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Glutathione (GSH) is an important antioxidant that is generated and degraded via the GSH cycle. Quantification of the main components in the GSH cycle is necessary to evaluate the process of GSH. In this study, a robust ultra‐performance liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous quantification of 10 components (GSH; γ‐glutamylcysteine; cysteinyl‐glycine; n‐acetylcysteine; homocysteine; cysteine; cystine; methionine; glutamate; pyroglutamic acid) in GSH cycle was developed. The approach was optimized in terms of derivative, chromatographic, and spectrometric conditions as well as sample preparation. The unstable thiol groups of GSH, γ‐glutamylcysteine, cysteinyl‐glycine, n‐acetylcysteine, cysteine, and homocysteine were derivatized by n‐ethylmaleimide. The derivatized and underivatized analytes were separated on an amino column with gradient elution. The method was further validated in terms of selectivity (no interference), linearity (R2 > 0.99), precision (% relative standard deviation [RSD%] range from 0.57 to 10.33), accuracy (% relative error [RE%] range from ‐3.42 to 10.92), stability (RSD% < 5.68, RE% range from ‐2.54 to 4.40), recovery (RSD% range from 1.87 to 7.87) and matrix effect (RSD% < 5.42). The validated method was applied to compare the components in the GSH cycle between normal and oxidative stress cells, which would be helpful in clarifying the effect of oxidative stress on the GSH cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small secreted peptides (SSPs) play important roles in regulating plants' growth and development in response to external stimulus, but the genes and functions of SSPs in many species are still unknown. Therefore, it is particularly significant to characterize and annotate SSP genes in plant genomes. As a widely used stock of pears, Pyrus betulifolia has strong resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, we analyzed the SSPs genes in the genome of P. betulifolia according to their characteristics and homology. A total of 1195 SSP genes were identified, and most of them are signaling molecules. Among these, we identified a new SSP, subtilase peptide 3 (SUBPEP3), which derived from the PA region of preSUBPEP3, increasing the expression level under salt stress. Both adding synthetic peptide SUBPEP3 to the culture medium of pears and the overexpression of SUBPEP3 in tobacco can improve the salt tolerance of plants. In summary, we annotated the SSP genes in the P. betulifolia genome and identified a small secreted peptide SUBPEP3 that regulates the salt tolerance of P. betulifolia, which provides an important theoretical basis for further revealing the function of SSPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A one-target-many-trigger signal model sensing strategy is proposed for quickly, sensitive and on-site detection of the environmental pollutant p-aminophenol (PAP) by use of a commercial personal glucose meter (PGM) for signal readout with the core–shell "loading-type" nanomaterial MSNs@MnO2 as amplifiable nanoprobes. In this design, the mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) nanocontainer with entrapped signal molecule glucose is coated with redoxable manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanosheets to form the amplifiable nanoprobes (Glu-MSNs@MnO2). When encountered with PAP, the redox reaction between the MnO2 and PAP can induce the degradation of the outer layer of MSNs@MnO2, liberating multiple copies of the loaded glucose to light up the PGM signal. Owing to the high loading capability of nanocarriers, a "one-to-many" relationship exists between the target and the signal molecule glucose, which can generate adequate signal outputs to achieve the requirement of on-site determination of environmental pollutants. Taking advantage of this amplification mode, the developed PAP assay owns a dynamic linear range of 10.0–400 μM with a detection limit of 2.78 μM and provides good practical application performance with above 96.7 ± 4.83% recovery in environmental water and soil samples. Therefore, the PGM-based amplifiable sensor for PAP proposed can accommodate these requirements of environment monitoring and has promising potential for evaluating pollutants in real environmental samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Social cognitive theory (SCT) has been successfully employed to improve symptom appraisal and help‐seeking among patients with various conditions but is yet to be applied in the context of autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs). This study aimed to explore the applicability of SCT in and possible approaches to improving symptom appraisal and help‐seeking of patients with ARDs, one of the key barriers to earlier diagnosis. Methods: Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 33 ARD patients with a prolonged pre‐diagnosis interval (>3 months). We coded the transcripts deductively using SCT as the overarching framework and inductively for approaches identified from the interviews. Results: All six main concepts of SCT (behavioral capacity, expectations, self‐efficacy, observational learning, reinforcements, and reciprocal determinism) were observed in the three stages of symptom appraisal and help‐seeking (detection, interpretation, and response) of patients with ARDs. While many participants reported that they were able and confident to detect their symptoms, they lacked the behavioral capacity and self‐efficacy to interpret symptoms correctly, which resulted in delayed help‐seeking and diagnosis. Possible approaches to address this suggested by participants (such as education of the general population) could improve behavioral capacity and self‐efficacy in symptom interpretation and enhance expectations, observational learning, reinforcements, and reciprocal determinism in symptom response. Conclusion: Lack of behavioral capacity and self‐efficacy was observed in symptom interpretation of patients with ARDs, which resulted in delayed help‐seeking. Approaches could target the behavioral capacity and self‐efficacy for symptom interpretation to facilitate early help‐seeking and, in turn, earlier diagnosis among individuals with possible ARDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is little prospective evidence exists about whether adherence to a diabetes risk reduction diet (DRRD) is related to a significant reduction in renal cancer risk. We sought to clarify whether adherence to DRRD was associated with a reduced risk of renal cancer in a US population. Methods: A population-based cohort of 101,755 American adults was identified from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. A DRRD score was calculated to assess adherence to this dietary pattern, where increased scores indicated greater adherence. The relationship between DRRD score and risk of renal cancer was assessed based on the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), which were both calculated using Cox regression. Non-linear association was determined through restricted cubic spline regression. Potential effect modifiers were identified through subgroup analyses. Results: Over a mean follow-up of 8.8 years, 446 renal cancers were detected. In this analysis, the fully adjusted model depicted a notable 29% reduction in the risk of renal cancer among individuals in the highest quartile of DRRD score in comparison with the lowest quartile individuals (HRQ4 vs. Q1: 0.71; 95% CI = 0.54, 0.94; Ptrend = 0.008). This association remained consistent across a series of sensitivity analyses. A non-linear inverse dose–response association between renal cancer risk with DRRD score was observed (Pnonlinearity = 0.026). Subgroup analyses showed that this favorable link was more prominent in participants with low Healthy Eating Index-2015 (Pinteraction = 0.015). Regarding the individual components of DRRD, a decrease in the risk of renal cancer was linked to increased intake of cereal fiber and whole fruit, and lower sugar-sweetened beverage consumption (all Ptrend < 0.05). Conclusions: Our findings indicate that individuals adhering to DRRD are associated with a reduction in the risk of renal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visualization is primarily utilized as a training method to enhance athletic movement quality, increase concentration power, and minimize competition stress on the player while building firm confidence. Physical literacy (PL) provides a valuable lens for analyzing physical activity (PA) movement in more significant social and affective learning processes. This paper presents an Interactive Visualization positioning in physical education (IVPPE) to deal with the signal fluctuations and positioning techniques in visualizing Deep Neural Network (DNN). To ensure the success of their game, athletes are always looking for new ways to improve their health and performance. Using sensors to keep tabs on training and recovery has become more popular among athletes. Currently, sports teams are using sensors to track both the players' internal and external workloads. It illustrates the multilayer localizer (MLL) based on transfer learning to improve the positioning