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The purpose of this study is to examine the viability, precision, and consistency of a computer-based optokinetic nystagmus analyzer (nystagmus meter) for diagnosing eyesight in preschoolers. A total of 59 subjects who could pass the log of minimum angle of resolution (LogMAR) visual acuity chart were divided into three groups by age, 4-, 5-, and 6-year-old groups, and their visual acuity was tested with nystagmus meter. The percentage of children in each age group that could be detected by nystagmus was recorded along with the differences between these groups. The correlation between the test results from the two methods was found for each age group using the correlation coefficient method. Repeated measurements were used to assess the two visual acuity values of the measured nystagmus, and the repeatability of the two measurement techniques for different age groups was compared. The overall measurability of the visual acuity detected by nystagmus was 93.22%, and the measurability of the 4-, 5-, and 6-year-old groups was 90%, 95%, and 94.74%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the measurability of subjects among all age groups (P = 1.0). The outcomes of the LogMAR visual acuity chart had a negative correlation with the visual acuity measured by the nystagmus meter. The overall correlation coefficient R value was -0.80, and the correlation coefficient R value of the 4-, 5-, and 6-year-old groups was -0.79, -0.76, and -0.87, respectively. The nystagmus meter has good feasibility, accuracy, and stability in visual acuity testing and can be used for visual acuity testing in children.

ObjectivesThe aim is to evaluate the effect of a novel 14-day fasting regimen on the balance between skeletal muscle and adipose tissue composition which might associate with inflammatory factors. Our analysis includes basic physical examinations, clinical laboratory analysis, bioelectrical impedance and biochemical analytic assessments of healthy volunteers.MethodsEight healthy subjects were randomly selected from a pool of volunteers to undergo a continual dietary deprivation (CDD) regimen. Individuals were assigned to take Flexible Abrosia (FA, prebiotic combination) plus appropriate mineral supplement of potassium and magnesium at 3 mealtime every day to prevent potential injury from starved intestinal flora and avoid spasms of smooth muscle due to hunger. Physical and medical examinations were conducted and blood samples were collected at following timepoints: before CDD as self-control (0D), day 7 and day 14 during fasting, and 7-21days and/or 2~3mo after refeeding.ResultsThe combination of FA and mineral supplements significantly decreased self-reported physical response of starvation, with tolerable hunger-mediated sensations experienced during CDD. Bioelectrical and biochemical results indicated significant reduction in both muscle lean and fat mass on day 7. Meanwhile, markers related to fat composition consistently decreased during and after CDD. In addition, most biochemical marker levels, including serum proteins, reached their inflection points at the 7th day of CDD as compared to the control measurements. Levels of these factors started to show a relative plateau, or reversed direction upon the 14th day of CDD. The exceptions of above factors were myostatin and complement protein C3, which remained at lower concentrations in the blood throughout CDD, and were unable to fully recover toward baseline levels even after 3 months’ refeeding.ConclusionOur results indicated that human subjects undergoing prolonged dietary restriction were well protected by FA and mineral ions from gut injury or physical discomfort of starvation. Most factors showed a relative plateau response at the end of 14D-CDD. The muscle tissues were well preserved during prolonged fasting, and an improved protein/lipid ratio was observed. Upon refeeding, constant lower levels of myostatin and complement C3 were maintained after CDD implies a long-term beneficial effect in dealing with anti-aging and inflammation.

Compared with traditional small deformation bolt materials, the negative Poisson’s ratio (NPR) bolt/cable material has excellent mechanical properties such as large elongation, high strength, high toughness, high constant resistance, and energy absorption. Based on the research and application of macro-NPR bolts/cables, He Manchao developed a new type of micro-NPR steel material and a new type of micro-NPR bolt. At present, there are few studies on the static characteristics of the micro-NPR steel, and the applicability of the micro-NPR anchor in urban underground tunnel engineering needs to be verified by field tests. The mechanical properties of the micro-NPR steel were studied by the static tensile test in laboratory. The results show that the average elongation ratio of this batch of micro-NPR steel is 34.68%, and the constant resistance range is 203.9-240.7 kN. The tensile deformation is uniform in the whole process, and there is no yielding platform and no obvious necking when breaking. Through theoretical derivation, the elastoplastic incremental constitutive model of the micro-NPR bolt under micro-static tensile condition was established. Taking the air duct section of a subway station as the engineering background, this paper introduced the construction technology of the micro-NPR bolt, and tested the ultimate pull-out force, elongation ratio, and axial force on site. The results show that the micro-NPR bolt has the advantages of high constant resistance and large elongation. The application test of the bolt supporting was carried out in the tunnel with the large-deformation surrounding rock, and the large deformation control effects of the surrounding rock were verified.

