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ABSTRACT Purpose After successful endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke, there remains considerable controversy surrounding the efficacy of intensified blood pressure control therapy. Presently, numerous randomized controlled trials have yielded diverse findings. Thus, our objective is to consolidate all current randomized controlled trial data to evaluate whether intensified systolic blood pressure targets, in comparison to standard targets, offer superior safety and efficacy. Methods By searching the EMBASE, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases, we identified randomized controlled trials comparing standard blood pressure control to intensified blood pressure control in patients with acute ischemic stroke undergoing endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). Efficacy outcomes included favorable clinical outcomes (defined as a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0–2 at 90 days), excellence clinical outcomes (defined as an mRS score of 0–1 at 90 days), and 90‐day mortality. Safety outcomes included symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH). The relationship between standard and intensified blood pressure control post‐EVT and the prognosis of patients with acute ischemic stroke undergoing endovascular thrombectomy was expressed using risk ratios (RR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results The analysis encompassed four studies involving a total of 753 patients. After sensitivity analysis and exclusion of literature with significant heterogeneity, it was revealed that compared to intensified blood pressure control, standard blood pressure control was associated with excellent clinical outcomes RR of 0.81 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.73–0.90; p

Hybrid improper ferroelectricity has been extensively reported through theoretical prediction and experimental investigation in the oxides with Ruddlesden-Popper (R–P) structures. However, the experimentally reported ferroelectric materials based on triple-layer R–P structures are rare, and the weak ferroelectricity impedes its practical application. In the present work, the single-phase Li2Nd2Ti3O10 ceramics with A-site cation ordered triple-layer R–P structure was obtained by spark plasma sintering technique, and the crystal structure of P21ab symmetry was revealed by neutron powder diffraction and transmission electron microscope analysis. Furthermore, the switchable ferroelectricity in Li2Nd2Ti3O10 ceramics has been observed at room temperature, and the saturated polarization-electric field hysteresis loop was obtained with Pr = 0.4 μC/cm2 under the electric field of 250 kV/cm. The phase transition behavior of Li2Nd2Ti3O10 oxides was revealed by the temperature-dependence Raman and dielectric spectra combined with the piezoelectric property.

We propose a programmable topological metasurface to integrate intelligent modulations of spatial and surface waves. A general design method is presented to design the programmable metasurface elements with PIN diodes. The surface waves can be controlled to propagate along the topological domain-wall interface by programming the C3-symmetry elements, while the spatial waves are modulated by the patterns of C6-symmetry elements. By independently controlling the bias voltages of meta-elements, the programmable topological metasurface can generate different coding patterns with distinct combinations of C3- and C6-symmetries in real time, respectively achieving the dynamical manipulation of the surface- and spatial-wave by using distinct element states in a time-division manner. To validate the modulation performance, we perform both near- and far-field tests with different coding patterns. Experimental results demonstrate good agreement with numerical simulations, thereby showcasing the flexible manipulations of surface waves and spatial waves by the topological metasurface. The proposed metasurface opens up new possibilities for multifunctional metadevices, which hold great potentials for future wireless communications and smart sensing systems.

ObjectiveTo investigate the short-term clinical efficacy of robot-assisted retrograde drilling and arthroscopic microfracture for osteochondral lesions of the talus (OCLT).MethodsThis study was divided into two groups: experimental group: robot-assisted retrograde drilling group; control group: arthroscopic microfracture group. A total of 6 OCLT patients who were treated with robot navigation-assisted retrograde drilling and 10 OCLT patients who were treated with arthroscopic microfracture between October 2020 and October 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 11 males and five females, with a mean age of 36 years. The patients were followed up for 6–12 months to compare the changes in the OCLT lesion area by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), visual analogue scale/score (VAS) and American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society score (AOFAS) before and after surgery.ResultsAll 16 patients were followed up for an average of 8 months, and no complications such as joint infection, nerve injury, or active bleeding occurred during the follow-up period. Only one patient suffered discomfort involving transient postoperative pain in the operative area, but did not experience long-term numbness or chronic pain. Postoperative MRI revealed that none of the patients had severe signs of osteonecrosis, osteolysis or cystic changes of the talus, with lesion areas smaller than those before surgery. The difference was statistically significant (P

Abstract In order to ensure the high precision and good dynamic characteristics of the dual‐axis linear motor when machining components, the tracking error and contour error should be reduced with more complex machining trajectory. In this study, the characteristic model of position control of the linear motor is established by using the modelling principle of the characteristic model, and the intelligent adaptive controller is designed. In addition, a new calculation method of the equivalent contour error is proposed innovatively, and the dual axis is compensated by proportional feedback control, to improve the contour accuracy of the permanent magnet synchronous linear motor dual‐axis control system. Finally, through the simulation and experiment of the dual‐axis motor platform, the effectiveness of the proposed contour error calculation method and the intelligent adaptive controller can make the dual‐axis motion control system have higher accuracy and strong robustness and can also make the motor run more smoothly.

