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We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of minimally invasive surgery and laparotomy on wound infection and postoperative and intraoperative complications in the management of cervical cancer. A systematic literature search up to July 2022 was performed and 10 231 subjects with cervical cancer at the baseline of the studies; 4307 of them were using the minimally invasive surgery, and 5924 were using laparotomy. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the effect of minimally invasive surgery and laparotomy on wound infection and postoperative and intraoperative complications in the management of cervical cancer using the dichotomous methods with a random or fixed-effect model. The minimally invasive surgery had significantly lower wound infection (OR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.13-0.30, P .001), and postoperative complications (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.37-0.64, P .001) in subjects with cervical cancer compared laparotomy. However, minimally invasive surgery compared with laparotomy in subjects with cervical cancer had no significant difference in intraoperative complications (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.80-1.36, P = 0.76). The minimally invasive surgery had significantly lower wound infection, and postoperative complications however, had no significant difference in intraoperative complications in subjects with cervical cancer compared with laparotomy. The analysis of outcomes should be with caution because of the low sample size of 22 out of 41 studies in the meta-analysis and a low number of studies in certain comparisons.

Pairing a single visual stimulus with multiple auditory stimuli will lead to the illusory perception of multiple visual stimuli, which is known as sound-induced flash illusion (SIFI). The present study adopted the classic SIFI paradigm to investigate whether value-associated tasks could affect the SIFI. By adjusting the sequence of reward and nonreward conditions, we also examined the effect of reward history on SIFI. The results showed that the fission illusion was reduced when associated with momentary reward, demonstrating significantly higher accuracy and discriminability than the nonreward condition. However, the fusion illusion was not affected by the momentary reward, and the explanation was that the fusion illusion was not as stable as the fission illusion and disappeared across different trials and conditions. Moreover, the robustness of reward history in the present study was not as strong as previous studies have suggested, indicating that the effect of sound on the perceptual representation of visual stimuli is strong and robust to reward history. These findings demonstrated that the reward could reduce the SIFI and broaden the existing dichotomy of SIFI. New evidence for the operation of value-driven attention mechanisms is also provided, suggesting that the underlying value-driven attention operates across multiple sensory systems.

To evaluate the associations between acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) hospitalizations and daily mean temperature (Tmean) as well as daily apparent temperature (AT), and to explore the practical values of these two indices in policymaking and patient education.Daily AECOPD hospitalizations and Meteorological data in Beijing were obtained between 2013 and 2016. Distributed lag non-linear model was adopted to investigate the association between daily ambient temperature and AECOPD hospitalizations. The cumulative effects of cold/hot temperature were abstracted. For the extreme and moderate low-temperature effect estimates, we, respectively, computed the RR of AECOPD hospitalizations at the 1st and 10th percentiles of temperature in comparison with that at the 25th percentile of temperature. For the extreme and moderate high temperature effect estimates, we, respectively, computed the RR of AECOPD hospitalizations at the 99th and 90th percentiles of temperature in comparison with that at the 75th percentile of temperature.During the study period, 143, 318 AECOPD hospitalizations were collected. A reverse J-shape relationship was found between temperature and AECOPD hospitalizations. When comparing the effect of Tmean, higher RRs were associated with increases in AT on AECOPD hospitalizations but a lower value of Akaike's Information Criterion for quasi-Poisson (Q-AIC). The RR of extremely low temperature of Tmean and AT were 1.55 (95% CI: 1.21,2.00) and 2.08 (95% CI: 1.44,3.01), respectively. Moderate low temperature also had an adverse impact on AECOPD hospitalizations. No associations were found between high temperature and AECOPD risk. We found the females and those aged65 years to be more susceptible to temperature change.Lower temperature is associated with a higher risk for AECOPD hospitalizations. Ambient temperature is probably a better predictor in terms of quantifying risk than mean temperature when studying temperature impact on health.

Targeted drug delivery and real-time detection both play an important role for studying the specificity of a single cancer cell and the development of anticancer drugs. However, a method that simultaneously enables safe and efficient targeted drug delivery and noninvasive, free-label cell detection is highly desirable but challenging. Here, we report an all-optical method that combines fiber optical tweezers with laser Raman microspectroscopy, which can achieve targeted drug delivery to a single cancer cell using optical manipulation in vitro quickly and accurately by a tapered fiber probe, and simultaneously record the corresponding active characteristics of the targeted cancer cell under the contact of delivered drug through a Raman spectrometer. Using the method, drug delivery and release can be flexibly controlled by turning on/off the trapping laser beam propagating in the fiber, which can avoid the complex systems and is highly autonomous and controllable. Moreover, the detection of cell activity does not require any dye calibration and processing, and it is noninvasive. In addition, for a single suspension cell, optical trapping of the cell using another fiber tip can overcome the low efficiency of targeted drug delivery and the poor stability of the Raman spectrum caused by Brownian motion of the cell. This all-optical method provides a promising approach to conduct pharmacologic studies with the reaction of cancer cell and drugs at the level of a single cell.

