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Background Bemnifosbuvir (AT-527) is a novel oral guanosine nucleotide antiviral drug for the treatment of persons with COVID-19. Direct assessment of drug disposition in the lungs, via bronchoalveolar lavage, is necessary to ensure antiviral drug levels at the primary site of SARS-CoV-2 infection are achieved. Objectives This Phase 1 study in healthy subjects aimed to assess the bronchopulmonary pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of repeated doses of bemnifosbuvir. Methods A total of 24 subjects were assigned to receive bemnifosbuvir twice daily at doses of 275, 550 or 825 mg for up to 3.5 days. Results AT-511, the free base of bemnifosbuvir, was largely eliminated from the plasma within 6 h post dose in all dosing groups. Antiviral drug levels of bemnifosbuvir were consistently achieved in the lungs with bemnifosbuvir 550 mg twice daily. The mean level of the guanosine nucleoside metabolite AT-273, the surrogate of the active triphosphate metabolite of the drug, measured in the epithelial lining fluid of the lungs was 0.62 µM at 4–5 h post dose. This exceeded the target in vitro 90% effective concentration (EC90) of 0.5 µM for antiviral drug exposure against SARS-CoV-2 replication in human airway epithelial cells. Bemnifosbuvir was well tolerated across all doses tested, and most treatment-emergent adverse events reported were mild in severity and resolved. Conclusions The favourable pharmacokinetics and safety profile of bemnifosbuvir demonstrates its potential as an oral antiviral treatment for COVID-19, with 550 mg bemnifosbuvir twice daily currently under further clinical evaluation in persons with COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruit shape is an important character of watermelon. And the compositions of rhizospheric and endophytic microorganisms of watermelon with different fruit shape also remains unclear. To elucidate the biological mechanism of watermelon fruit shape formations, the rhizospheric and endophytic microbial community compositions between oval (OW) and circular watermelons (CW) were analyzed. The results showed that except of the rhizospheric bacterial richness (P < 0.05), the rhizospheric and endophytic microbial (bacterial and fungal) diversity were not statistically significant between OW and CW (P > 0.05). However, the endophytic microbial (bacterial and fungal) compositions were significantly different. Firstly, Bacillus, Rhodanobacter, Cupriavidus, Luteimonas, and Devosia were the unique soil dominant bacterial genera in rhizospheres of circular watermelon (CW); In contrast, Nocardioides, Ensifer, and Saccharomonospora were the special soil dominant bacterial genera in rhizospheres of oval watermelons (OW); Meanwhile, Cephalotrichum, Neocosmospora, Phialosimplex, and Papulaspora were the unique soil dominant fungal genera in rhizospheres of circular watermelon (CW); By contrast, Acremonium, Cladosporium, Cryptococcus_f__Tremellaceae, Sodiomyces, Microascus, Conocybe, Sporidiobolus, and Acremonium were the unique soil dominant fungal genera in rhizospheres of oval watermelons (OW). Additionally, Lechevalieria, Pseudorhodoferax, Pseudomonas, Massilia, Flavobacterium, Aeromicrobium, Stenotrophomonas, Pseudonocardia, Novosphingobium, Melittangium, and Herpetosiphon were the unique dominant endophytic bacterial genera in stems of CW; In contrast, Falsirhodobacter, Kocuria, and Kineosporia were the special dominant endophytic genera in stems of OW; Moreover, Lectera and Fusarium were the unique dominant endophytic fungal genera in stems of CW; By contrast, Cercospora only was the special dominant endophytic fungal genus in stems of OW. All above results suggested that watermelons with different fruit shapes exactly recruited various microorganisms in rhizospheres and stems. Meanwhile, the enrichments of the different rhizosphric and endophytic microorganisms could be speculated in relating to watermelon fruit shapes formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Process damping is a common phenomenon improving the stability in machining. The main source of process damping is the extrusion between the tool flank and the wavy machined workpiece surface. For most process damping models, the indentation force coefficient needs identification to predict the indentation force, which requires cumbersome experiments or simulation. In this paper, a new process damping model without identification is presented based on the Hertz theory. The indentation force is the function of the depth of contact. The contact boundary is estimated by the cutting-edge geometry and wavy machined surface. The process damping coefficient is related to the cutting parameters, cutting geometry, vibration frequency and amplitude, and the mechanical properties of the workpiece material. The dynamical equation with process damping is solved using the numerical integration method (IM). It is experimentally proved that the stability with the proposed process damping model has better predictive accuracy compared with the classical models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Inaccurate Forrest classification may significantly affect clinical outcomes, especially in high risk patients. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a real-time deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) system to assess the Forrest classification of peptic ulcer bleeding (PUB). Methods A training dataset (3868 endoscopic images) and an internal validation dataset (834 images) were retrospectively collected from the 900th Hospital, Fuzhou, China. In addition, 521 images collected from four other hospitals were used for external validation. Finally, 46 endoscopic videos were prospectively collected to assess the real-time diagnostic performance of the DCNN system, whose diagnostic performance was also prospectively compared with that of three senior and three junior endoscopists. Results The DCNN system had a satisfactory diagnostic performance in the assessment of Forrest classification, with an accuracy of 91.2% (95%CI 89.5%–92.6%) and a macro-average area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.80 in the validation dataset. Moreover, the DCNN system could judge suspicious regions automatically using Forrest classification in real-time videos, with an accuracy of 92.0% (95%CI 80.8%–97.8%). The DCNN system showed more accurate and stable diagnostic performance than endoscopists in the prospective clinical comparison test. This system helped to slightly improve the diagnostic performance of senior endoscopists and considerably enhance that of junior endoscopists. Conclusion The DCNN system for the assessment of the Forrest classification of PUB showed satisfactory diagnostic performance, which was slightly superior to that of senior endoscopists. It could therefore effectively assist junior endoscopists in making such diagnoses during gastroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) represents a promising strategy for tumor treatment. However, the development of PDT‐based antitumor therapies faces challenges stemming from the hypoxic nature of the tumor microenvironment and the limited penetration of photosensitizers. This study presents a novel class of antitumor nanoparticles, designated as ARLN‐FP, engineered to penetrate tumor tissues deeply and inhibit tumor growth through the generation of oxygen‐independent free radicals. With the encapsulation of IR780 and dimethyl 2,2′‐azobis(2‐methylpropionate) (AIBME) in the core of ARLN‐FP, near‐infrared (NIR) laser irradiation of ARLN‐FP with induced heat generation, which subsequentially led to the decomposition of AIBME and the production of free radicals without relying on oxygen. In vitro studies indicated that ARLN‐FP penetrated more than 100 µm into multicellular tumor spheroids, demonstrating its enhanced tissue permeability. Animal studies confirmed the anti‐tumor effects of ARLN‐FP‐mediated photonic thermodynamic therapy, where the oxygen‐independent radical formation contributed to successful tumor eradication, evidenced by a significant tumor inhibition rate of 90.8% after 22 days. This research presents a feasible method to overcome the limitations of traditional oxygen‐dependent photodynamic therapies, which offers a new approach to developing nanomedicines to overcome resistance in deep and hypoxic tumor regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrically conductive metal–organic frameworks (cMOFs) have garnered significant attention in materials science due to their potential applications in modern electrical devices. However, achieving effective modulation of their conductivity has proven to be a major challenge. In this study, we have successfully