to and following the workshop resulting in significant changes in knowledge, attitudes and intent to change that persisted for at least 3 months. As most clinicians are not routinely exposed to learning communication skills for end-of-life conversations, opportunities to practice these skills in a safe supportive environment should be made available in medical schools, residency programs, and in the practice community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To describe dosing patterns for tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists in patients with rheumatoid arthritis from health care provider and payer point of interest. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Using privately insured US claims data from 31 large employers covering 31 companies across the US, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients were identified and three cohorts were defined based on first TNF-antagonist treatment (adalimumab, etanercept, or infliximab) administered after January 1, 2003. Dosage-adjustment patterns were assessed during the following 12-month period. Changes in dosage (both increases and decreases) and maintenance of a stable dosage were evaluated. For the health care provider point of interest, a new algorithm was developed to assess treatment patterns with chronic injectable therapies that incorporated the potential inconsistency between days of supply and prescription-gap data, thus providing the actual use of TNF-antagonist treatment. For the payer, usage data addressed whether the TNF antagonist was used at a greater dosage than recommended. Differences in baseline characteristics and dosage change rates between cohorts were tested using Chi-Square tests for categorical variables and Wilcoxon tests for continuous variables. RESULTS: From the health care provider point of interest, 83.4% of adalimumab-treated patients (n = 205) initially received the recommended dosage, 10.2% received less, and 6.3% received more; 87.7% of etanercept-treated patients (n = 455) initially received the recommended dosage, 11.2% received less, and 1.1% received more; and 83.8% of infliximab-treated patients (n = 148) started with 2-4 vials (the recommended dosage is based on the weight of the patient, not total milligrams). All treatments had similar dosage decrease and discontinuation rates. Maintenance of stable dosage was lower for infliximab (20.9%) than adalimumab (37.1%) and etanercept (39.1%); both p < 0.01. The infliximab dosage-increase rate (35.1%) was greater than adalimumab (3.9%) and etanercept (0); both p < 0.01. From the payer point of interest, dosage-increase rate was greater for infliximab (28.3%) than adalimumab (8.7%) and etanercept (6.9%), both p < 0.01. CONCLUSIONS: Infliximab had greater dosage-increase rates than adalimumab and etanercept. Adalimumab and etanercept had similar dosage-increase rates. All treatments had similar dosage-decrease and discontinuation rates. Maintenance of stable dosage was lower for infliximab than for adalimumab and etanercept. The study has the usual limitation of claims data analysis in that clinical details might be insufficient to draw causal inference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]