Alkali lignin is a component of the waste black liquor produced by the paper-making industry that is difficult to degrade. In recent years, the biological activities of lignin, such as free-radical scavenging and antioxidant capacity, have received increasing attention. Here, we prepared H3PW12O40/ZrO2 and used this catalyst together with the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM]Cl) as a double-effect catalyst for the degradation of alkali lignin. Single-factor and orthogonal tests showed that the best degradation conditions were as follows: reaction time, 2 h; reaction temperature, 100 °C; mass ratio of H3PW12O40/ZrO2 to lignin, 1:4; and substrate concentration, 2.5%. The phenolic hydroxyl group content of the lignin degradation product increased by 231.2% and the total hydroxyl group content increased by 337.1% when the double-effect catalyst was used rather than [BMIM]Cl alone. Analysis by gel permeation chromatography showed that both the weight-average molecular weight and the number-average molecular weight of the product were reduced and that the lignin was degraded into small-molecular-weight compounds by the macromolecule. The product after the catalytic degradation of lignin showed a markedly increased antioxidant capacity, which was similar to that of the commercial antioxidant, 2,6-ditert-butyl-4-methylphenol. The study opens up a new direction for the better utilization of lignin.

Background Studies on the associations between ambient temperature and asthma hospitalizations are limited, and the results are controversial. We aimed to assess the short-term effects of ambient temperature on the risk of asthma hospitalizations and quantify the hospitalization burdens of asthma attributable to non-optimal temperature in adults in Beijing, China. Methods We collected daily asthma hospitalizations, meteorological factors and air quality data in Beijing from 2012 to 2015. We applied a time-stratified case-crossover design and fitted a distributed lag non-linear model with a conditional quasi-Poisson regression to explore the association between ambient temperature and adult asthma hospitalizations. The effect modifications of these associations by gender and age were assessed by stratified analyses. We also computed the attributable fractions and numbers with 95% empirical confidence intervals (eCI) of asthma hospitalizations due to extreme and moderate temperatures. Results From 2012 to 2015, we identified a total of 18,500 hospitalizations for asthma among adult residents in Beijing, China. Compared with the optimal temperature (22 °C), the cumulative relative risk (CRR) over lag 0–30 days was 2.32 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.57–3.42 for extreme cold corresponding to the 2.5th percentile (− 6.5 °C) of temperature distribution and 2.04 (95% CI 1.52–2.74) for extreme heat corresponding to the 97.5th percentile (29 °C) of temperature distribution. 29.1% (95% eCI 17.5–38.0%) of adult asthma hospitalizations was attributable to non-optimum temperatures. Moderate cold temperatures yielded most of the burdens, with an attributable fraction of 20.3% (95% eCI 9.1–28.7%). The temperature-related risks of asthma hospitalizations were more prominent in females and younger people (19–64 years old). Conclusions There was a U-shaped association between ambient temperature and the risk of adult asthma hospitalizations in Beijing, China. Females and younger patients were more vulnerable to the effects of non-optimum temperatures. Most of the burden was attributable to moderate cold. Our findings may uncover the potential impact of climate changes on asthma exacerbations.

Animal pose estimation tools based on deep learning have greatly improved animal behaviour quantification. These tools perform pose estimation on individual video frames, but do not account for variability of animal body shape in their prediction and evaluation. Here, we introduce a novel multi-frame animal pose estimation framework, referred to as OptiFlex. This framework integrates a flexible base model (i.e., FlexibleBaseline), which accounts for variability in animal body shape, with an OpticalFlow model that incorporates temporal context from nearby video frames. Pose estimation can be optimised using multi-view information to leverage all four dimensions (3D space and time). We evaluate FlexibleBaseline using datasets of four different lab animal species (mouse, fruit fly, zebrafish, and monkey) and introduce an intuitive evaluation metric—adjusted percentage of correct key points (aPCK). Our analyses show that OptiFlex provides prediction accuracy that outperforms current deep learning based tools, highlighting its potential for studying a wide range of behaviours across different animal species.