prepared cMOFs with high conductivity by incorporating electron‐donating fused thiophen rings in the frameworks and extending their π‐conjugated systems through ring‐closing reactions. The conductivity of cMOFs can be precisely modulated ranging from 10−3 to 102 S m−1 by regulating their dimensions and topologies. Furthermore, leveraging the inherent tunable electrical properties based on topology, we successfully demonstrated the potential of these materials as chemiresistive gas sensors with an outstanding response toward 100 ppm NH3 at room temperature. This work not only provides valuable insights into the design of functional cMOFs with different topologies but also enriches the cMOF family with exceptional conductivity properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrically conductive metal–organic frameworks (cMOFs) have garnered significant attention in materials science due to their potential applications in modern electrical devices. However, achieving effective modulation of their conductivity has proven to be a major challenge. In this study, we have successfully prepared cMOFs with high conductivity by incorporating electron‐donating fused thiophen rings in the frameworks and extending their π‐conjugated systems through ring‐closing reactions. The conductivity of cMOFs can be precisely modulated ranging from 10−3 to 102 S m−1 by regulating their dimensions and topologies. Furthermore, leveraging the inherent tunable electrical properties based on topology, we successfully demonstrated the potential of these materials as chemiresistive gas sensors with an outstanding response toward 100 ppm NH3 at room temperature. This work not only provides valuable insights into the design of functional cMOFs with different topologies but also enriches the cMOF family with exceptional conductivity properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation of the total pressure gain (TPG) in rotating detonation combustors (RDCs) with dilution holes is conducted by the experimental method in this study. The effects of pressure ratios (PR = 4.2–7.2) and equivalence ratios (ER = 0.5–1.5) on the total pressure gain are analyzed in four models, i.e., models A–D, of different throat areas A 3.1 and dilution hole area A 3.5 . When the PR is small, the lowest ER causes the highest TPG, and when the PR is high, the highest ER leads to the highest TPG in Model A. While in models B–D, as ER increases, the TPG increases gradually in all the cases. Comparing the level of TPG between the four models, it is found that the increment of A 3.1 and A 3.5 results in the enhancement of the TPG. The present study's TPG shows superiority when compared with that of traditional RDC, which indicates that the RDC with dilution holes is more promising for achieving positive TPG in specific configurations. An empirical model considering the throat area A 3.1 , dilution hole area A 3.5 , outlet area A 8 , and heat (released by the fuel combustion) release rate Q v is proposed to better predict the performance of different RDC configurations. Positive total pressure gain is inferred to be promisingly attained at a high A 3.1 / A 8 , low A 8 / A 3.5 , and a high Q v . Total pressure measured by total pressure rake is verified by comparing with the data calculated by Mach-corrected-static-pressure and mass flow function methods, with relative errors in ±4% and ±15%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), the third most common stroke subtype, is associated with high mortality and disability rates. Therefore, finding effective therapies to improve neurological function after SAH is critical. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential neuroprotective effects of hydrogen in the context of SAH, specifically, by examining its role in attenuating neuronal ferroptosis and inhibiting neuroinflammation, which are exacerbated by excess iron ions after SAH. Methods: Mice were exposed to chambers containing 3% hydrogen, and cells were cultured in incubators containing 60% hydrogen. Neurological function in mice was assessed using behavioral scores. Protein changes were detected using western blotting. Inflammatory factors were detected using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Probes, electron microscopy, and related kits were employed to detect oxidative stress and ferroptosis. Results: Hydrogen improved the motor function, sensory function, and cognitive ability of mice after SAH. Additionally, hydrogen facilitated Nuclear factor erythroid 2 -related factor 2 activation, upregulated Glutathione peroxidase 4, and inhibited Toll-like receptor 4, resulting in downregulation of inflammatory responses, attenuation of oxidative stress after SAH, and inhibition of neuronal ferroptosis. Conclusion: Hydrogen exerts neuroprotective effects by inhibiting neuronal ferroptosis and attenuating neuroinflammation after SAH. Graphical representation illustrating the role of hydrogen intervention in the modulation of various cellular processes involved in ferroptosis and neuroinflammation after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Specifically, the metabolism of hemoglobin leads to the accumulation of excess iron ions and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), which subsequently activate ferroptosis and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88 (MyD88) pathway-mediated neuroinflammation. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during ferroptosis further exacerbates the inflammatory response and contributes to nerve damage. However, hydrogen intervention facilitates the translocation of nuclear factor erythroid2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) to the nucleus, thereby promoting the expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and reducing ROS levels. This inhibition of ferroptosis and attenuation of ROS-dependent inflammatory responses are accompanied by the downregulation of the TLR4/MyD88 pathway, leading to the inhibition of neuroinflammation. [Display omitted] • We provide direct evidence for the anti -ferroptosis effect of hydrogen. • Hydrogen mediates anti -ferroptosis and anti-inflammatory effects after SAH via Nrf2. • Hydrogen can be used for clinical treatment after SAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation of the evolution process and propulsion performance of the longitudinal pulsed detonation (LPD) is conducted by numerical method in this study. Four computational models, model A–D, of different sizes are applied. A typical "deflagration surface–fast deflagration–LPD–forward shockwave" process of evolution is found for the duration of the LPD, and the LPD is intuitively triggered by the reflected shockwaves. Low injection pressure ratios (PRs; i.e., PR = 1.1–1.3) and combustors with a low length-to-height ratio (L/H) are found to be conducive to the sustenance of the LPD. In addition, based on the knowledge of the inherent acoustic resonance frequency, the sustainable LPD frequency is estimated. When the PR increases, the LPD frequency tends to decrease in the same model. In the evolution process of fast deflagration-LPD, the wave speed increases gradually, which is in good agreement with the previous study. In the propagation process of the forward shockwave, the wave speed increases in general, which is because the pressure difference between the combustor and the outlet accelerates the wave propagation. The propulsion performance of the LPD is also investigated. As the PR increases, the specific impulse I s p of all the four models increases in general. The I s p of the LPD is relatively low compared with that of the rotating detonation mode, and when realizing industrialization of the LPD-based engines, an LPD mode with higher work efficiency needs to be explored. We hope this study of the enlightening LPD mode can provide a foundation for the ensuing application of detonation-based engines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polysaccharide-based membranes with excellent mechanical properties are highly desired. However, severe mechanical deterioration under wet conditions limits their biomedical applications. Here, inspired by the structural heterogeneity of strong yet hydrated biological materials, we propose a strategy based on heterogeneous crosslink-and-hydration (HCH) of a molecule/nano dual-scale network to fabricate polysaccharide-based nanocomposites with robust wet mechanical properties. The heterogeneity lies in that the crosslink-and-hydration occurs in the molecule-network while the stress-bearing nanofiber-network remains unaffected. As one demonstration, a membrane assembled by bacterial cellulose nanofiber-network and Ca2+-crosslinked and hydrated sodium alginate molecule-network is