accuracy and physical literacy positioning model (PLPM) as a health determinant. A variety of data augmentation techniques are used to combat signal fluctuations. As a result, the combined effects of motivation-promoting physical activity-based visualization improve the accuracy ratio to 96.7%, prediction ratio to 96.2%, efficiency ratio to 96.8%, and reduce the error rate to 18.7%, stress level (52.8%) compared to other conventional models and have a positive impact on the localizer and positioning, making a difference in physical activity (PA) levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A versatile DNA nanomachine detection system has been developed via the combination of DNAzyme with catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) technology for achieving accurate and sensitive detection of lead ions (Pb2+). In the presence of target Pb2+, capture DNA nanomachine formed by AuNP and DNAzyme recognized and reacted with Pb2+, which yielded an "active" DNAzyme, that induced the cleavage of substrate strand, and then released the initiator DNA (TT) for CHA. With the help of the initiator DNA TT, self-powered CHA was activated to achieve the signal amplification reaction in the detection of DNA nanomachine. Meanwhile, the initiator DNA TT was released and hybridized with the other H1 strand to initiate another CHA, replacement, and turnovers, producing enhanced fluorescence signal of fluorophore FAM (excitation 490 nm/emission 520 nm) for sensitive determination of Pb2+. Under the optimized conditions, the DNA nanomachine detection system revealed high selectivity toward Pb2+ in the concentration range 50–600 pM, with the limit of detection (LOD) of 31 pM. Recovery tests demonstrated that the DNA nanomachine detection system has excellent detection capability in real samples. Therefore, the proposed strategy can be extended and act as a basic platform for highly accurate and sensitive detection of various heavy metal ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women, and the liver is the main target organ for breast cancer metastasis. Once metastasis occurs, the prognosis is very poor. The uptake of PSA NPs made by our synthesized Palmitic acid-modified human serum albumin (PSA) in macrophages is about 15 times higher than that of HSA NPs. As a first-line chemotherapeutic drug, paclitaxel not only does not kill macrophages, but it can also polarize macrophages into classically activated macrophages (M1). We combined these two characteristics into PTX-PSA NPs, which achieved dual targeting of macrophages and tumor cells, improved the tumor microenvironment, and achieved a more effective anti-breast cancer drug effect than PTX-HSA NPs. On this basis, we also used the pathological characteristics of low vascular perfusion of breast cancer liver metastasis, and used the characteristics of macrophages that can release paclitaxel after internalizing paclitaxel, and use macrophages as the delivery system of breast cancer liver metastasis. Therefore,PTX-PSA NPs is better than PTX-HSA NPs to achieve anti-breast cancer liver metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A nonlinear multi-fault dynamic model of multi-disk rod fastening rotor system is proposed and established. • The interaction and failure mechanism of multiple faults are found for the rod fastening rotor system. • The influence rule and trend of system parameters on the dynamic characteristics are disclosed. A multi-fault nonlinear model of rod fastening rotor is proposed considering the structural properties of rod fastening and the integration of multiple factors. The nonlinear analysis is performed to present the nonlinear characteristics of gas turbine rotor system with multi faults. The fault dynamics of rod fastening rotor is exposed for interaction and failure mechanism of multiple faults. The variable parameter analysis reveals the impact of system parameters variation on vibration response in multi-fault rod fastening rotor system. Analysis results reflect that multi faults enhances the nonlinearity of the system and makes dynamic characteristics more complicated. Complex nonlinear characteristics of the dynamical system are presented under different system parameters. The multi-fault nonlinear dynamic model and the nonlinear analysis of variable parameter contribute to the fault identification and stability research in the rod fastening rotor of gas turbine, which will provide the reference for the design and application of rod fastening rotor system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wind–thermal-bundled transmission system is a feasible way to transmit wind power generation; however, the stability of the system should be paid more attention under high wind power penetration. In this article, the impact of wind energy penetration on torsional vibration and electrical characteristics is investigated for wind–thermal-bundled transmitted by high-voltage direct current system. The torsional vibration responses of generator shaft with different wind–thermal-bundled ratios are analyzed by time and frequency methods. The electrical characteristics of wind–thermal-bundled transmission system are disclosed under the influence of the wind farm penetration. The analysis illustrates that the penetration of doubly fed induction generation makes the torsional vibration of turbo generator and wind turbine shaft present different mode characteristics, and the risks of different modes are different. The current and voltage of wind–thermal-bundled transmission system show regular evolution with the change of wind–thermal-bundled proportion. Analytical results provide the value for the design and control of the wind–thermal-bundled transmitted system, which contributes to the improvement of power system stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) has been reported to be associated with tumor progress and poor prognosis in various cancers. However, the relationship between FABP4 expression and tumor immunity in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is still poorly understood. Methods: FABP4 mRNA expression was analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-COAD data. FABP4 protein staining was performed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining in our 10 paired COAD samples and corresponding adjacent noncancerous tissues. The association between FABP4 and immune cell infiltration was evaluated by Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database. FABP4 coexpressed genes were identified based on Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) database, which were employed for further enrichment analysis. FABP4 related immunomodulators was identified by Tumor and Immune System Interaction Database (TISIDB) database, and a prognostic risk signature was constructed based on FABP4-related immunomodulators using stepwise Cox regression analysis. A nomogram consists of FABP4 related immunomodulators signature and clinical parameters was developed to predict the overall survival (OS). Results: In TCGA data, we found that the decreased FABP4 mRNA expression in COAD samples compared with normal samples, and low FABP4 mRNA expression was associated with B cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, myeloid dendritic cells, macrophages, and neutrophils. In our 10 paired samples, the protein levels of COAD were lower in all COAD tissues than in their adjacent noncancerous tissues. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that FABP4 coexpressed genes were mostly enriched in immune-related pathways. Based on 54 FABP4-related immunomodulators, a 2-gene FABP4-related prognostic risk signature was developed, and the signature stratified the patients into the high-risk and low-risk groups with statistically different survival outcomes. The Nomogram consists of the prognostic signature and clinical parameters had a certain predictability for prognosis of COAD patients. Conclusion: These findings suggest that FABP4 is associated with 2-gene immune signature which also correlate with the prognosis of COAD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, perovskites have garnered great attention owing to their outstanding characteristics, such as tunable bandgap, rapid absorption reaction, low cost and solution-based processing, leading to the development of high-quality and low-cost photovoltaic devices. However, the key challenges, such as stability, large-area processing, and toxicity, hinder the commercialization of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In recent years, several studies have been carried out to overcome these issues and realize the commercialization of PSCs. Herein, the stability and photovoltaic efficiency improvement strategies of perovskite solar cells are briefly summarized from several directions, such as precursor doping, selection of hole/electron transport layer, tandem solar cell structure, and graphene-based PSCs. According to reference and analysis, we present our perspective on the future research directions and challenges of PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A kinase anchor protein 12 (AKAP12) as a tumor suppressor in various cancers has been extensively