We aimed to assess the effects of serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) and thoracic paravertebral nerve block (TPVB) on analgesia, immune function and serum tumor markers in patients after thoracoscopic radical resection of lung cancer. A total of 132 patients enrolled from February 2019 to November 2020 were prospectively selected and randomly divided into 3 groups (n=44). Control group received general anesthesia. After induction of general anesthesia, TPVB or SAPB group was given TPVB or SAPB. Their clinical data, operation conditions, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, immune function, serum tumor markers and adverse reactions were compared. TPVB and SAPB groups had lower dosage of sufentanil during operation, later time of first pressing patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCA) pump after operation and smaller number of pressing PCA pump within 48 h after operation than those of control group (P0.05). VAS scores at rest and coughing decreased 6 and 12 h after operation in TPVB and SAPB groups compared with that in control group (P0.05). Cluster of differentiation 3 (CD3)

ObjectivesOur work aimed at exploring the relationship between cold spells and acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) hospitalisations in Beijing, China, and assessing the moderating effects of the intensities and the durations of cold spells, as well as identifying the vulnerable.DesignA time-series study.SettingWe obtained time-series data of AECOPD hospitalisations, meteorological variables and air quality index in Beijing, China during 2012–2016.ParticipantsAll AECOPD hospitalisations among permanent residents in Beijing, China during the cold seasons (November–March) of 2012–2016 were included (n=84 571).Primary and secondary outcome measuresA quasi-Poisson regression with a distributed lag model was fitted to investigate the short-term effects of cold spells on AECOPD hospitalisations by comparing the counts of AECOPD admissions during cold spell days with those during non-cold spell days.ResultsCold spells under different definitions were associated with increased risk of AECOPD hospitalisations, with the maximum cumulative relative risk (CRR) over 3 weeks (lag0–21). The cumulative effects at lag0–21 increased with the intensities and the durations of cold spells. Under the optimal definition, the most significant single-day relative risk (RR) was found on the days of cold spells (lag0) with an RR of 1.042 (95% CI 1.013 to 1.072), and the CRR at lag0–21 was 1.394 (95% CI 1.193 to 1.630). The elderly (aged ≥65) were more vulnerable to the effects of cold spells on AECOPD hospitalisations.ConclusionCold spells are associated with increased AECOPD hospitalisations in Beijing, with the cumulative effects increased with intensities and durations. The elderly are at particular risk of AECOPD hospitalisations triggered by cold spells.

The fleet management of mobile working machines with the help of connectivity can increase not only safety but also productivity. However, rare mobile working machines have taken advantage of V2X. Moreover, no one published the simulation results that are suitable for evaluating the performance of the ad-hoc network at a working site on the highway where is congested, with low mobility, and without building. In this paper, we suggested that IEEE 802.11p should be implemented for fleet management, at least for the first version. Furthermore, we proposed an analytical model for machines to estimate the ad-hoc network performance, i.e., the delay and the packet loss probability in real-time based on the simulation results we made in $ns-3$ . The model of this paper can be further used for determining when shall ad-hoc or cellular network be used in the corresponding scenarios.

The high value utilization of lignin is attracting increased attention because of environmental problems and resource depletion. Although these are numerous reports describing the modification and degradation of enzymatic hydrolysis lignin (EHL), quantitative characterization is lacking. In this work, EHL was efficiently degraded using H3PW12O40/ZrO2 (HPW/ZrO2) as catalyst. Following degradation, the total hydroxyl group content and phenolic hydroxyl group content, measured by acid-base titration and ultraviolet spectrophotometry, were increased by 259% and 152%, respectively. Hansen solubility parameters were calculated using the specific retention time of probe solvents, measured by inverse gas chromatography (IGC), quantitatively characterizing changes in surface properties.

Degradation of alkali lignin (AL) is important for practical applications of this valuable natural resource. 12-Tungstophosphoric acid (TPA), supported on materials with a high surface area, has been shown to be an effective catalyst for the degradation of AL. This complex catalyst is, however, relatively unstable and there are a limited number of suitable supporting materials. To overcome these problems, we prepared ZrO2-supported TPA and demonstrated that this is an effective catalyst for the degradation of AL. Catalysts with different TPA loadings (10–40 wt%) were prepared using different calcinations temperatures (200–500 ℃). The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and surface area measurements. Catalyst loaded with 20% TPA and prepared at 200 ℃ demonstrated the highest catalytic efficiency when the catalyst-to-lignin ratio was 1:8. Under these conditions, total hydroxyl groups and phenolic hydroxyl groups increased by 203.9% and 148.4%, respectively. The catalyst could be reused at least three times, without significant loss of activity. This method thus represents a green and effective alternative for the degradation of AL into valuable small molecules.