designed. Studies show that the crosslinked-and-hydrated molecule-network restricts water invasion and boosts stress transfer of the nanofiber-network by serving as interfibrous bridge. Overall, the molecule-network makes the membrane hydrated and flexible; the nanofiber-network as stress-bearing component provides strength and toughness. The HCH dual-scale network featuring a cooperative effect stimulates the design of advanced biomaterials applied under wet conditions such as guided bone regeneration membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we introduce the concept of soft nationalism through a case-study analysis of short videos by US-born rapper MC Jin (Jin Au-Yeung), who is of Chinese background. Jin's creative output, we argue, with its cross-cultural and grassroots invocations of Chinese identity, ethnicity, tradition, language and belonging, complicates existing theories of nationalism. To address these complications we develop the term 'soft nationalism', to describe forms of nationalism that are neither 'hard', 'hot' and bellicose nor 'banal' or 'everyday'. Like soft power, soft nationalism carries intent but speaks quietly, and is practised everywhere but often found in China, in the context of a recent surge of participatory online nationalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although the long-term prognosis of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is favorable, distant metastasis significantly compromises the prognosis and quality of life for patients with PTC. The Cadherin family plays a pivotal role in tumor metastasis; however, the involvement of Cadherin 4 (CDH4) in the metastatic cascade remains elusive. Methods: The expression and subcellular localization of CDH4 were determined through immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and western blot analyses. The impact of CDH4 on cell migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis was assessed using transwell assays, tube formation assays, and animal experiments. Immunoprecipitation assay and mass spectrometry were employed to examine protein associations. The influence of CDH4 on the subcellular expression of β-catenin and active β-catenin was investigated via western blotting and immunofluorescence. Protein stability and ubiquitination assay were employed to verify the impact of CDH4 on β-catenin degradation. Rescue experiments were performed to ensure the significance of CDH4 in regulating nuclear β-catenin signaling. Results: CDH4 was found to be significantly overexpressed in PTC tissues and predominantly localized in the cytoplasm. Furthermore, the overexpression of CDH4 in tumor tissues is associated with lymph node metastasis in PTC patients. Cytosolic CDH4 promoted the migration, invasion, and lung metastasis of PTC cells and stimulated the angiogenesis and tumorigenesis of PTC; however, this effect could be reversed by Tegavivint, an antagonist of β-catenin. Mechanistically, cytosolic CDH4 disrupted the interaction between β-catenin and β-TrCP1, consequently impeding the ubiquitination process of β-catenin and activating the nuclear β-catenin signaling. Conclusions: CDH4 induces PTC angiogenesis and metastasis via the inhibition of β-TrCP1-dependent ubiquitination of β-Catenin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

System reliability directly affects the realization of software‐intensive system functions, which rely on both hardware and software. The operating status of hardware and software affect each other, and the continuous accumulation of their degraded performances will accelerate the occurrence of failures. However, the interaction relationship between hardware and software is often overlooked in most current research. In this paper, a new reliability analysis method is proposed for multi‐state software‐intensive systems with degradation accumulation effect and information transmission attenuation based on goal oriented (GO) methodology. First, a new function GO operator is created, and its operation formula is derived with the aid of Markov process theory. To quantify the impact of degradation accumulation on availability, non‐negative constant and random variable critical thresholds are set for the degradation state. Then, an effective optical power loss model is established to analyze the reliability of information transmission in the presence of attenuation. Next, the reliability analysis framework for multi‐state software‐intensive system is established based on the GO method. Finally, the proposed reliability analysis method is applied to the example of meter and decameter wavelength radio heliograph to demonstrate the applicability and feasibility of our work. The proposed model provides a more accurate reflection of the system reliability under actual operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a biomarker of high expression in cancer cells. Highly sensitive and selective detection of CEA holds significant clinical value in the diagnosis, monitoring and efficacy evaluation of malignant tumors. In this work, a smartphone-based electrochemical point-of-care testing (POCT) platform for the detection of CEA was developed based on a Zr6MOF signal amplification strategy. Ferrocene labeled DNA strands (Fc-DNA) were immobilized on Zr6MOFs to form a Fc-DNA/Zr6MOF signal probe. Double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) formed by complementary DNA (cDNA) and CEA aptamer was assembled on a screen-printed electrode via an Au–S bond. When CEA was added, the aptamer specifically bound with CEA, resulting in the exposure of cDNA. Then, Fc-DNA/Zr6MOF signal probes were introduced on the electrode surface through hybridization between Fc-DNA and cDNA. The detection of CEA was realized by measuring the electrochemical response of Fc. The POCT device was made by connecting a modified electrode with a smartphone through a Sensit Smart USB flash disk. Due to the signal amplification of Zr6MOFs, this POCT platform exhibited high sensitivity, wide linear range, and low detection limit for CEA detection. The developed POCT platform has been used for the detection of CEA in actual human serum samples with satisfactory results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nickel-catalyzed reductive tandem cyclization of the elaborated β-bromo acetal with a dibenzoxepin scaffold was invented to strategically construct the remaining two rings in linoxepin. The generated diasterodivergent intermediates could be easily converted to both enantiomers of this unique cyclolignan molecule via facile oxidations, thus realizing enantiodivergent total synthesis of linoxepin for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curcumin (CUR) is a natural compound with various pharmacological effects, including anticancer, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, lipid-lowering, and immune-regulating properties. It can be employed as a novel feed additive in livestock and poultry feed. Adding an appropriate amount of CUR to feed can improve the production performance of broilers, enhance immunity, improve the quality of animal products, and alleviate the hepatotoxicity caused by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in broilers. This article elaborates on the physiological functions of CUR and its impact on the broiler production performance, meat quality, immune function, antioxidant capacity, lipid metabolism, and intervention against AFB1 to provide reference for the promotion and rational application of CUR as a new feed additive in broiler production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing and constructing hierarchical structures to enhance electron transfer, electrolyte transport and product release in electrocatalytic reactions can effectively improve electrocatalytic performance of transition metal-based catalysts. Herein, a novel nanostructured electrode consisting of hierarchical Ni/Ni 4 Mo nanosheets array grown on carbon fiber (CF@Ni/Ni 4 Mo) has been designed and synthesized. Smaller Ni 4 Mo nanonets are distributed on Ni nanosheet surface, and this hierarchical nanosheets array structure can expose abundant active sites (nickel oxide/hydroxide for urea oxidation reaction (UOR) and Ni 4 Mo for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER)) and ensure multi-channel transport of electrolyte and gaseous products in electrocatalytic reaction. Moreover, the Ni nanosheet skeleton facilitates speedy electron transmit to/from catalytic sites. The optimal CF@Ni/Ni 4 Mo-5 electrode exhibits remarkable catalytic activity with requiring only 1.396 V and −0.095 V to drive 100 mA cm−2 toward UOR and HER, respectively, in 1.0 M KOH with 0.5 M urea. Furthermore, the overall urea-electrolysis system based on CF@Ni/Ni 4 Mo-5 