studied and confirmed. However, its immune implication in stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) remains uncertain. Here, using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Human Protein Atlas (HPA), Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE), integrated repository portal for tumor-immune system interactions (TISIDB), and Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interaction Gene/Proteins (STRING) database, we systematically analyzed the immune correlation of AKAP12 from three aspects including immune infiltration cells, immune-related pathways, and immunomodulators and developed a AKAP12-related 4-gene signature for prognosis prediction. Our results showed that AKAP12 mRNA and protein levels were downregulated in STAD patients, and its expression was positively related to CD4+ T cells and macrophages. In addition, the immune cell infiltration levels were associated with AKAP12 gene copy number deletion in STAD. Based on CCLE database, we found that AKAP12 coexpressed genes were enriched in several immune- and cancer-related pathways, which was further validated by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). Moreover, we identified 46 immunomodulators that were significantly related to AKAP12 expression using TISIDB database, and these immunomodulators were involved in immune-related pathways including Th17 cell differentiation and natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Additionally, based on the 46 AKAP12-related immunomodulators, a 4-gene risk prediction signature was developed using the Cox regression model. The risk signature was identified as an independent prognostic factor, which can accurately predict the prognosis of patients with STAD, showing good predictive performance. Furthermore, we constructed a prognostic nomogram and calibration to predict and assess patient survival probabilities by integrating the risk score and other clinical factors. In conclusion, our study provides strong evidence that AKAP12 is closely related to tumor immunity in STAD from three aspects: immune infiltration cells, immune pathways, and immunomodulators. More importantly, the AKAP12-related prognostic signature may have a good application prospect for clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind power has quickly developed in the world owing to the advantages of pure, inexpensive, and inexhaustible. However, strong volatility, unmanageable, and randomness make it difficult to achieve secure wind power generation. An excellent wind power prediction is effective for power system scheduling and safely stable operation. Vision Transformer (ViT) model is introduced for building a connection of the extracted characteristics and desired output. Long-short term memory (LSTM) is combined with ViT, and a new wind power forecasting model is proposed in this paper. For the proposed LSTM-ViT model, the temporal aspects of the weather data and correspondence properties are extracted based on LSTM. The link of the output and characteristic is established in view of the ViT, and the multi-headed self-attentiveness mechanisms in ViT fully exploit the relationship between the inputs. The validity and sophistication of the LSTM-ViT method are validated by the climate statistics and statistics of wind power. The results indicate that the wind power forecasting model is provided with higher prediction accuracy. The forecast results for the fourth quarter are used as analysis cases. The root mean square error of the method is reduced by 41.77%, 16.60%, 28.72%, 26.81%, and 16.25% compared to gate recurrent unit (GRU), LSTM, ViT, convolutional neural network (CNN)-ViT, and GRU-ViT respectively. The mean absolute error of the LSTM-ViT method in the first quarter is 0.327, with model comparison values reduction of 33.71%, 38.30%, 32.99%, 17.63% and 10.65% respectively. • A novel model called LSTM-ViT is proposed for ultra-short term wind power forecasting. • ViT model is introduced for building a connection of the extracted characteristics and desired output. • The multi-headed self-attentiveness mechanisms in ViT fully exploit the relationship between the inputs. • The complex nonlinear relationships are considered in the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/objectives: To address the diagnostic delay in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), we have cross-culturally adapted the Hamilton axSpA questionnaire, a self-administered screening questionnaire, in the Singapore population. In this study, we compared the performance of various scoring methods for this questionnaire in detecting axSpA. Method: The questionnaire was self-administered by eligible subjects. Scoring methods included method A, the original questionnaire scoring, and methods B–E, scoring developed based on the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society (ASAS) criteria for inflammatory back pain (IBP) and the referral, classification and both referral and classification of axSpA, respectively. The reference standard was diagnosis by a rheumatologist. Since the ASAS criteria-based scoring methods were mainly based on clinical axSpA features, self-report and rheumatologist-assessment of clinical axSpA features were also compared in subjects with axSpA. Results: Of 1418 subjects (age: 54 ± 14 years, female: 73%) recruited, 46 were diagnosed with axSpA by a rheumatologist. Sensitivities of methods A–E were 35%, 61%, 63%, 48% and 83%, respectively. Self-report of clinical axSpA features exceeded rheumatologist-assessment for arthritis (83 vs 26%), good response to NSAIDs (37 vs 30%), enthesitis (35 vs 30%), dactylitis (20 vs 2%) and family history for axSpA (13 vs 4%). The reverse was true for IBP (41 vs 63%) and uveitis (4 vs 15%). Conclusions: A self-administered questionnaire using the ASAS referral and classification criteria-based scoring yielded relatively high sensitivity in detecting axSpA in subjects newly referred to rheumatology clinics. This supports its evaluation as a screening and referral tool in the general population in future studies. Key Points • A self-administered questionnaire could be used as a screening and referral tool. • ASAS referral and classification criteria-based scoring yielded relatively high sensitivity. • Inaccurate perception of clinical axSpA features was observed in axSpA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burr hole drainage is the criterion standard treatment for chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH), a common neurosurgical condition. However, apart from the surgical technique, the method of anesthesia also has a significant impact on postoperative patient outcome. Currently, there are limited studies comparing the use of local anesthesia with sedation (LA sedation) versus general anesthesia (GA) in the drainage of CSDH. The objective of this study was to compare the morbidity and mortality outcomes of using LA sedation versus GA in CSDH burr hole drainage. This retrospective study presents a total of 257 operations in 243 patients from 2 hospitals. A total of 130 cases were operated under LA sedation in hospital 1 and 127 cases under GA in hospital 2. Patient demographics and presenting features were similar at baseline. Values are shown as LA sedation versus GA. Postoperatively, most patients recovered well in both groups with Glasgow Outcome Scale scores of 4–5 (96.2% vs. 88.2%, respectively). The postoperative morbidity was significantly increased by an odds ratio of 5.44 in the GA group compared with the LA sedation group (P = 0.005). The mortality was also significantly higher in the GA group (n = 5, 3.9%) than the LA sedation group (n = 0, 0.0%; P = 0.028). The CSDH recurrence rate was 4.6% in the LA sedation group versus 6.3% in the GA group. No intraoperative conversion from LA sedation to GA was reported. This study demonstrates that CSDH drainage under LA sedation is safe and efficacious, with a significantly lower risk of postoperative mortality and morbidity when compared with GA. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Currently, immunotherapy is widely used for breast cancer (BC) patients, and tumor mutation burden (TMB) is regarded as a valuable independent predictor of response to immunotherapy. However, specific gene mutations and their relationship with TMB and tumor-infiltrating immune cells in BC are not fully understood. Methods. Comprehensive bioinformatic analyses were performed using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) datasets. Survival curves were analyzed via Kaplan-Meier analysis. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used for prognosis analysis. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to explore regulatory mechanisms and functions. The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to calculate the tumor-infiltrating immune cell fractions. Results. We analyzed somatic mutation data of BC from TCGA and ICGC datasets and found that 19 frequently mutated genes were reported in both cohorts, namely, SPTA1, TTN, MUC17, MAP3K1, CDH1, FAT3, SYNE1, FLG, HMCN1, RYR2 (ryanodine receptor 2), GATA3, MUC4, PIK3CA, KMT2C, TP53, PTEN, ZFHX4, MUC16, and USH2A. Among them, we observed that RYR2 mutation was significantly associated with higher TMB and better clinical prognosis. Moreover, GSEA revealed that RYR2 mutation-enriched signaling pathways were related to immune-associated pathways. Furthermore, based on the CIBERSORT algorithm, we found that RYR2 mutation enhanced the antitumor immune response by enriching CD8+ T cells, activated memory CD4+ T cells, and M1 macrophages. Conclusion. RYR2 is frequently mutated in BC, and its mutation is related to increased TMB and promotes antitumor immunity; thus, RYR2 may serve as a valuable biomarker to predict the immune response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Currently, immunotherapy is widely used for breast cancer (BC) patients, and tumor mutation burden (TMB) is regarded as a valuable independent predictor of response to immunotherapy. However, specific gene mutations and their relationship with TMB and tumor-infiltrating immune cells in BC are not fully understood. Methods. Comprehensive bioinformatic analyses were performed using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) datasets. Survival curves were analyzed via Kaplan-Meier analysis. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used for prognosis analysis. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to explore regulatory mechanisms and functions. The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to calculate the tumor-infiltrating immune cell fractions. Results. We analyzed somatic mutation data of BC from TCGA and ICGC datasets and found that 19 frequently mutated genes were reported in both cohorts, namely, SPTA1, TTN, MUC17, MAP3K1, CDH1, FAT3, SYNE1, FLG, HMCN1, RYR2 (ryanodine receptor 2), GATA3, MUC4, PIK3CA, KMT2C, TP53, PTEN, ZFHX4, MUC16, and USH2A. Among them, we observed that RYR2 mutation was significantly associated with higher TMB and better clinical prognosis. Moreover, GSEA revealed that RYR2 mutation-enriched signaling pathways were related to immune-associated pathways. Furthermore, based on the CIBERSORT algorithm, we found that RYR2 mutation enhanced the antitumor immune response by enriching CD8+ T cells, activated memory CD4+ T cells, and M1 macrophages. Conclusion. RYR2 is frequently mutated in BC, and its mutation is related to increased TMB and promotes antitumor immunity; thus, RYR2 may serve as a valuable biomarker to predict the immune response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the mediating role of negative automatic thoughts on the link between childhood maltreatment and young adult depression, and the moderating role of self-compassion in this indirect link. College students (N = 578) completed self-report questionnaires assessing the mentioned study variables. The results showed that childhood maltreatment was positively associated with young adult depression via negative automatic thoughts. Moreover, self-compassion moderated this indirect link such that participants with low self-compassion demonstrated a stronger indirect link than those with high self-compassion. These findings highlight the important role of self-compassion in countering the adverse outcomes of childhood maltreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crack in gears impacts the dynamic response of wind turbine multistage gear system, which also influences the safe operation of wind turbine. A translational–torsional nonlinear dynamic model of the multistage gear system is proposed with root crack fault. The model considers the effects of sun gear support, time-varying mesh stiffness, gear backlash and other factors. The mesh stiffness with root crack is analyzed by using potential energy method. Based on the Runge–Kutta method, the system responses are obtained with multiple parameters changing. The nonlinear dynamic features of the cracked and normal system are compared by bifurcation diagram, time series, phase trajectory, Poincaré map, spectrum diagram and corresponding three-dimensional diagrams. The analyses show the effects of input torque, backlash, crack occurrence and evolution on the system dynamic behaviors, and the effect of crack fault on the gear system response is further verified by experiment. The results provide a theoretical basis for the cognition of fault mechanism and fault diagnosis of wind turbine gearbox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myopia is the most prevalent ocular disorder in the world, and corneal parameters have been regarded as key ocular biometric parameters determining the refractive status. Here, we aimed to determine the association of genome-wide association study-identified corneal curvature (CC)-related gene variants with different severity of myopia and ocular biometric parameters in Chinese population. Total 2,101 unrelated Han Chinese subjects were recruited, including 1,649 myopia and 452 control subjects. Five previously reported CC-associated gene variants (PDGFRA, MTOR, WNT7B, CMPK1 and RBP3) were genotyped by TaqMan assay, and their association with different myopia severity and ocular biometric parameters were evaluated. Joint additive effect analysis showed that MTOR rs74225573 paired with PDGFRA rs2114039 (P =.009, odds ratio (OR) = 4.91) or CMPK1 rs17103186 (P =.002, OR = 13.03) were significantly associated with higher risk in mild myopia. Critically, mild myopia subjects had significantly higher frequency in MTOR rs74225573 C allele than high myopia subjects (P =.003), especially in male subjects (P =.001, OR = 0.49). High myopia subjects carrying MTOR rs74225573 C allele have significant flatter CC (P =.035) and longer corneal radius (P =.044) than those carrying TT genotype. This study revealed that male high myopia subjects are more prone to carry CC-related MTOR rs74225573 T allele, whereas mild myopia subjects are prone to carry the C allele. MTOR rs7422573 variant could be a genetic marker to differentiate mild from high myopia in risk assessment. ACD: anterior chamber depth; AL: axial length; AL/CR: axial length/corneal radius ratio; ANOVA: analysis of variance; CC: corneal curvature; CCT: central corneal thickness; C.I.: confidence interval; CMPK1: cytidine/uridine monophosphate kinase 1; CR: corneal radius; D: diopter; GWAS: genome-wide association studies; HWE: Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium; LT: lens thickness; MIPEP: mitochondrial intermediate peptidase; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; OR: odds ratio; PDGFRA: platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α; RBP3: retinol-binding protein 3; SD: standard deviation; SE: spherical equivalence; SNTB1: syntrophin beta 1; VCD: vitreous chamber depth; VIPR2: vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor 2; WNT7B: wingless/integrated family member 7B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The interval between symptom onset and diagnosis (pre‐diagnosis interval) can at times be longer than is ideal in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs). In this study, we aimed to characterize this interval and to identify its associated factors. Method: We characterized pre‐diagnosis interval into 4 intervals: Interval #1 between symptom onset and first visit to healthcare professionals; Interval #2 between first visit to healthcare professionals and rheumatology referral; Interval #3 between rheumatology referral and first rheumatology assessment; and Interval #4 between first rheumatology assessment and diagnosis. Median regression models were used to identify factors associated with longer pre‐diagnosis interval and Interval #1. Results: Among 259 patients (median age = 52.0 [41.6‐61.9] years, 71% female, rheumatoid arthritis [n = 75], axial spondyloarthritis [axSpA] [n = 40] and psoriatic arthritis [n = 35]), median pre‐diagnosis interval was 11.5 (4.7‐36.0) months. Interval #1 (median = 4.9 months) was significantly longer than Intervals #2‐#4 (median = 0.3, 1.5, and 0.0 months, respectively). Patients with axSpA had significantly longer pre‐diagnosis interval (median = 38.7 months) and Interval #1 (median = 26.6 months) than patients with the other ARDs. Median regression suggested that patients referred from specialty care had significantly longer pre‐diagnosis interval (median difference = 7.7 months) and Interval #1 (median difference = 6.4 months) compared to those referred from primary care. Conclusion: A long pre‐diagnosis interval was observed among patients with ARDs (especially axSpA), due largely to a long interval between symptom onset and the first visit to healthcare professionals. This highlights the importance of interventions targeting patients prior to their first visit to healthcare professionals in reducing pre‐diagnosis interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of new‐type memristors with special performance is of great interest. Herein, an inorganic‐organic hybrid crystalline polyoxometalate (POM) with usual dynamic structures is reported and used as active material for fabricating memristor with unique temperature‐regulated resistive switching behaviors. The hybrid POM not only exhibits tunable thermochromic properties, but also thermal‐induced reversible aggregation and disaggregation reactions, leading to reversible structural transformations