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an important arrhythmia associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This study is focused on exploring the potential relationship between short-term air pollution exposure and occurrence of AF. Methods A case-crossover design was used to investigate the effect of pollutants on AF occurrence among 100 patients from 2013 to 2014. The air pollutants included ambient particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5 ), particulate matter less than 10 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO2 ), sulfur dioxide (SO2 ), carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O3 ). Participants with cardiac implantable electronic devices implanted were followed-up to December 31, 2014. Results A 10 μg/m3 increase of PM2.5 and PM10 was associated with 3.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.4-6.2) and 2.7% (95% CI: 0.6-4.8) increase in the risk of AF occurrence, respectively. No statistically significant association was noted with SO2 , NO2 , CO, and O3 . Conclusions Short-term exposure to particular matter, both PM2.5 and PM10 , is associated with an increased risk of AF. This further demonstrates the urgency for air quality monitoring and control in geographical area with intense pollution.

Hydrolysis properties of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) in different aqueous polar aprotic solvents with low severity sulfuric acid were compared. Comparing to other polar aprotic solvents, acetone had better performance in hydrolysis of MCC. The effects of reaction conditions on the degradation and saccharification of MCC were investigated. The results indicated some glucose was converted to fructose by isomerization during the degradation process, but fructose was more easily degraded to by-products in subcritical system, which resulted in the decline of saccharification yield. After MCC was treated with 80 wt% acetone solution with 0.1 wt% H2SO4, solid-liquid ratio of 1:10 (g/g) at 180 °C for 60 min, its weight loss rate and saccharification yield could achieve 58% and 71%, respectively The specific surface area of MCC increased in this process, although the crystallinity index of cellulose increased. Furthermore, 72.9% of levulinic acid and almost all of the HMF and furfural in the hydrolysate could be extracted by ethyl acetate. Remarkably, the recovered sugars could be used as the carbon source for succinic acid production.

Background: The study aimed to analyze the hospital charges of the inpatients with acute ischemic stroke in Beijing and determine the factors associated with hospital costs. Methods: Medical records of hospitalized patients with a primary diagnosis of ischemic stroke according to International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision codes were collected from 121 hospitals in Beijing from March 1, 2012, to February 28, 2015. Distribution characteristics of hospital charges for different hospital levels (level 2 hospitals and level 3 hospitals) and types (Western medicine hospitals and Chinese medicine hospitals) were studied. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the association among hospital costs and factors that influenced total hospital charges. Results: There were 158,781 admissions for ischemic stroke, 63.1% of the patients were male and their mean age was 67.7 ± 12.4 years, the median length of hospital stay (LOHS) was 13.5 days (interquartile range 9.9–18.1 days). The median hospital charge was 2,112 (1,436–3,147) US dollars. Of these, 46.7% were for medicine, 21.1% for laboratory and examination, and 16.3% for therapy. LOHS, hospital level, and pulmonary infection were key determinants of the hospital charges. Conclusions: The proportion of medicine fees for the ischemic stroke inpatients showed a downward trend during the period from 2012 to 2015, but medicine fees still accounted for the largest percentage of hospital charges in China. LOHS emerged to be the main determinant of the cost. Decreasing medicine fees and LOHS might be strategies to decrease hospital charges and reduce economic burden of stroke in China.

It is a challenging task to detect the weak character signal in the noisy background. The stochastic resonance (SR) method has been wildly adopted recently because it can not only reduce the noise, but also enhance the weak feature information simultaneously. However, the traditional bistable model for SR is not perfect. So, this paper presents a new model with periodic potential to induce the adaptive SR. In the new model, based on the adaptive SR theory, the system parameters are simultaneously optimized by the improved artificial fish swarm algorithm. Meanwhile, the improved signal-to-noise ratio (ISNR) is set as the evaluation index. When the ISNR reaches a maximum, the output is optimal. In order to eliminate interference to obtain more useful information, the signals are preprocessed by Hilbert transform and High-pass filter before being input to the adaptive SR system. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, both numerical simulation and the vibration signal of the rolling element bearing from the lab experimental are adopted. Both of the results indicate that the adaptive SR model proposed shows better performance in weak character signals detection than the traditional adaptive SR in the bistable model. Meanwhile, the experimental signals with different working conditions are also processed by the new method. The results show that the method proposed could be more widely applied.

We investigate a multi-frequency signal that cannot be decomposed by empirical mode decomposition directly. Moreover, this kind of signal in the noisy background cannot be decomposed successfully by the traditional stochastic resonance with bistable system yet. We propose a new method which using the empirical mode decomposition combined the adaptive stochastic resonance in a new periodical model to solve this problem. The results show that the proposed method decomposes the multi-frequency signal perfectly. Meanwhile, the general scale transformation and random particle swarm optimization algorithm are used to help obtain a better result in the process of optimization. Through using this new method, the simulation results are satisfactory. More importantly, this new method also shows good performance in the application of bearing fault diagnosis.