Vinegar is used as fermented condiment and functional food worldwide. Vinegar contains many nutrients and bioactive components, which exhibits health benefits. In this study, the potential effects of Shanxi aged vinegar (SAV) on gut microbiome and metabolome were explored in normal mice. The levels of inflammatory factors were significantly decreased in SAV-treated mice. Immunoglobulin, NK cells and CD20 expression were significantly increased after SAV administration. In addition, SAV intake altered gut microbiota structure by up-regulating Verrucomicrobia, Akkermansia, Hungatella and Alistipes, and down-regulating Firmicutes, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group and Oscillibacter. The differential metabolites were mainly included amino acids, carbohydrates and bile acids. Furthermore, after SAV intake, Verrucomicrobia, and Akkermansia closely impacted the related gut metabolites. These alterations of gut microbiota-related metabolism further modulated some immunoregulatory and inflammatory factors, and confer potential health benefits. Our results imply that vinegar consumption has beneficial effects on regulating gut microbiome and metabolome.

Abstract Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is an ignored global issue of public health. It is urgent for searching bioactive foods to prevent ALD. Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar (ZAV) contained antioxidant compounds, including polyphenols, flavonoids, and melanoidins. The mechanism of ZAV on preventing acute liver injury was evaluated in alcohol‐treated mice. Our results showed that ZAV ameliorated morphological damage by hematoxylin and eosin and Oil Red O staining in alcohol‐treated liver. ZAV relieved symptoms of ALD, which presented as decreased serum triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, alanine transaminase, and aspartate aminotransferase levels. In addition, ZAV treatment inhibited hepatic oxidative stress levels by downregulating reactive oxygen species generation, and the oxidative products (malonaldehyde, 4‐hydroxynonenal, and 8‐hydroxydeoxyguanosine), and upregulating catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and glutathione peroxidase. ZAV further reduced production of tumor necrosis factor‐α and monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1, and elevated levels of interleukin‐4 and transforming growth factor‐β indicating the inhibition of alcohol‐induced inflammation. Furthermore, ZAV treatment increased expression levels of autophagy‐associated proteins in ALD mice by western blot, which participated in anti‐ALD effect of ZAV. These findings demonstrate that ZAV could be an alternative for ALD intervention by regulating oxidative stress and autophagy.

The axial compression ratio is one of the important factors affecting the seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) walls. Thus, the axial compression ratio is critical in the seismic design of RC walls. In addition to the axial compression ratio, the other significant experimental parameter is the stirrup form of the boundary elements. To study the effect of the axial compression ratio and the stirrup form on the seismic behavior of ductile RC walls reinforced by prestressed concrete strands, four full-scale concrete walls were constructed and subjected to reversed cyclic lateral loading while experiencing constant axial compression, with axial load ratios set at 0.17 and 0.26. The considered stirrup forms of the boundary elements are circular and compound, respectively. All specimens exhibit significant drift-hardening capability with a small residual drift and a small crack width. The ultimate capacity, ductility, stiffness and attenuation process, hysteretic characteristics, energy dissipation capacity, residual deformation, and maximum and residual crack width of the shear walls are compared and analyzed. The experimental results and comparisons between the two groups of shear walls with different axial compression ratios and stirrup forms of concealed columns are presented. The characteristics of the envelope curve are also analyzed, and a simplified bilinear envelope curve model is proposed to better fit the test results.

TRU Tree Radar is a new tool for the non-destructive testing of trees. In this work, two-dimensional images of the internal defect cross-section of a tree were reconstructed to provide a theoretical basis for accurately judging the shape and position of the internal decay, rationally using wood, and improving the utilization rate of wood. Two-dimensional images of different height defect sequences of tree trunk obtained by TRU tree radar were preprocessed and interpolated. Finally, the three-dimensional reconstruction of internal defects of tree trunk was realized by the surface rendering method and volume rendering method under the Matlab environment. The surface rendering displayed the rough 3D model quickly and effectively. However, the important internal information was incomplete, and the reconstructed model was not intuitive. Volume rendering was used to process each voxel in the data set, so as to describe the physical reality of the internal defects of the tree relatively accurately. An algorithm was proposed to improve the visualization level of internal defects, which can enhance the understanding of the three-dimensional image.