Introduction/Objective. Preterm birth (PB) is the most important reason of neonatal mortality, and the second most common direct cause of death for children under the age of five years. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical features and outcomes of preterm infants. Methods. The clinical data of 307 preterm infants delivered in the Qingdao University hospital from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Results. The incidence of PB was 6.52%. There were 143 cases of preterm prelabour rupture of membranes (PPROM) (46.58%), 66 cases of spontaneous PB (21.5%), and 98 cases of therapeutic PB (31.92%). Deliveries with gestational weeks (GW) < 32 were mainly vaginal (60.72%), but deliveries with GW ≥ 32 exhibited higher C-section rate (60.99%) than the vaginal delivery rate (p < 0.05). The birth weight was 2,340.46 ± 606.26 g, and the Z-score at birth was -0.15 ± 1.08. The Z-score in the group with GW within 28 to 31+6 weeks was less than that in the group with GW within 32 to 33+6 and with GW ≥ 34 (р < 0.05). The average hospital stay of preterm infants was 15.17 ± 12.35 days, and the most common complication in these preterm infants was respiratory distress syndrome with 13.92%. Conclusion. PB could cause a variety of serious complications in infants. The main causes of PB, such ас PPROM, should be actively prevented and treated; meanwhile, preterm infants should also be actively treated so as to improve their outcomes.

Taking the power load of an industrial park in Shanghai as an example in this paper, particle swarm optimization and cost-benefit model are employed to analyse the economy of new lithium-ion batteries, echelon lithium-ion batteries and lead-carbon batteries in photovoltaic energy storage systems in the whole life cycle. The research results showed that the economic order from large to small among different batteries in the photovoltaic energy storage system was new lithium-ion battery, echelon utilization lithium-ion battery and lead-carbon battery. The declines in energy storage cost and discount rate and the rise in peak electricity price can greatly improve the net present value of a photovoltaic-energy storage system (PV-BES) system.

One of the major challenges in the removal of organic pollutants is to design a material with high efficiency and high flux that can remove both cationic and anionic dyes, oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion and heavy metal ions. Herein, we constructed novel chemically stabilized MgAl-layered-double-hydroxide/sepiolite (MgAl-LDH/Sep) composite membranes via 3D hierarchical architecture construction methods. These membranes were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), etc. Benefiting from the presence of hydrophilic functional groups on the surface of the film, the membranes show an enhanced water flux (~1200 L·m−2 h−1), while keeping a high dyes rejection (above 99.8% for anionic and cationic dyes). Moreover, the CA membrane coupled with MgAl-LDH/Sep exhibits a multifunctional characteristic for the efficient removal of mesitylene (99.2%), petroleum ether (99.03%), decane (99.07%), kerosene (99.4%) and heavy metal ion in water due to the layer-by-layer sieving. This hierarchical architecture is proved to have excellent environmental and chemical stability. Therefore, the membrane has potential in the treatment of sewage wastewater.

In 2005, China implemented a demonstration program known as "686" to scale-up nation-wide basic mental health services designed to improve access to evidence-based care and to promote human rights for people with severe mental disorders. As part of the 686 Program, teams "unlocked" and provided continuous mental health care to people with severe mental disorders who were found in restraints and largely untreated in their family homes. We implemented a nation-wide two-stage follow-up study to measure the effectiveness and sustainability of the "unlocking and treatment" intervention and its impact on the well-being of patients' families.266 patients unlocked from 2005 in "686" demonstration sites across China were recruited in Stage One of the study in 2009. In 2012, 230 of the 266 cases were re-interviewed (the Stage Two study). Outcome measures included the patient medication adherence and social functioning, family burden ratings, and relocking rate. We utilized pre-post tests to analyze the changes over time following the unlocking efforts.96% of patients were diagnosed with schizophrenia. Prior to unlocking, their total time locked ranged from two weeks to 28 years, with 32% having been locked multiple times. The number of persons regularly taking medicines increased from one person at the time of unlocking to 74% in 2009 and 76% in 2012. Pre-post tests showed sustained improvement in patient social functioning and significant reductions in family burden. Over 92% of patients remained free of restraints in 2012.Practice-based evidence from our study suggests an important model for protecting the human rights of people with mental disorders and keeping them free of restraints can be achieved by providing accessible, community based mental health services with continuity of care. China's "686" Program can inform similar efforts in low-resource settings where community locking of patients is practiced.