As one of the most abundant renewable resources, rice straw is an attractive lignocellulosic material for animal feeding or for the production of biochemical. An appropriate pre-treatment technique is essential for converting rice straw to rich fodder or biofuel. Based on previous work, Coprinopsis cinerea can grow on rice straw medium and therefore it is useful for the treatment of rice straw. However, little is known regarding its degradation systems and nutrition values. In this study, we firstly found that C. cinerea could grow rapidly on rice straw without any additives by the production of a series of enzymes (laccase, cellulase, and xylanase) and that the microstructure and contents of rice straw changed significantly after being treated by C. cinerea. We propose that a possible underlying mechanism exists in the degradation. Moreover, C. cinerea has a high nutrition value (23.5% crude protein and 22.2% total amino acids). Hence, fermented rice straw with mycelium could be a good animal feedstuff resource instead of expensive forage. The direct usage of C. cinerea treatment is expected to be a practical, cost-effective, and environmental-friendly approach for enhancing the nutritive value and digestibility of rice straw.

Yongqiao Zhang,1 Xiaole Liu,1 Dehui Kong,1 Jia Fu,1 Yanbo Liu,1 Yakun Zhao,1 Hui Lian,1 Xiaoyi Zhao,2 Jun Yang,3 Zhongjie Fan1 1Department of Cardiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 3Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Zhongjie FanDepartment of Cardiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 139 0119 9579Email Fan@pumch.cnPurpose: To evaluate the associations between acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) hospitalizations and daily mean temperature (Tmean) as well as daily apparent temperature (AT), and to explore the practical values of these two indices in policymaking and patient education.Methods: Daily AECOPD hospitalizations and Meteorological data in Beijing were obtained between 2013 and 2016. Distributed lag non-linear model was adopted to investigate the association between daily ambient temperature and AECOPD hospitalizations. The cumulative effects of cold/hot temperature were abstracted. For the extreme and moderate low-temperature effect estimates, we, respectively, computed the RR of AECOPD hospitalizations at the 1st and 10th percentiles of temperature in comparison with that at the 25th percentile of temperature. For the extreme and moderate high temperature effect estimates, we, respectively, computed the RR of AECOPD hospitalizations at the 99th and 90th percentiles of temperature in comparison with that at the 75th percentile of temperature.Results: During the study period, 143, 318 AECOPD hospitalizations were collected. A reverse J-shape relationship was found between temperature and AECOPD hospitalizations. When comparing the effect of Tmean, higher RRs were associated with increases in AT on AECOPD hospitalizations but a lower value of Akaike’s Information Criterion for quasi-Poisson (Q-AIC). The RR of extremely low temperature of Tmean and AT were 1.55 (95% CI: 1.21,2.00) and 2.08 (95% CI: 1.44,3.01), respectively. Moderate low temperature also had an adverse impact on AECOPD hospitalizations. No associations were found between high temperature and AECOPD risk. We found the females and those aged < 65 years to be more susceptible to temperature change.Conclusion: Lower temperature is associated with a higher risk for AECOPD hospitalizations. Ambient temperature is probably a better predictor in terms of quantifying risk than mean temperature when studying temperature impact on health.Keywords: ambient temperature, distributed lag non-linear model, hospitalization

Consisting of the actuator and coupling layer, a finite element model of the human middle ear was used to analyze the effect of the actuator and its coupling conditions on the performance of the eardrum-stimulated middle ear implants. This model which was based on the right ear of a healthy adult was built via microcomputed tomography imaging and the technique of reverse engineering. Based on this finite element model, the linear viscoelasticity of the human middle ear soft tissues and three-layer structure of the eardrum pars tensa which was orthotropic were considered. The validity of the model was verified by comparing the model calculated results with experimental data. After that, the influence of the three main design parameters of the actuator and two aspects of the coupling layer were investigated by the finite element model. The results show that (1) the manubrium tip is the optimal position for the actuator to stimulate; (2) the increased cross-section of the actuator would worsen its hearing compensation performance, especially in the low frequencies; (3) both the patients’ residual hearing and the actuator’s hearing compensation performance at high frequencies will be deteriorated with the increase in the actuator’s mass; and (4) a coupling layer with a small Young’s modulus and an area approximating 80% of the eardrum would reduce the stress of the eardrum effectively.