Abstract Background Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is a genetic disorder most commonly secondary to a single mutation in the SERPINA1 gene (PI*Z) that causes misfolding and accumulation of alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) in hepatocytes and mononuclear phagocytes which reduces plasma AAT and creates a toxic gain of function. This toxic gain of function promotes a pro-inflammatory phenotype in macrophages that contributes to lung inflammation and early-onset COPD, especially in individuals who smoke cigarettes. The aim of this study is to determine the role of cigarette exposed AATD macrophages and bronchial epithelial cells in AATD-mediated lung inflammation. Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from AATD and healthy individuals were differentiated into alveolar-like macrophages and exposed to air or cigarette smoke while in culture. Macrophage endoplasmic reticulum stress was quantified and secreted cytokines were measured using qPCR and cytokine ELISAs. To determine whether there is “cross talk” between epithelial cells and macrophages, macrophages were exposed to extracellular vesicles released by airway epithelial cells exposed to cigarette smoke and their inflammatory response was determined. Results AATD macrophages spontaneously produce several-fold more pro-inflammatory cytokines as compared to normal macrophages. AATD macrophages have an enhanced inflammatory response when exposed to cigarette smoke-induced extracellular vesicles (EVs) released from airway epithelial cells. Cigarette smoke-induced EVs induce expression of GM-CSF and IL-8 in AATD macrophages but have no effect on normal macrophages. Release of AAT polymers, potent neutrophil chemo attractants, were also increased from AATD macrophages after exposure to cigarette smoke-induced EVs. Conclusions The expression of mutated AAT confers an inflammatory phenotype in AATD macrophages which disposes them to an exaggerated inflammatory response to cigarette smoke-induced EVs, and thus could contribute to progressive lung inflammation and damage in AATD individuals.

Full-space metasurfaces demonstrate powerful abilities in manipulating electromagnetic (EM) waves, but most of them are usually single band. Here, a multiband bidirectional digital coding metasurface is proposed for multiple tasks, which can achieve completely different functions in up to six frequency bands when the EM waves are incident from the front and back of the metasurface. As a proof-of-concept, we design and fabricate a dual-band full-space metasurface with integrated functions of reflection, transmission, holographic imaging, and vortex-beam forming, and a six-band full-space metasurface with completely independent holographic imaging functions at different frequency bands. Simulated and measured results are in good agreements with the theoretical predictions, verifying the good performance of the proposed multitask bidirectional digital coding metasurface.

Lycium barbarum, a homology of medicine and food, contains many active ingredients including polysaccharides, polyphenol, betaine, and carotenoids, which has health benefits and economic value. The bioactive components in Lycium barbarum exhibit the effects of antioxidation, immune regulation, hypoglycemic effects, and vision improvement. Recently, the development of nutrition and health products of Lycium barbarum has been paid more and more attention with the increase in health awareness. A variety of nutrients and bioactive components in wolfberry can be retained or increased using modern fermentation technology. Through fermentation, the products have better flavor and health function, which better meet the needs of market diversification. The main products related to wolfberry fermentation include wolfberry fruit wine, wolfberry fruit vinegar, and lactic acid fermented beverage. In this review, the mainly bioactive components of Lycium barbarum and its deep-processing products of fermentation were summarized and compared. It will provide reference for the research and development of fermented and healthy products of Lycium barbarum.

BiFeO3 has been recognized as one of the most important room-temperature single-phase multiferroic materials, but it still suffers from several drawbacks especially the weak magnetoelectric coupling. In the present work, the electric-field-controlled magnetism is achieved in Bi1-xGdxFeO3 system, which involves a field-induced transition of Pna21/R3c at the morphotropic phase boundary region, and the magnetic state is switched between cycloidal state and canted antiferromagnetic state. The electric-field-controlled magnetism becomes reversible with the help of annealing, which is confirmed by magnetic hysteresis loops and the quantitative ratio of the involved phases for the as-sintered, as-poled and as-annealed samples. Compared with the systems of Bi1-xNdxFeO3 and Bi1-xSmxFeO3, it is easier to tune the symmetry from R3c to Pna21 with lower rare earth-content, and the field-induced transition is more apparent and subsequently leads to more significant electric-field-controlled magnetism in a wider composition range.