in SCSC fashion. Further, the memory device using the hybrid POM as active layer exhibits uncommon performance, which can keep resistive switching silent in the low temperature range of 30–150 °C, but show nonvolatile memory behavior in the high temperature range of 150–270 °C. Particularly, the silent and working states at three special temperatures (30, 150 and 270 °C) can be monitored by chromism. The correlation between structure and resistive switching property of the material has been discussed. The work demonstrates that crystalline inorganic‐organic hybrid POMs are promising materials for making memristors with superior performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of new‐type memristors with special performance is of great interest. Herein, an inorganic‐organic hybrid crystalline polyoxometalate (POM) with usual dynamic structures is reported and used as active material for fabricating memristor with unique temperature‐regulated resistive switching behaviors. The hybrid POM not only exhibits tunable thermochromic properties, but also thermal‐induced reversible aggregation and disaggregation reactions, leading to reversible structural transformations in SCSC fashion. Further, the memory device using the hybrid POM as active layer exhibits uncommon performance, which can keep resistive switching silent in the low temperature range of 30–150 °C, but show nonvolatile memory behavior in the high temperature range of 150–270 °C. Particularly, the silent and working states at three special temperatures (30, 150 and 270 °C) can be monitored by chromism. The correlation between structure and resistive switching property of the material has been discussed. The work demonstrates that crystalline inorganic‐organic hybrid POMs are promising materials for making memristors with superior performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To develop and test a mobile phone application (app) for graduate nurses on the use and care of central venous catheters. Design: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at a teaching hospital in the central east coast of Taiwan. Methods: Recruitment occurred from 1 August 2019 ‐31 October 2019. All graduates (N = 90) attending a 2‐week induction program attended a lecture and completed a 10‐item questionnaire on central venous catheter assessment and care at the end of Week 1 (Time 1). Volunteers were then randomly allocated to receive a link to the learning app on their mobile phone (n = 39 Group A) or control condition (N = 40 Group B). One week later, all graduates completed the knowledge assessment (Time 2) and a simulated clinical assessment with a mannequin. Skills were assessed using an 11‐item, direct observation of procedural skills form. Only data from consenting participants were analysed. Results: Compared with controls, nurses receiving the intervention reported significantly better knowledge (t = −7.98, p <.001, CI = 20.9~34.8) and skill scores (t = 2.83, p =.006, CI = 1.14~6.61). More frequent use of the mobile phone app was associated with higher knowledge (r = 0.39, p =.02, CI = 0.11~0.99) and skills (r = 0.42, p =.008, CI = 0.17~1.03). Conclusion: Mobile app instruction for graduate nurses on central venous catheter care increased specific knowledge and skills compared with conventional methods of instruction. Impact statement: Implementation of mobile phone application technology can be considered a feasible means to proactively provide training and education. Mobile phone apps could be developed for a range of clinical procedures and various settings. Future studies with a larger sample and a longitudinal follow‐up are warranted to confirm results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Early detection of autoimmune rheumatic diseases is crucial given their high morbidity and mortality and short window of opportunity to improve patient outcomes. Self-administered screening questionnaires such as the connective tissue disease screening questionnaire (CSQ) have been shown to promote early detection of autoimmune rheumatic diseases. However, optimal scoring of screening questionnaires may differ with prevalence of clinical features and changes in classification criteria. We compared the performance of 3 scoring methods for the CSQ for early detection of autoimmune rheumatic diseases in a multi-ethnic Asian population. Methods: Patients who were newly referred for evaluation of possible autoimmune rheumatic diseases were invited to answer the cross-culturally adapted CSQ. Detection of autoimmune rheumatic diseases using 1) the original CSQ scoring, 2) a modified CSQ scoring and 3) a scoring based on current classification criteria, were compared to classification of autoimmune rheumatic diseases by classification criteria. Results: Of 819 participants, 85 were classified as having autoimmune rheumatic diseases screened for by the adapted CSQ. The original CSQ scoring yielded relatively lower sensitivities in detecting both any and individual autoimmune rheumatic diseases (67% and 20-57%, respectively) compared to the modified CSQ scoring (81% and 60-73%, respectively) and the scoring based on current classification criteria (89% and 50-88%, respectively). Conclusion: The adapted CSQ with the classification criteria-based scoring achieved relatively high sensitivities in detecting autoimmune rheumatic diseases, suggesting this could be employed as the first step in population screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the relationships between green human resource management practices, organizational identification, and green citizenship behaviors in the hotel industry. Our framework comprised 5 dimensions of green human resource management practices: green recruitment, green training, green performance management, green reward, and green involvement. We predicted that each dimension would positively influence frontline employees' organizational identification, and, in turn, their green organizational citizenship behaviors of eco-initiatives, eco-civic engagement, and eco-helping. Participants were 426 frontline employees working in Taiwanese hotels. Consistent with our predictions, each of the 5 green human resource management practices had a positive influence on organizational identification, which then positively affected green organizational citizenship behavior. Moreover, green human resource management practices enhanced employees' green organizational citizenship behavior, and organizational identification was an effective mediator of the relationship between green human resource management practices and green organizational citizenship behavior. Practical and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We aimed to characterize work disability in patients with newly diagnosed rheumatic diseases and compare work characteristics between patients with rheumatic diseases and controls without rheumatic diseases at diagnosis. Methods: Patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) and osteoarthritis (OA), surrogates for autoimmune and non‐autoimmune rheumatic diseases, respectively, and controls of working age were surveyed at diagnosis. Patients with rheumatic diseases who were employed before symptom onset were characterized as having work disability if they reported reduced work ability and productivity while remaining in the same job as before symptom onset, changed to a less demanding job or stopped working/retired. Work characteristics at diagnosis were compared between rheumatic diseases patients and controls. Results: The unemployment rate before symptom onset was lower in patients with IA (20%) compared to patients with OA (32%). Among patients with IA and OA who were employed before symptom onset, 59% and 43% reported work disability, respectively (P =.04). The unemployment rate at diagnosis was comparable in patients with IA (26%) and higher in patients with OA (38%) compared to controls (29%). Employed patients with IA and OA, when compared with controls, reported poorer work ability (score: 37 vs 39 vs 41, P <.01; proportion with poor/moderate work ability: 48% vs 33% vs 21%, P <.01) and greater work productivity loss (score: 32 vs 29 vs 17, P <.01) at diagnosis. Conclusion: Rheumatic diseases impose significant work disability at diagnosis, highlighting the need for identification and interventions targeting work disability early in the course of disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transverse-torsional nonlinear model of multistage gear transmission system which is comprised of a planetary gear set and two parallel gear stages is proposed with time-varying meshing stiffness, comprehensive gear errors and gear backlash. The nonlinear dynamic responses are analyzed by applying excitation frequency and support stiffness as the bifurcation parameters. The motions of the system are identified through global bifurcation diagram, largest Lyapunov exponent (LLE) and Poincaré map. The numerical results demonstrate that the support stiffness affects the system, especially on planetary gear set. The motions of the system with the changes of the support stiffness are diverse including some different multiperiodic motions. Also, the state of the system