as bifunctional electrode can achieve 100 mA cm−2 by only need 1.579 V, which can easily be powered by a commercial mercury-flee alkaline battery. [Display omitted] • Hierarchical Ni/Ni 4 Mo nanosheets array on carbon fiber is designed and synthesized. • The CF@Ni/Ni 4 Mo exhibits perfect catalytic activity toward both UOR and HER. • The high activity is due to rich active site, enhanced conductivity, multi-channel mass transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Placing bluff bodies in a mixing channel is an important technique to enhance mixing. This paper numerically investigates the effects of transversal spacing and axial spacing of two bluff bodies on the outlet mixing efficiency (Mout), the pressure loss (ΔP), and the combined performance parameter η (the ratio of Mout to dimensionless ΔP) of fluid flow within mixing channels with dual bluff bodies having three cross-sectional shapes of circle, square, and sector with Reynolds numbers based on bluff body dimension Red = 20, 60, and 100. The study reveals that, at Red = 20, altering the spacing between the two bluff bodies in the mixing channel does not improve mixing but instead increases ΔP, leading to a decrease in η. At Red = 60 and 100, changing the transversal spacing and axial spacing in a certain range can effectively enhance mixing and improve the combined performance. There exists an optimal transversal spacing to maximize Mout and η. Furthermore, the mixing channel with sector-shaped dual bluff bodies exhibits the highest Mout and η among the three kinds of cross-sectional shapes. When Red = 60 and 100, η of the mixing channel with sector-shaped dual bluff bodies increases by 212% and 270% by the transversal offsetting compared to the case with zero transversal spacing and increases by 489% and 331% by the axial offsetting compared to the case with an axial spacing of 2 times the bluff body dimension. The present findings hold significant implications for the design optimization and performance improvement of mixers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A supplier portrait generation method based on Big data analysis and deep learning was proposed to help users make reasonable decisions in core links such as procurement and contract signing. This method establishes a label element analysis model for each level in the vertical label system of power supply enterprises, and divides it into target layer, standard layer, and solution layer based on the logic and attributes of the elements, and establishes a hierarchical structure. Compare the index labels of each level with the labels of the upper and lower levels by considering the logical relationship and correlation between each level. Utilize deep learning algorithms to sort hierarchically, and use a multidimensional structural model to represent and fuse portrait labels of power supply enterprises. Based on the imaging results of supplier vertical rating, combined with objective factors such as material production cycle, supply cycle, market supply and demand, price fluctuations, etc., it helps power enterprises effectively predict the supplier's performance ability. The simulation results show that the reliability of the power supply enterprise portrait generated by this method is high, and the credibility of the portrait identification system for all levels of power supply enterprises is high. This supplier portrait method can effectively improve the supplier management capabilities of power enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is concerned with the attack design problem of multisensor cyber‐physical systems. Compared with the existing results developed for the single‐sensor system, the attacker is limited to modify partial sensors. To avoid generating alarm for the given detect mechanism, the correlation influence between the attacked and normal sensors is eliminated in the designed stealthiness condition. Then the trace of error covariance is used to measure the attack effect and the coupling information between sensors is also involved. By using the design freedom of stealthiness condition, the detailed attack parameters design and attacked channels selection strategy are derived to achieve the optimal attack performance via a two‐stage method including backstepping and eigenvalue sorting techniques. Finally, numerical simulation examples are provided to verify the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed attack method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Novel endoscopic techniques used in the treatment of gastric lesions with local submucosal fibrosis need preclinical evaluation and training due to safety limitations. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to establish an animal model of gastric local fibrotic target lesions and assess its feasibility in the evaluation and training of endoscopic techniques. Methods: In six experimental beagles, a 50% glucose solution was injected into three submucosal areas of the fundus, body, and antrum of the stomach to create gastric local fibrotic target lesions (experimental group). On post-injection day (PID) 7, the injection sites were assessed endoscopically to confirm the presence of submucosal fibrosis formation, and the dental floss clip traction assisted endoscopic submucosal dissection (DFC-ESD) procedure was performed on the gastric local fibrotic target lesions to confirm its feasibility after endoscopic observation. The normal gastric mucosa of six control beagles underwent the same procedure (control group). All the resected specimens were evaluated by histological examination. Results: All 12 beagles survived without postoperative adverse events. On PID 7, 16 ulcer changes were observed at the injection sites (16/18) under the endoscope, and endoscopic ultrasonography confirmed the local submucosal fibrosis formation in all ulcer lesions. The subsequent DFC-ESD was successfully performed on the 32 gastric target lesions, and the mean submucosal dissection time in the ulcer lesions was greater than that in the normal gastric mucosa (15.3 ± 5.6 vs. 6.8 ± 0.8 min; P < 0.001). There was no difference in rates of en bloc resection, severe hemorrhage, or perforation between the two groups. Histological analysis of the ulcer lesions showed the absence of epithelial or muscularis mucosae and extensive submucosal fibrous tissue proliferations compared with normal gastric mucosa. Overall, endoscopists had high satisfaction with the realism and feasibility of the animal model. Conclusion: We developed a novel animal model of gastric local fibrotic target lesions to simulate difficult clinical situations, which strongly appeared to be suitable for the preclinical evaluation and learning of advanced endoscopic techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of Orientin on murine chondrocytes treated with interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) were evaluated using qPCR, western blot analysis, ELISA, and immunofluorescent staining in vitro. In vivo, We established a standard OA model by performing the destabilized medial meniscus (DMM) surgery on C57BL/6 mice, and assessed healing effect of Orientin by X‐ray imaging, histopathological analysis, immunohistochemical staining. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of degenerative joint disease in clinic and the chondrocyte inflammation plays the most important role in OA development. The natural flavonoid compound (Orientin) has anti‐inflammatory bioactive properties in the treatment of various diseases. But studies have not explored whether Orientin modulates OA progression. In this study, a significant suppression in IL‐1β‐mediated pro‐inflammatory mediators and the degradation of cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) was observed in vitro through qPCR, western blot analysis, ELISA, and immunofluorescent staining after the treatment with Orientin. In addition, Orientin abrogated DMM surgery induced cartilage degradation in mice, which was assessed by X‐ray imaging, histopathological analysis, immunohistochemical staining. Mechanistic studies showed that Orientin suppressed OA development by downregulating activation of NF‐κB by activating Nrf2/HO‐1 axis and SIRT6 signaling pathway. These results provide evidence that Orientin serves as a potentially viable compound for the treatment of OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let \mathcal {K} be the collection of all non-empty compact subsets of the unit cube [0,1]^d. Fixing any F_\sigma set F\subset [0,1]^d of Lebesgue measure zero and 0

A correction is presented to the article "Correction To existence And Box Dimension Of General Recurrent Fractal Interpolation Functions" published in a previous issue of the periodical.