Fiber-reinforced resin-based plastics are widely used in structural composites for aerospace and automotive applications, and they often face extreme load conditions in actual working environments. It is challenging to monitor the damage of the structure during the vibration process. This study was aimed at using buckypaper (BP) sensors to monitor the structural health status of composite structures under ambient vibrations. First, the feasibility of flexible printed circuit instead of wire is verified by the tensile experiment. Then the vibration monitoring experiment of the composite cantilever beam is carried out by using BP sensors systematically. The sweep frequency experiment determines the excitation frequency of the cantilever beam. Low-period vibration fatigue cycle and high-period vibration fatigue cycle experiments are designed to verify the vibration monitoring method using BP sensors. Besides, the signal response of BP sensors in the vibration experiment is analyzed, and the relationship between ΔR/R0 and vibration acceleration is obtained. Finally, through the change law of ΔR/R0 of the sensor, the cumulative damage caused by vibration fatigue is visualized. It is demonstrated that the monitoring method based on BP sensors can be applied to study the damage behavior of composite structure under the vibration environment. Abbreviations: FRP, fiber-reinforced resin-based plastics; SHM, structural health monitoring; SEM, scanning electron microscopic; FPC, flexible printed circuit; FBG, Fiber Bragg Grating; AE, acoustic emission.

Abstract Background Myopic eyes are longer than nonmyopic eyes and have thinner choroids. The purpose of present study was to investigate whether a thinner subfoveal choroid at 11 years of age predicted axial eye elongation and myopia during adolescence. Methods Longitudinal, population-based observational study. Axial length was measured using an interferometric device and choroidal thickness was measured by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Myopia was defined as non-cycloplegic subjective spherical equivalent refraction ≤ − 0.50 diopters. Results Right eyes of 714 children (317 boys) were examined at age (median (IQR)) 11.5 (0.6) years and 16.6 (0.3) years during which axial length (median (IQR)) increased by 243 (202) μm in eyes without myopia (n = 630) at baseline compared with 454 (549) μm in eyes with myopia (n = 84) at baseline, p

BackgroundSevere acute respiratory syndrome caused by a novel coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has infected more than 18 million people worldwide. The activation of endothelial cells is a hallmark of signs of SARS-CoV-2 infection that includes altered integrity of vessel barrier and endothelial inflammation.ObjectivesPulmonary endothelial activation is suggested to be related to the profound neutrophil elastase (NE) activity, which is necessary for sterilization of phagocytosed bacterial pathogens. However, unopposed activity of NE increases alveolocapillary permeability and extracellular matrix degradation. The uncontrolled protease activity of NE during the inflammatory phase of lung diseases might be due to the resistance of exosome associated NE to inhibition by alpha-1 antitrypsin.Method31 subjects with a diagnosis of SARS-CoV2 infection were recruited in the disease group and samples from 30 voluntaries matched for age and sex were also collected for control.ResultsWe measured the plasma levels of exosome-associated NE in SARS-CoV-2 patients which, were positively correlated with sign of endothelial damage in those patients as determined by plasma levels of LDH. Notably, we also found strong correlation with plasma levels of alpha-1 antitrypsin and exosome-associated NE in SARS-CoV-2 patients. Using macrovascular endothelial cells, we also observed that purified NE activity is inhibited by purified alpha-1 antitrypsin while, NE associated with exosomes are resistant to inhibition and show less sensitivity to alpha-1 antitrypsin inhibitory activity, in vitro.ConclusionsOur results point out the role of exosome-associated NE in exacerbation of endothelial injury in SARS-CoV-2 infection. We have demonstrated that exosome-associated NE could be served as a new potential therapeutic target of severe systemic manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.) is a nutritious and medicinal fruit, and deeply processed products of wolfberry needs to be improved. In this study, nutrition, bioactive compounds, and hepaprotective activity were explored in wolfberry vinegar (WFV). The contents of nutrients including total sugar and protein in WFV samples were 2.46 and 0.27 g/100 mL, respectively. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents in WFV were 2.42 mg GAE/mL and 1.67 mg RE/mL, respectively. p-Hydroxybenzoic acid and m-hydroxycinnamic acid were the main polyphenols in WFV. The antioxidant activity of WFV were 20.176 mM Trolox/L (ABTS), 8.614 mM Trolox/L (FRAP), and 26.736 mM Trolox/L (DPPH), respectively. In addition, WFV treatment effectively alleviated liver injury by improving histopathological changes and reducing liver biochemical indexes in CCl4-treated mice. WFV alleviated oxidative damage by inhibiting oxidative levels and increasing antioxidant levels. These results suggest that WFV can be utilized as a functional food to prevent oxidative liver injury.