undergoes 2T-periodic motion, chaos, quasi-periodic behavior and multiperiodic motion. For the support stiffness or other nonlinear factors of the gear system, the suitable range of working frequencies could make the system stable. Correspondingly, parameters of the system should be designed properly and controlled for the better operation and enhancing the life of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The dynamic model of the dual-disc bearing-rotor system is proposed. • The crack of the multi-fault system was detected from the theory and the experiment. • The effect of crack on bearing-rotor system with multi fault are investigated. The paper is aimed to examine dynamic behaviors of a dual-disc bearing-rotor system in multi-fault state, and the crack detection based on the orbit morphological characteristics and vibration responses is proposed. Dynamic response and vibration signal analysis are two significant studies in rotor system. Most researchers have simulated the nonlinear dynamics and analyzed the fault signal using various methods separately. However, the fault feature from vibration signal is tightly connected with the dynamic mechanism in the rotor system, especially in rotor system with coupling multi-fault. In the paper, the dynamic model of the dual-disc bearing-rotor system is established, which takes into account the effects of crack, rub-impact and nonlinear oil-film forces. The vibration responses and the effect of crack on dual-disc rotor system with multi faults are investigated. The existence of crack and the coupling effect of multi faults enrich dynamic behavior of the dual-disc bearing-rotor system, and the response near the 1/2 subcritical speed provides a criterion for crack detection. Experiment investigation is attempted for the first time, which is based on the changes of crack depth and rotation speed for multi-fault dual-disc rotor system. The analysis of the dynamic response and the orbit morphological characteristics from experiment can effectively detect the crack information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method is described for the simultaneous determination of hepatocellular carcinoma-associated microRNA-122 and microRNA-199a/b-3p. This probe consists of two kinds of nanomaterials. The first comprises CdTe@CdS core-shell quantum dots which, on excitation at 375 nm give two emissions, with peak wavelengths at 543 (g-QDs) and at 627 nm (r-QDs). The second comprises gold nanoparticles acting as a quencher. In the absence of the target, g-QD-N1 and r-QD-N2 are stable due to the fluorescence stability. With the addition of microRNA-122 and microRNA-199a/b-3p, g-QD-N1 and r-QD-N2 are conjugated to the surface of AuNP-S1/S2 through base complementary pairing. As a result, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) occurs, resulting in a decrease at 550 nm and 635 nm respectively, which can realize the simultaneous detection of two different microRNAs. Detection is achieved within 50 min. The detection limits (3σ/k) are 0.2 nM for microRNA-122 and 0.5 nM for microRNA-199a/b-3p. The clinical applicability of the assay was demonstrated by detecting microRNAs in human serum and different cell lysates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because rapid, convenient, and selective methods for HIV detection are urgently needed, herein, a simple label-free and enzyme-free strategy is constructed for sensitive fluorescence detection of HIV DNA using the fluorescent intercalating dye thioflavin T (THT) as the detection signal source. This strategy utilizes a hairpin DNA sequence (H1) and two assistant strands. H1 is wisely designed with a G-quadruplex sequence in the stem. Target DNA, when present in solution, will hybridize with H1 to form H1/target duplexes and release the G-quadruplexes. Additionally, the assistant probes hybridize with the unfolded H1 to form a stable DNA double strand, resulting in the displacement of the target to participate in another similar reaction cycle. Consequently, many G-quadruplex structures are generated, leading to a significantly amplified fluorescence signal of THT. The linear range is from 0.1 nM to 50.0 nM with a limit of detection of 13 pM. Results can be achieved within 40 min, because the cyclic amplification involves only one DNA hairpin and two auxiliary chains. Furthermore, this platform exhibited good selectivity with one base mismatch or other DNA sequences. This strategy could be used as a simple, sensitive, and selective tool to detect other DNA biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A target-triggered, self-powered strategy for in situ monitoring of intracellular microRNAs was fabricated via a versatile DNAzyme–MnO2 nanosystem, which integrates delivery, quenching, target recognition, self-supply of cofactors and signal amplification all in one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compound [Ag42S5(StBu)25(CF3COO)4(CO3)](CO3)0.5⋅CH2Cl2⋅4CH3OH⋅9DMF (1) has been obtained and well defined. It consists of a multi‐shell structure involving two Ag centres, one Ag5S5 pentagram, two Ag5S5 pentagons and one Ag25S15 shell. Compound 1 has been characterized by XPS, FT‐IR, PXRD, TGA, NMR, MS, UV/Vis spectrum, TEM and cyclic voltammetry. Temperature‐sensitive luminescent property of 1 has also been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To cross‐culturally adapt the Hamilton axial spondyloarthritis (axial SpA) screening questionnaire and develop a Chinese version for use in a multi‐ethnic Asian population in Singapore. Methods: Consenting participants newly referred from primary care to a rheumatology specialist outpatient clinic for evaluation of possible axial SpA were studied. The original axial SpA questionnaire was revised based on inputs from cognitive debriefing interviews (CDIs) and discussions with an expert panel of rheumatologists and the developer. Forward and back translations of the adapted English version were also reviewed by the expert panel and the developer. The common translation produced was tested in CDIs with Chinese‐speaking participants. Adapted English and Chinese versions were pilot‐tested in a separate group of similar participants. Results: Participants were recruited for English (n = 25) and Chinese CDIs (n = 15, relatively older and less frequently presented with axial SpA symptoms), respectively. Alternative terms and explanatory notes were added to difficult medical terms to improve the understandability of the adapted English version. English medical terms were retained in the Chinese version. Pilot‐testing of the adapted axial SpA questionnaire was performed on 116 participants, all of whom reported ease of comprehension with both adapted versions. Only one participant was diagnosed with axial SpA, who also scored positive on the adapted axial SpA questionnaire. Conclusion: The adapted axial SpA questionnaire demonstrated good sensitivity in the pilot‐testing and appears to be a promising tool for facilitating early identification of axial SpA cases in the multi‐ethnic Asian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To cross-culturally adapt the Connective Tissue Disease (CTD) Screening Questionnaire (CSQ) in a multi-ethnic Asian population in Singapore. Methods: An expert panel of accredited rheumatologists evaluated the content validity of the original CSQ. Consenting participants newly referred from primary care to a rheumatology specialist outpatient clinic for evaluation of possible CTDs were studied. Cognitive debriefing interviews (CDIs) using the original CSQ were conducted with English-speaking participants, with modifications made based on their inputs and in discussion with a second expert panel (rheumatologists and the CSQ developers). Forward and back translations of the adapted English version were reviewed by the second expert panel. The common translation produced was tested in CDIs with Chinese-speaking participants. Adapted English and Chinese versions were pilot tested in a separate group of newly referred patients. Results: Content validity of the original CSQ was confirmed by the expert panel. A total of 30 and 15 participants were recruited for English and Chinese CDIs, respectively. Alternative terms and explanatory notes were added to difficult medical terms in the adapted English CSQ. A further explanatory note was added to one difficult item, and English medical terms were retained in the Chinese version. Pilot testing of the adapted CSQ was performed on 116 participants, which exhibited an overall sensitivity and specificity of 71% and 58%, respectively, in identifying CTDs. Conclusions: The adapted CSQ demonstrated satisfactory sensitivity in the pilot testing and appears to be a promising tool for facilitating early identification of CTDs in the multi-ethnic Asian population. Key Points: • Early identification and management of patients with CTDs is crucial given their high disease burden and short "windows of opportunity." • High reliability and validity of original CSQ and its cross-culturally adapted versions have been reported; however, the CSQ has not been validated in Southeast Asia where CTDs are associated with higher morbidity and mortality compared to other