Background: The immune system plays a crucial role in initiating, progressing, and disseminating HNSCC. This study aims to investigate the differences in immune microenvironments between 2D-4-culture and 3D-4-culture models of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells (FaDu), human fibroblasts (HF), human monocytes (THP-1), and human endothelial cells (HUVEC). Methods: For the 3D-4-culture model, FaDu:HF:THP-1 (2:1:1) were inoculated in an ultra-low attachment culture plate, while HUVECs were placed in a transwell chamber. The ordinary culture plate was used for the 2D-4-culture model. Tumor-associated macrophage markers (CD163), tumor-associated fibroblast markers (FAP), and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were detected by western blot. Inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-2, CXCL 10, IL-1 β, TNF-α, CCL 2, IL-17 A, IL-6, IL-10, IFN-γ, IL-12 p 70, CXCL 8, TGFβ1) in the supernatant were measured by flow cytometry. HUVEC migration was observed under a microscope. The 3D spheres were stained and observed with a confocal microscope. CCK8 assay was used to detect the resistance of mixed cells to cisplatin in both 2D-4-culture and 3D-4-culture. Results: After three days of co-culture, the 3D-4-culture model showed increased expression levels of CD163 and FAP proteins (both P < 0.001), increased expression of E-cadherin protein and N-cadherin protein expression (P < 0.001), decreased expression of vimentin (P < 0.01) and Twist protein (P < 0.001). HUVEC migration significantly increased (P < 0.001), as did the concentrations of IP-10, MCP-1, IL-6, and IL-8 (all P < 0.001). Confocal microscopy showed that 3D-4-culture formed loose cell clusters on day 1, which gradually became a dense sphere surrounded by FaDu cells invading the inside. After co-culturing for 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h, the resistance of mix cells to cisplatin in 3D-4-culture was significantly higher than in 2D-4-culture (P < 0.01 for all). Conclusion: Compared to 2D-4-culture, 3D-4-culture better simulates the in vivo immune microenvironment of HNSCC by promoting fibroblast transformation into tumor-associated fibroblasts, monocyte transformation into tumor-associated macrophages, enhancing endothelial cell migration ability, partial EMT formation in HNSCC cells, and is more suitable for studying the immunosuppressive microenvironment of HNSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a representative practice of the theory of connectivism, cMOOCs emphasize learners' content-based connective learning. Effectively promoting learners' content production is the focus of cMOOC research and practice. This study explores whether and how learners' online interactions affect the content production of courses. Based on 45166 real-time behavioural data points of learners, this study measures the interaction level and content production degree of each learner and analyses the influence of interaction on content production. The results show that the number of low-level interactions is higher than that of high-level interactions, and content production increases with the development of the curriculum. Low-level active interactions of cMOOC learners have no significant impact on content production, while high-level active interactions have a significant positive impact on content production, and attention in low-level passive interactions has a significant positive impact on content production. However, simple comments in low-level passive interactions and complex comments in high-level passive interactions have a significant negative impact on content production in a certain course. The results of this study further develop the understanding of interaction in the learning theory of connectivism, and we hope that this study can provide support for the interaction design of cMOOCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Although tumor size is regarded as the "T" stage of the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging system for many solid tumors, its prognostic impact in gastric cancer remains uncertain and conflicting. Methods. We enrolled 6960 eligible patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The X-tile program was used to select the best cut-off value of tumor size. Then, the Kaplan–Meier method and the Cox proportional hazards model were applied to examine the efficacy of tumor size on prognostic prediction for overall survival (OS) and gastric cancer-specific survival (GCSS). The presence of nonlinear association was determined by the restricted cubic spline (RCS) model. Results. Tumor size was divided into 3 groups: small size (≤2.5 cm), medium size (2.6-5.2 cm), and large size (≥5.3 cm). After adjusting by covariates such as depth of tumor infiltration, the large and medium groups showed a worse prognosis than the small group; however, no survival difference in OS was suggested between the medium and large groups. Similarly, although there was a nonlinear relationship between tumor size and survival, increasing tumor size did not show an independent negative effect on prognosis in the RCS analysis. However, the stratified analyses proposed this 3-way cut of tumor size in prognostic prediction for patients with both inadequate lymphadenectomy and negative nodal metastasis. Conclusions. Tumor size as a prognostic predictor may not have good clinical applicability in gastric cancer. Otherwise, it was recommended for patients with both insufficient examinations of lymph nodes and stage N0 disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthesizing realistic fine-grained images from text descriptions is a significant computer vision task. Although many GANs-based methods have been proposed to solve this task, generating high-quality images consistent with text information remains a difficult problem. These existing GANs-based methods ignore important words due to the use of fixed initial word features in generator, and neglect to learn semantic consistency between images and texts for discriminators. In this article, we propose a novel attentional generation and contrastive adversarial framework for fine-grained text-to-image synthesis, termed as Word Self-Update Contrastive Adversarial Networks (WSC-GAN). Specifically, we introduce a dual attention module for modeling color details and semantic information. With a new designed word self-update module, the generator can leverage visually important words to compute attention maps in the feature synthesis module. Furthermore, we contrive multi-branch contrastive discriminators to maintain better consistency between the generated image and text description. Two novel contrastive losses are proposed for our discriminators to impose image-sentence and image-word consistency constraints. Extensive experiments on CUB and MS-COCO datasets demonstrate that our method achieves better performance compared with state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the importance of computed tomography (CT) imaging in the diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma (EAML). Materials and Methods: This study comprised 63 patients diagnosed with renal EAML in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University during 2010-2021, who met the inclusion criteria. The clinical, pathological, and therapeutic features were analyzed to determine the optimum diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Results: Of the 63 participants, 20 were men and 43 women aged 24-74 years (average, 45.5 years). In 35 and 28 participants, the tumor was located on the left and right sides, respectively. All the patients underwent CT scanning. Most of the patients (54/63) with EAMLs demonstrated hyperattenuation, one showed isoattenuation, and eight showed hypoattenuation compared with renal parenchyma on unenhanced CT images. The diameter of each tumor was 2-25 cm (average, 5.6 cm). All the participants underwent surgical treatment. Of these, 53 were followed up for 4-128 months (median, 64 months). Among the followed-up patients, one died of the tumor, one died due to acute severe pancreatitis, and two had an ipsilateral recurrence. Conclusion: EAML is a relatively rare renal angiomyolipoma