Lamb wave tomography can be used to evaluate structural integrity. The time-of-flight (TOF) data are usually recorded as input to the reconstruction algorithm. For composite materials, TOF estimation is complicated due to their anisotropy. To reduce the effects of anisotropy on image reconstruction, the TOF data of flawed plates are revised according to baseline data obtained from an unflawed plate. Tomographic images are reconstructed using the original and revised TOF data, respectively. Results show that images reconstructed using the revised TOF data have better visual quality and that TOF data revision can substantially reduce the artifacts resulting from anisotropy in defect detection of composite materials.

The multilayer structure of surface acoustic wave sensor is an important development direction of surface acoustic wave devices in recent years. In this paper, the IDT/AlN/Mo/diamond structure of surface acoustic wave pressure sensing element is modeled and simulated. The influence of the thickness of AlN and IDT on pressure coefficient frequency and K2 were simulated and analyzed. The performance of surface acoustic wave pressure sensing element is compared when the metal layer is Mo, no metal layer and the metal layer is Pt. Finally, the relationship between frequency variation and pressure of the designed multilayer surface acoustic wave pressure sensing element is obtained. This research provides a good guidance for the design of surface acoustic wave pressure sensor.

Real-time, accurate and efficiency short term traffic flow prediction is one of the key technologies to realize traffic flow guidance and traffic control, which has been widely concerned in the domain of ITS (Intelligent Transport System) during recent years. Through the study of the existing traffic flow prediction model, road traffic flow control model with the slope of the change rate is proposed. The model can find out abnormal point from the traffic flow time series by the use of the slope change rate, and it can analyse this trend of traffic flow changes for control purposes of traffic flow. The achieved results indicate that the algorithm is suitable for road traffic flow peak control problem and could be effective for road traffic flow control.

Purpose: Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture (TDR) needs early diagnosis and operation. However, the early diagnosis is usually difficult, especially in the patients without diaphragmatic hernia. The objective of this study was to explore the early diagnosis and treatment of TDR. Methods: Data of 256 patients with TDR treated in our department between 1994 and 2013 were analyzed retrospectively regarding to the diagnostic methods, percentage of preoperative judgment, incidence of diaphragmatic hernia, surgical procedures and outcome, etc. Two groups were set up according to the mechanism of injury (blunt or penetrating). Results: Of 256 patients with a mean age of 32.4 years (9e84), 218 were male. The average ISS was 26.9 (13e66); and shock rate was 62.9%. There were 104 blunt injuries and 152 penetrating injuries. Preoperatively diagnostic rate was 90.4% in blunt injuries and 80.3% in penetrating, respectively, P < 0.05. The incidence of diaphragmatic hernia was 94.2% in blunt and 15.1% in penetrating respectively, P < 0.005. Thoracotomy was performed in 62 cases, laparotomy in 153, thoracotomy plus laparotomy in 29, and combined thoraco-laparotomy in 12. Overall mortality rate was 12.5% with the average ISS of 41.8; and it was 21.2% in blunt injuries and 6.6% in penetrating, respectively, P < 0.005. The main causes of death were hemorrhage and sepsis. Conclusions: Diagnosis of blunt TDR can be easily obtained by radiograph or helical CT scan signs of diaphragmatic hernia. For penetrating TDR without hernia, “offside sign” is helpful as initial assessment. CT scan with coronal/sagittal reconstruction is an accurate technique for diagnosis. All TDR require operation. Penetrating injury has a relatively better prognosis.

A clustering algorithm for urban taxi carpooling based on data field energy and point spacing is proposed to solve the clustering problem of taxi carpooling on urban roads. The data field energy function is used to calculate the field energy of each data point in the passenger taxi offpoint dataset. To realize the clustering of taxis, the central point, outlier, and data points of each cluster subset are discriminated according to the threshold value determined by the product of each data point field values and point spacing. The classical algorithm and proposed algorithm are compared and analyzed by using the compactness, separation, and Dunn validity index. The clustering results of the proposed algorithm are better than those of the classical clustering algorithm. In the case of cluster numbers 25, 249, 409, and 599, the algorithm has good clustering results for the taxi trajectory dataset with certain regularity in space distribution and irregular distribution in time distribution. This algorithm is suitable for the clustering of vehicles in urban traffic roads, which can provide new ideas and methods for the cluster study of urban traffic vehicles.