countries. • Our cross-culturally adapted CSQ demonstrated satisfactory sensitivity in identifying CTDs in the multi-ethnic Asian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined the developmental change in self‐control and its association with daily stressful events during middle childhood, as well as the factors that contribute to individual differences in the trajectory of self‐control. Method: A community sample of 302 Singaporean children (42% female, 69% Chinese) and their parents were recruited when the children were age 7. Follow‐up assessments were made when the children were ages 8, 9, and 11. Developmental changes were examined using latent growth and autoregressive cross‐lagged models. Results: Self‐control showed a normative decline over time, and this trajectory was associated with an increase in daily stressful events. There was partial evidence for a reciprocal relationship between self‐control and daily stressful events over time. Moreover, the child temperament dimension of effortful control (assessed at age 7) mitigated the decline in self‐control, whereas low socioeconomic status predicted lower initial levels of self‐control. Conclusions: This study advances current understanding on the developmental change in self‐control during middle childhood, as well as the factors that shape the direction and magnitude of this change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perceived stress has been regarded as a risk factor for problematic social networking site (SNS) use, yet little is known about the underlying processes whereby confounding variables may mediate or moderate this relationship. To answer this question, this study examined whether depression and anxiety mediated the relationship between perceived stress and problematic SNS use, and whether these mediating processes were moderated by psychological resilience and social support. Participants were 641 Chinese college students who completed anonymous questionnaires measuring perceived stress, depression/anxiety, psychological resilience, social support, and problematic SNS use. The results showed that (a) depression/anxiety mediated the relationship between perceived stress and problematic SNS use; (b) the mediating effects of depression/anxiety on the association between perceived stress and problematic SNS use were moderated by psychological resilience. Specifically, the mediating effects of depression/anxiety were stronger for individuals with lower levels of psychological resilience, compared with those with higher levels of psychological resilience; and (c) the mediating effects of depression/anxiety were not moderated by social support, although social support was negatively related to depression/anxiety. This study can contribute to a better understanding of how and when perceived stress increases the risk of problematic SNS use, and implies the importance of enhancing psychological resilience in preventing problematic SNS use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the yolk–shell structure of resin‐based carbon spheres (YRFC) and the solid structure of resin‐based carbon spheres (SRFC) were prepared by condensation polymerization, and then novel spherical composites of poly(3,4‐propylenedioxythiophene)/YRFC (PProDOT/YRFC) and PProDOT/SRFC were obtained by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization. The prepared composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet–visible absorption spectra (UV–vis), Raman, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), X‐ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Electrochemical behavior of the composites were investigated with reference to their suitability as electrode materials in electrochemical capacitors (ECs), which were accomplished by a combination of cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge cycles. The resultant PProDOT/YRFC composite showed ideal charge storage capacity with a specific capacitance of 327.5 F g−1 at the current density of 1 A g−1, which is much higher than that of the materials of PProDOT/SRFC (298.1 F g−1) and PProDOT (180.9 F g−1). Furthermore, long cycle life was achieved with the optimized PProDOT/YRFC and the capacitance retention is 87.3% after 10,000 charge/discharge processes, which was attributed to its uniformly dispersible fluffy structure. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:1989–1999, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The rub, crack and rub-crack coupled fault and experiments are performed. • The relationship between the FFT spectrum and the intrawave modulation frequency is supplied. • The intrawave frequency modulation of the rub and crack rotor is revealed through the rotor model. • The difference of the modulation frequency can be the feature to distinguish these rotor faults. Abstract Rub and crack are two important rotor faults. In this paper, the rub, crack and rub-crack coupled fault experiments are performed on a rotor test rig and the instantaneous frequency signatures of the faults are analyzed using Hilbert–Huang transform. The intrawave frequency modulation property of the rub and crack rotor is revealed through the response of Jeffcott rotor model and experiments. It is demonstrated that the intrawave frequency modulation produces extra harmonic components in FFT spectrum. The relationship between the FFT spectrum and the modulation frequency is supplied. The simulated and experimental analysis results show that the different composition of the modulation frequency can be the feature to detect the local rub, crack and crack-rub coupled rotor fault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low melt strength and poor crystallization behavior severely limit the processing and application of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) as biodegradable film materials. In this work, three-arm poly(L-lactic acid) (3A-PLLA) grafted silica nanoparticles with two kinds of topology structures were introduced into PLA matrix to improve the biodegradation performance. Different methods were used to characterize the structure of the grafted 3A-PLLA chains, the grafting density, and the thermal decomposition behavior of the nanoparticles. By varying the mass ratios of raw materials and altering the order of dropping solution in the reaction, high grafting densitytangled 3A-PLLA grafted SiO2 was synthesized as "3A-PLLA grafting to SiO2" (GTS), while low grafting density-stretched 3A-PLLA grafted SiO2 was obtained as "SiO2 grafting to 3A-PLLA" (GTA). Topology of nanoparticles as well as the filler-matrix interaction is critically important to structure bio-nanocomposites with desirable properties. Thus, the GTS and GTA nanoparticles were introduced into PLA matrix to assess the effect. The SEM images showed the uniform dispersion of the modified nanoparticles, while the shear rheology results revealed that GTA nanoparticles made a more significant contribution on the melt-strengthening and relaxation time-extension of PLA. Moreover, it is suggested that GTA nanoparticles were more effective to act as a nucleating agent for PLA, which was proved by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarized optical microscopy (POM) researches. All of the improvements mentioned above of GTA nanocomposites can be ascribed to stronger entanglements between 3A-PLLA stretched by nano-SiO2 and PLA matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It has been proposed that depressed individuals have broad neuropsychological dysfunction, particularly in the executive control domain. The Attention Network Test (ANT) is widely used to assess the efficiency of three attention networks: alerting, orienting, and executive control. In the present study, we investigated the behavioral and event-related potential (ERP) indicators of attention processing in subclinical depressive undergraduates.Methods: Seventeen undergraduates with subclinical depressive symptoms and sixteen control undergraduates completed the Attention Network Test (ANT).Results: The results indicated no difference in behavioral performance on the three attention networks between the two groups; and there was a similar ERP pattern in the ERP components involved in alerting and orienting (cue-N1 and target-N1) in both groups. Additionally, for executive function network, no difference in the N2 component associated with conflict detection was observed between the two groups. However, there was an increase in the congruency effect of the conflict-sustained potential (SP; incongruent minus congruent) related to conflict resolution in undergraduates with subclinical depressive symptoms compared with control undergraduates.Limitations: The present study is limited by its small sample size which might result in inadequate statistical power to detect potential group differences in behavior. Additionally, the present study focused primarily on individuals with subclinical depression, and the extent to which these findings would generalize to those with more severe symptoms or clinical major depressive disorder is unknown.Conclusions: The findings suggest that undergraduates with subclinical depressive symptoms might need to recruit additional compensatory cognitive resources to obtain an equivalent behavioral performance compared with that in undergraduates with none or few depressive symptoms in executive control processing. The current study further provides evidence for the cortical inefficiency theory, which might account for executive control dysfunction in individuals with subclinical depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Short-term complications and long-term prognoses of three kinds of digestive tract reconstructions after radical gastrectomy for distal gastric cancer were compared.Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent radical gastrectomy for distal gastric cancer were divided into three groups according to the type of digestive tract reconstruction: Billroth I, Billroth II, and Roux-en-Y anastomosis. Clinicopathological characteristics, intraoperative conditions, short-term complications, and long-term prognoses were compared among the three groups.Results: There were no significant differences in the clinicopathological characteristics and postoperative complications among the three groups (P > .05). There was no significant difference in the operative times of the Billroth I and Billroth II anastomosis groups, but the operative times in both groups were shorter than the operative time in the Roux-en-Y anastomosis group (P < .05). The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate in the Billroth I, Billroth II, and Roux-en-Y anastomosis groups was 58.3%, 55.0%, and 62.2%, respectively, with no significant difference among the three groups. There was no significant difference in the OS rate according to the tumor node metastasis stage among the three groups (P > .05).Conclusion: The postoperative complications and prognoses were similar in the different digestive tract reconstruction groups. Billroth I anastomosis is a simple surgical method that can be used for gastrointestinal reconstruction after distal gastrectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current clinical treatments have not yet effectively cured progressive retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death and axonal degeneration after optic nerve (ON) injury. We previously demonstrated green tea extract (GTE) can reduce RGC death in rats after ischemic injury. Here, we aim to determine the prophylactic and therapeutic effects and mechanisms of GTE on RGC survival and axonal regeneration in rats with ON injury. GTE (275 or 550 mg/kg) was administered intragastrically for 7 d before or 14 d post-ON crush surgery in adult Fischer 344 rats. Rats with pre- or post-operative treatment of 275 mg/kg GTE showed significantly higher numbers of RGCs and regenerated axons post-ON injury with improved pupillary light reflex as compared to saline-treated rats. Akt and Erk p42/44 activation was higher in the retina of rats given 275 mg/kg GTE pre-surgery, whereas Stat3 activation was higher in those with 275 mg/kg GTE post-operation. Less activated microglia were observed in rats with pre-treatment of 275 or 550 mg/kg GTE. RNA sequencing analysis identified the downregulation of inflammation, apoptosis, and microglia activation genes in the retina of rats with pre- or post-treatment with 275 mg/kg GTE as compared to the saline-treated rats. In summary, this study revealed the prophylactic and therapeutic treatment effects of GTE on RGC survival and axonal regeneration in rats with ON injury, indicating a potential alternative treatment for traumatic optic neuropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nonlinear torsional model of a multistage gear transmission system which consists of a planetary gear and two parallel gear stages is established with time-varying meshing stiffness, comprehensive gear error and multi-clearance. The nonlinear dynamic responses are analyzed by applying the reference of backlash bifurcation parameters. The motions of the system on the change of backlash are identified through global bifurcation diagram, largest Lyapunov exponent (LLE), FFT spectra, Poincaré maps, the phase diagrams and time series. The numerical results demonstrate that the system exhibits rich features of nonlinear dynamics such as the periodic motion, nonperiodic states and chaotic states. It is found that the sun-planet backlash has more complex effect on the system than the ring-planet backlash. The motions of the system with backlash of parallel gear are diverse including some different multi-periodic motions. Furthermore, the state of the system can change from chaos into quasi-periodic behavior, which means that the dynamic behavior of the system is composed of more stable components with the increase of the backlash. Correspondingly, the parameters of the system should be designed properly and controlled timely for better operation and enhancing the life of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study used event-related brain potentials (ERPs) to explore whether self-reported trait impulsivity in healthy individuals might be differentially related to proactive and reactive interference control. Participants with high and low impulsivity (HI and LI, respectively) performed a modified version of the prime-target interference task. Proactive interference control was induced in the mostly incongruent (MI) context and reactive interference control was induced in the mostly congruent (MC) context. Although the behavioral data revealed no difference between HI and LI individuals in terms of the interference effects (incongruent – congruent) under both contexts, the ERP results showed that impulsivity has a different influence on the interference effects under different task contexts. In the MC context, the interference effects on the medial frontal negativity (MFN) and the negative sustained potential (N-SP) were greater, while that on the positive sustained potential (P-SP) were smaller in the HI compared to those in the LI group. This suggests that high levels of impulsivity might be associated with a reduced efficiency of the processes supporting reactive control to resolve interference when interference is not expected. In contrast, the three ERP indices (MFN, P-SP, and N-SP) of interference processing in the MI context were insensitive to variations in impulsivity. This suggests that HI individuals might be as effective as LI individuals in recruiting proactive control for sustained active maintenance of task goals to anticipate and prevent interference throughout the experimental blocks where interference occurs frequently. In conclusion, these results indicate that impulsivity has a more negative influence on reactive interference control than on proactive interference control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering time-varying meshing stiffness, comprehensive gear error and piece-wise backlash nonlinearities, a torsional nonlinear dynamic model of multistage gear of planetary gear system is established. By using Runge–Kutta numerical integration method, the dynamic responses are solved, analyzed and illustrated with the bifurcation parameters variation including excitation frequency, gear backlash and damping. The motions of the planetary gear system and diverse nonlinear dynamics characteristics are identified through global bifurcation diagram, FFT spectra, Poincaré map, the phase diagram and the largest Lyapunov exponent (LLE). The numerical results expose that system experiences a diverse transformation range of the periodic motion, non-periodic states systematically and quantitatively when the parameters are changed. Analysis results show that the variation of meshing frequency as the external excitation could transit the states of the system. Additionally, the motions and the routes of entering chaos at low excitation frequency and at high excitation frequency are different. Under the bifurcation parameter of dimensionless backlash and damping coefficient, the system motion is observed. The higher damping coefficient and suitable backlash could suppress the region of chaos. Correspondingly, parameters of the system should be designed properly and controlled timely for the better operation and enhancing life of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new polyoxometalate (POM)-based inorganic–organic hybrid, [Ag 4 (SiMo 12 O 40 )(HBTA) 8 ]·8H 2 O ( 1 ), constructed from the Keggin-type polyoxomolybdates and benzotriazole (HBTA) ligands linked by two dinuclear silver(I) clusters has been obtained and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and IR spectrum. In 1 , a pair of parallel Ag 2 (HBTA) 4 units fixed to the central [SiMo 12 O 40 ] 4− stick out like a barbell to support the whole structure. These clusters are extended into the wave-like layers by the strong π–π stacking interactions and hydrogen bonds. The 2D layers are further extended into a 3D supramolecular structure by means of hydrogen bonds (C4–H4⋯O10) between the nitrogen atoms of the HBTA ligands and the oxygen atoms of [SiMo 12 O 40 ] 4− anions. Luminescence property of 1 in CH 3 CN solution has been investigated. In addition, 1 -CPE possesses good electrocatalytic activity toward the reduction of KNO 2 , H 2 O 2 and KBrO 3 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]