depleted in fat. A characteristic of hyperattenuation on unenhanced CT images in EAML can help distinguish this tumor from clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Surgical resection is the main treatment. Most EAMLs are benign, and only a few have malignant potential. However, post-surgery recurrence and metastasis may occur, especially in elderly patients, and thus close follow-up is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neuroprotective effects of hydrogen have been demonstrated, but the mechanism is still poorly understood. In a clinical trial of inhaled hydrogen in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), we found that hydrogen reduced the accumulation of lactic acid in the nervous system. There are no studies demonstrating the regulatory effect of hydrogen on lactate and in this study we hope to further clarify the mechanism by which hydrogen regulates lactate metabolism. In cell experiments, PCR and Western Blot showed that HIF-1α was the target related to lactic acid metabolism that changed the most before and after hydrogen intervention. HIF-1α levels were suppressed by hydrogen intervention treatment. Activation of HIF-1α inhibited the lactic acid-lowering effect of hydrogen. We have also demonstrated the lactic acid-lowering effect of hydrogen in animal studies. Our work clarifies that hydrogen can regulate lactate metabolism via the HIF-1αpathway, providing new insights into the neuroprotective mechanisms of hydrogen. • In clinical trials, hydrogen therapy reduced cerebrospinal fluid lactate levels in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. • HIF-1α is the target associated with the greatest change in lactate metabolism before and after hydrogen intervention. • Hydrogen regulates lactate metabolism after SAH via the HIF-1α pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on pre-digital working and living lifestyle of the "old" Chinese. Topics include focus on those city actors and use nine pictures of the migrant workers' portraits taken by professional photographers in Shenzhen from 1980 to 2000; and urban mobility is often encouraged to fit in the urban development initiated by the government.

In this article, a wideband antenna is implemented by using a multilayer self‐packaged suspended coplanar waveguide (SCPW). The lower air cavity of the SCPW is not only used for antenna suspending but also as an antenna reflector, while the reflector structure can be expanded by copper coating on the periphery of the multidielectric substrates, which improves the antenna radiation and antenna gain effectively, while the antenna profile is not increased. An extra patch is introduced for generating more resonances, which extends the antenna bandwidth importantly. The proposed antenna is designed to work at 5.42 GHz with a fractional bandwidth of 26.2% (4.71–6.13 GHz), and a maximum gain of 8.4 dBi. The SCPW antenna has been fabricated and measured, and the design has been demonstrated with the advantages of self‐packaging, wideband, favorable gain, and even low profile as well as miniature circuit size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overuse of chemical fertilizer (CF) causes damage to soil and the environment. To reveal the process of the response of crop rhizospheric and bulk soil fertility and the bacterial community to long-term CF conditions, CF application and nonfertilization (CK, control) treatments were used in a long-term (12-year) fertilization experiment. Long-term CF application significantly increased the soil organic matter, total nitrogen, and available phosphorus contents (p < 0.05), increased the available nitrogen (AN) and potassium (AK) contents to varying degrees, and decreased the soil pH in both rice rhizospheric soil and bulk soil. In addition, the bacterial Shannon and Ace indices in rice rhizospheric soil under the CF treatment were all higher than those under the control (CK) treatment, and the bulk soil bacteria showed the opposite trend. The LEfSe results showed that unidentified_Gammaproteobacteria and Geobacter (genera) were significantly enriched in the rhizospheric and bulk soil of rice under the CK treatment, respectively. Gemmatimonadetes (phylum) and Nitrospirae (phylum) + Thiobacillus (genus) were significantly enriched in the rice rhizospheric and bulk soil under the CF treatment. Only AK and AN had strong positive correlations with soil bacteria. Long-term CF application accelerated the migration of soil bacteria from the bulk soil to the rhizosphere, thus improving soil fertility and nutrient cycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water inrush in the working face caused by seepage instability of fault fracture zone is a major disaster which threatens the safety production in a coal mine. Based on the principle of fluid mechanics, a nonlinear mechanical model with three flow fields is established in this paper. Combining with the actual situation of a fault fracture zone in a coal mine, a multicoupled numerical model is built in COMSOL Multiphysics, in order to study the water pressure and flow velocity in the three flow fields and the flow state of fluids in the aquifer and fault under different ratios of fault permeability and aquifer permeability. The research results show that the permeability in the fault fracture zone is an essential factor affecting the danger of water inrush, and the pressure and flow velocity in the boundary zone of the adjacent flow field varies significantly. Besides, the water inrush in the fault fracture zone is a gradual dynamic process, and the fluid flow from the aquifer through the fault gradually changes from a linear flow state into a nonlinear flow state. Meanwhile, the non-Darcy effect increases and decreases with the growth and decrease of the permeability in the fault fracture zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the data-driven fault isolation and estimation problem for linear time-invariant systems with unknown dynamic matrices and multiple actuator faults. In most of existing fault isolation methods, how to accurately identify the types of faults has not been solved well when the system matrices are unknown. To deal with this problem, a neural network-based fault isolation method is proposed by analyzing and extracting features of different fault models in terms of constructing sparse vectors and function libraries using the available input–output data. Then, a fault estimator is designed to estimate the fault signals within the data-driven framework, where its parameters are computed by the system's Markov parameters and the identified types of faults. Finally, two examples are used to verify the advantages and effectiveness of the proposed fault isolation and estimation approach. • A data-driven fault diagnosis approach is developed for unknown linear systems. • A neural network-based fault isolation method is used to isolate actuator faults. • The faults features of different fault models are analyzed and extracted. • A fault estimator is designed for both single and simultaneously occurring faults. • H 2 index is used to attenuate the effects of noises on fault estimation error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A numerical study of the longitudinal pulsed detonation (LPD) is conducted in the present paper. The occurrence mechanism of the LPD, called shock wave amplification by coherent energy release, is verified preliminarily in this study. To be specific, upstream propagating shock waves, which originate from the outlet, induce a specific gradient of reactant distribution, and then detonation waves are ignited and evolve along the gradient in close succession. It is worth noting that the occurrence of LPD does not mean that the LPD will necessarily be sustained. The low injection pressure ratio PR (i.e., the ratio of inlet pressure to outlet pressure) = 1.3 is found to be conducive to the sustenance of the LPD instability in the baseline model. A lower PR (PR ≤ 1.2) or a slightly higher PR (1.4 ≤ PR ≤ 1.8) shall lead to an unstable detonation or quenching of detonations, while a much higher PR (PR > 1.8) contributes to the formation of stable canonical rotating detonation waves. In addition, the combustion regimes of five combustors of different heights at different PR are explored. As the combustion chamber height increases, the PR of the sustainable LPD is nearly linearly increasing, and its operating frequency decreases gradually. The calculation formula between the sustainable LPD propagating frequency and the natural acoustic resonance frequency of the combustor is employed and discussed, but in consideration of its imperfection, further investigation is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of breast cancer incidences reported worldwide has increased tremendously over the years. Scoping down to Asia, in 2020, the reported incidences of breast cancer are appalling, comprising 1,026,171 cases, occupying up to 45.4% of cases across the globe. Breast cancer is a non-communicable disease, that emerges in variegated forms, self-subsistent, and the etiology is observed to be multifactorial, dependent on the individual reproductive pattern, hormonal factors, diet, physical activity, lifestyle, and exposure to certain advent procedures. Given this complexity, breast cancer is expected to undergo a persistent increment in the number of incidences in near future, exacerbating the public health quality, regardless of race, ethnicity, geographical subgroups, and socioeconomic. In this review article, the authors examine breast cancer in multiple facets, comprising the updated statistics on breast cancer, typically in Asia; etiology of breast cancer; diagnosis of breast cancer; grading system; and challenges in breast cancer from the country's income perspective. Realizing the ever-increasing demand for quality treatment, here, the article also contemplates common therapies in breast cancer, such as breast-conserving therapy, mastectomy, postmastectomy radiation therapy, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, axillary surgery, chemotherapy, adjuvant medical therapies, biological and targeted therapies, and endocrine therapy. This review article intended to provide a brief yet broad panoramic view of breast cancer, to readers, ranging from newcomers, existing researchers, and relevant stakeholders in the topic of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We previously reported that antofloxacin-based bismuth quadruple therapy was safe and effective for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication. It is not clear whether the addition of Saccharomyces boulardii (S. boulardii) to antofloxacin-based quadruple therapy can improve the eradication rate of H. pylori and reduce adverse events. Objective: To investigate the effect of adding S. boulardii to antofloxacin-based quadruple therapy on the eradication rate of H. pylori and the adverse events. Design: Single-center, prospective randomized controlled study. Methods: A total of 172 patients with H. pylori infection were randomly assigned to the test and control groups. Patients in the control group (n = 86) received antofloxacin-based bismuth quadruple therapy for 14 days. On this basis, cases in the test group (n = 86) received S. boulardii 500 mg b.i.d. The eradication rate of H. pylori and adverse events were observed 4 weeks after the treatment. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the eradication rates of H. pylori and frequency of diarrhea between the test group and control group (p > 0.05). The duration of diarrhea in the test group was significantly shorter than in the control group (p < 0.001). In addition, the two groups exhibited similar adverse event rates for epigastric pain, abdominal distention, dizzy, vomiting, and rash (p > 0.05). The severity of adverse reactions was similar between the two groups (p > 0.05), and most of them had mild adverse events. Conclusion: Although the addition of S. boulardii to antofloxacin-based quadruple therapy could not improve the eradication rate of H. pylori, it could shorten the time of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and reduce the incidence of diarrhea. Trial registration number: ChiCTR2200056931. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on designing sensor attacks to deteriorate the state estimation in cyber‐physical systems. The scenario that the malicious attack signals can be injected into different but limited number of sensor communication channels is considered. The state estimation error variations and innovation variations are adopted to measure attack performance and attack stealthiness, respectively. A switching attack strategy is proposed, under which the estimation error variations are driven to the predesigned target value and the norm of innovation variations remains at a small level. The switching attack design problem is formulated as a discrete switched optimal control problem which can be solved by dynamic programming, while the computational burden is heavy. To overcome this difficulty, by using pruning technique to remove the redundant matrices generated in dynamic programming, the quadratic optimization problem becomes numerically tractable. In this way, the suboptimal attack signal sequence and switching sequence can be acquired. Finally, a simulation example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed attack strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanistic studies of the interaction of electromagnetic (EM) fields with biomaterials has motivated a growing need for accurate models to describe the EM behavior of biomaterials exposed to these fields. In this paper, biodegradable bone scaffolds were fabricated using Wangi rice starch and nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA). The effects of porosity and composition on the fabricated scaffold were discussed via electrical impedance spectroscopy analysis. The fabricated scaffold was subjected to an electromagnetic field within the X-band and Ku-band (microwave spectrum) during impedance/dielectric measurement. The impedance spectra were analyzed with lumped-element models. The impedance spectra of the scaffold can be embodied in equivalent circuit models composed of passive components of the circuit, i.e., resistors, inductors and capacitors. It represents the morphological, structural and chemical characteristics of the bone scaffold. The developed models describe the impedance characteristics of plant tissue. In this study, it was found that the ε′ and ε″ of scaffold composites exhibited up and down trends over frequencies for both X-band and Ku-band. The circuit models presented the lowest mean percentage errors of Z′ and Z″, i.e., 3.60% and 13.80%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper a new definition for the fuzzy inner product spaces of the type Kramosil-Michálek and the type George-Veeramani is presented. In the new setting a fuzzy inner product space can naturally become a fuzzy normed space, and a classical inner product space can be considered as a special case of fuzzy inner product spaces. Several examples are given to illustrate that, the new definition is a nontrivial generalization for classical inner product spaces, and so it has rich contents in fuzziness. By virtue of this definition, some elementary properties are described in terms of the families of semi-inner products and a fuzzy version of Pythagorean theorem is given. As applications, a fixed point theorem for nonlinear contractions is established and the existence of solution of global optimization problem is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We previously reported that antofloxacin-based bismuth quadruple therapy was safe and effective for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication. It is not clear whether the addition of Saccharomyces boulardii (S. boulardii) to antofloxacin-based quadruple therapy can improve the eradication rate of H. pylori and reduce adverse events. Objective: To investigate the effect of adding S. boulardii to antofloxacin-based quadruple therapy on the eradication rate of H. pylori and the adverse events. Design: Single-center, prospective randomized controlled study. Methods: A total of 172 patients with H. pylori infection were randomly assigned to the test and control groups. Patients in the control group (?? = 86) received antofloxacin-based bismuth quadruple therapy for 14 days. On this basis, cases in the test group (?? = 86) received S. boulardii 500 mg b.i.d. The eradication rate of H. pylori and adverse events were observed 4 weeks after the treatment. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the eradication rates of H. pylori and frequency of diarrhea between the test group and control group (?? > 0.05). The duration of diarrhea in the test group was significantly shorter than in the control group (?? < 0.001). In addition, the two groups exhibited similar adverse event rates for epigastric pain, abdominal distention, dizzy, vomiting, and rash (?? > 0.05). The severity of adverse reactions was similar between the two groups (?? > 0.05), and most of them had mild adverse events. Conclusion: Although the addition of S. boulardii to antofloxacin-based quadruple therapy could not improve the eradication rate of H. pylori, it could shorten the time of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and reduce the incidence of diarrhea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, fully mechanized cultivation (FMC) has begun to be utilized in commercial sugarcane production in China. To provide new insights into whether cane yield and health are altered by fully mechanized cultivations, the cane yield and endophytic microbial community structure in stems of sugarcane that underwent fully mechanized cultivation (FMC) and conventional artificial cultivation (CAC) were compared. The results showed that the diversity and richness of endophytic microorganisms, except for the bacterial richness in the stems of sugarcane, could be significantly increased by using FMC. Meanwhile, in comparison with CAC, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Ascomycota increased under FMC. Moreover, some dominant endophytic bacterial genera, such as Acidovorax, Microbacterium, and Paenibacillus, and some dominant endophytic fungal genera, such as Scleroramularia, Tetraplosphaeria, and Dinemasporium, were found to be significantly enriched in cane stems under FMC treatments. Additionally, the endophytic microbial functions in sugarcane stems were not significantly altered by FMC treatments. Our results suggest that cane growth, yield, and health are not significantly altered by FMC. The results also indicate that fully mechanized management can be developed as a sustainable method in sugarcane production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper a new definition for Menger probabilistic inner product spaces is presented. In the new setting a Menger probabilistic inner product space can naturally become a Menger probabilistic normed space, and a classical inner product space can be considered as a special case of Menger probabilistic inner product spaces. An example is given to illustrate that, the new definition is a nontrivial generalization for classical inner product spaces, and so it has rich contents in probability. By virtue of this definition, the topological structure is discussed and some elementary properties are described in terms of the families of semi-inner products. Also, some convergence theorems and probabilistic Pythagorean theorem are given. As applications, a new fixed point theorem for nonlinear contractions in Menger probabilistic inner product spaces is established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI), a rousing advancement disrupting a wide spectrum of applications with remarkable betterment, has continued to gain momentum over the past decades. Within breast imaging, AI, especially machine learning and deep learning, honed with unlimited cross-data/case referencing, has found great utility encompassing four facets: screening and detection, diagnosis, disease monitoring, and data management as a whole. Over the years, breast cancer has been the apex of the cancer cumulative risk ranking for women across the six continents, existing in variegated forms and offering a complicated context in medical decisions. Realizing the ever-increasing demand for quality healthcare, contemporary AI has been envisioned to make great strides in clinical data management and perception, with the capability to detect indeterminate significance, predict prognostication, and correlate available data into a meaningful clinical endpoint. Here, the authors captured the review works over the past decades, focusing on AI in breast imaging, and systematized the included works into one usable document, which is termed an umbrella review. The present study aims to provide a panoramic view of how AI is poised to enhance breast imaging procedures. Evidence-based scientometric analysis was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline, resulting in 71 included review works. This study aims to synthesize, collate, and correlate the included review works, thereby identifying the patterns, trends, quality, and types of the included works, captured by the structured search strategy. The present study is intended to serve as a "one-stop center" synthesis and provide a holistic bird's eye view to readers, ranging from newcomers to existing researchers and relevant stakeholders, on the topic of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel three-dimensional hollow mesoporous bioactive glass nanofiber scaffold has been synthesized with a template-assisted sol-gel method using bacterial cellulose (BC) as a template and nonionic triblock copolymer (P123) as a pore-directing agent, ethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), calcium nitrate tetrahydrate (CN), and triethyl phosphate (TEP) as glass precursors. Scanning and transmission electron microscopies, X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, and nuclear magnetic resonance method were applied to characterize the morphology, crystal structure, and chemical structure of the mesoporous bioactive glass nanofiber scaffold. Furthermore, the in vitro bioactivity and biocompatibility were also explored. The obtained scaffold depicted nanofiber-like morphology and interconnected three-dimensional network structure that replicated the BC template. The scaffold showed a large specific surface area (230.0 cm2 g−1) and pore volume (0.2 m3 g−1). More importantly, the scaffold exhibited excellent apatite-forming ability and cellular biocompatibility. We believe that the hollow mesoporous bioactive glass nanofiber scaffold has great potential application in bone tissue regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The connection between obesity, lipid accumulation, and lymph node metastasis (LNM) in gastric cancer (GC) is unclear. Methods: The association of body mass index (BMI) and serum lipid levels with LNM was measured by calculating the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) in 1,058 eligible GC patients with a mean age of 61.4 years. Meanwhile, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between lymph node metastasis-positive (N +) and -negative (N0) groups using public RNA-seq data. Neutral lipids in human GC samples were detected by Oil red O staining. The expression of cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36), fatty acid synthase (FASN), and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and quantitative real-time PCR. Results: Compared with normal-weight patients, overweight (OR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.26–3.23) and obese (OR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.15–2.91) patients showed increased ORs for LNM. However, no significant results were obtained for serum lipids in the multivariable-adjusted model (P > 0.05). Subgroup analysis suggested that increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was a risk factor in females (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.02–1.59). Functional enrichment analysis of DEGs revealed a connection between lipid metabolism and LNM. Meanwhile, lipid staining showed a mass of lipids in obese N + tumor samples, and IHC analysis indicated an increase in LPL and CD36 expression in N + cases, implying a crucial role for exogenous lipid supply in LNM. Conclusions: High BMI significantly increases the risk of LNM in GC and promotes lipid accumulation in GC cells in LNM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]