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The deep integration of higher education with digital technology represents an inevitable trend, and evaluating the interplay between higher education resources (HER) and digital infrastructure construction (DIC) holds significant value for advancing the development of digital higher education and mitigating regional disparities in China. This study establishes two comprehensive evaluation frameworks for HER and DIC. Panel data from 31 provinces, spanning the period from 2011 to 2020, are utilized for analysis. The coupling coordination degree (CCD) model is employed in this work to evaluate the synergy between HER and DIC in China. Furthermore, we analyze the regional differences, spatial distribution, and trend evolution of this synergy. The study results revealed that there is an initial decrease followed by an increase in the synergy between HER and DIC, and the overall CCD is at a moderate coordination, with the mean CCD of the eastern region being significantly higher than that of the other three regions, and the inter-regional difference is the main source of regional disparity in this synergy. The current state of synergistic development reveals a slight inclination towards multi-polarization, although the disparity in regional development was decreasing. Additionally, there is an observed convergence in the coordinated development of HER and DIC, with spatial factors playing a significant role. These findings offer empirical support for efforts to enhance the integration of HER and DIC, reduce regional disparities in higher education, and foster sustainable development in China's higher education sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Ultrasound-guided thoracic paravertebral block (UTPB) is widely used for postoperative analgesia in thoracic surgery. However, it has many disadvantages. Thoracoscopy-guided thoracic paravertebral block (TTPB) is a new technique for thoracic paravertebral block (TPB). In this study, we compared the use of TTPB and UTPB for pain management after thoracoscopic radical surgery for lung cancer. Methods: In total, 80 patients were randomly divided 1:1 into the UTPB group and the TTPB group. The surgical time of TPB, the success rate of the first puncture, block segment range, visual analog scale (VAS) scores at 2, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h post operation, and the incidence of postoperative adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. Results: The surgical time of TPB was significantly shorter in the TTPB group than in the UTPB group (2.2 ± 0.3 vs. 5.7 ± 1.7 min, t = − 12.411, P < 0.001). The success rate of the first puncture and the sensory block segment were significantly higher in the TTPB group than in the UTPB group (100% vs. 76.9%, χ2 = 8.309, P < 0.001; 6.5 ± 1.2 vs. 5.1 ± 1.3 levels, t = − 5.306, P < 0.001, respectively). The VAS scores were significantly higher during rest and coughing at 48 h post operation than at 2, 6, 12, and 24 h post operation in the TTPB group. The VAS scores were significantly lower during rest and coughing at 12 and 24 h post operation in the TTPB group than in the UTPB group (rest: 2.5 ± 0.4 vs. 3.4 ± 0.6, t = 7.325, P < 0.001; 2.5 ± 0.5 vs. 3.5 ± 0.6, t = 7.885, P < 0.001; coughing: 3.4 ± 0.6 vs. 4.2 ± 0.7, t = 5.057, P < 0.001; 3.4 ± 0.6 vs. 4.2 ± 0.8, t = 4.625, P < 0.001, respectively). No significant difference was observed in terms of postoperative adverse reactions between the two groups. Conclusions: Compared with UTPB, TTPB shows advantages, such as simpler and more convenient surgery, shorter surgical time, a higher success rate of the first puncture, wider block segments, and superior analgesic effect. TTPB can effectively reduce postoperative pain due to thoracoscopic lung cancer radical surgery. Trial Registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn, identifier ChiCTR2300072005, prospectively registered on 31/05/2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leveraging solar energy through photocatalytic hydrogen production from water stands out as one of the most promising approaches to address the energy and environmental challenges. The choice of catalyst profoundly influences the outcomes of photocatalytic reactions, and constructing heterojunctions has emerged as a widely applied strategy to overcome the limitations associated with single-phase photocatalysts. MoO3, renowned for its high chemical stability, encounters issues such as low photocatalytic efficiency and fast recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. To tackle these challenges, the morphology of MoO3 has been controlled to form nanorods, simultaneously suppressing the aggregation of the catalyst and increasing the number of surface-active sites. Moreover, to facilitate the separation of photogenerated charge carriers, Cd0.9Zn0.1S nanoparticles with a twin crystal structure are deposited on the surface of MoO3, establishing an S-scheme heterojunction. Experimental findings demonstrate that the synergistic effects arising from the well-defined morphology and interface interactions extend the absorption range to visible light response, improve charge transfer activity, and prolong the lifetime of charge carriers. Consequently, Cd0.9Zn0.1S/MoO3 S-scheme heterojunctions exhibit outstanding photocatalytic hydrogen production performance (3909.79 μmol g−1 h−1) under visible light irradiation, surpassing that of MoO3 by nearly nine fold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self‐powered photodetectors with dual‐polarity response have great advantages in processing complex light information that is proven to be applied in switchable light imaging, optical communication, and spectral band distinction. Here, a novel strategy for designing self‐powered photodetectors by introducing the double symmetric Schottky junctions at the semiconductor‐metal interfaces is proposed, which guarantees the linear response characteristic and dominates the transfer of photogenerated carriers without external bias. Narrow bandgap semiconductor SnTe is employed as the photosensitive material. The bandgap is characterized to be 126 meV, showing great potential for wide spectrum response. As the consequence of selective excitation of unilateral Schottky junction and switching of electric field polarity, the device obtains a dual‐polarity photoresponse, which can be tuned from −14.8 to 13.5 µV. Moreover, an ultra‐broadband photoresponse from near‐infrared 808 nm to far infrared 10.6 µm is achieved with deep exploration of the working mechanism. The synergistic effect of photo thermoelectricity and photoconductivity created a high photoresponsivity of 0.35 mV W−1 excited by 10.6 µm at room temperature. This work provides a novel design strategy for self‐powered photodetectors with a dual‐polarity powered principle, which can take full advantage of the directivity of the photoresponse to identify optical information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dysregulation of immune surveillance is tightly linked to the development of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH)-driven hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, we aimed to determine the role of interleukin-21 receptor (IL-21R) in MASH-driven HCC. Methods: The clinical significance of IL-21R was assessed in human HCC specimens using immunohistochemistry staining. Furthermore, the expression of IL-21R in mice was assessed in the STAM model. Thereafter, two different MASH-driven HCC mouse models were applied between IL-21R-deficient mice and wild type controls to explore the role of IL-21R in MASH-driven HCC. To further elucidate the potential mechanisms by which IL-21R affected MASH-driven HCC, whole transcriptome sequencing, flow cytometry and adoptive lymphocyte transfer were performed. Finally, flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunofluorescent staining, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay and western blotting were conducted to explore the mechanism by which IL-21R induced IgA+ B cells. Results: HCC patients with high IL-21R expression exhibited poor relapse-free survival, advanced TNM stage and severe steatosis. Additionally, IL-21R was demonstrated to be upregulated in mouse liver tumors. Particularly, ablation of IL-21R impeded MASH-driven hepatocarcinogenesis with dramatically reduction of lipid accumulation. Moreover, cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocyte activation was enhanced in the absence of IL-21R due to the reduction of immunosuppressive IgA+ B cells. Mechanistically, the IL-21R-STAT1-c-Jun/c-Fos regulatory axis was activated in MASH-driven HCC and thus promoted the transcription of Igha, resulting in the induction of IgA+ B cells. Conclusions: IL-21R plays a cancer-promoting role by inducing IgA+ B cells in MASH-driven hepatocarcinogenesis. Targeting IL-21R signaling represents a potential therapeutic strategy for cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcription of the covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is subject to dual regulation by host factors and viral proteins. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can regulate the expression of target genes at the post-transcriptional level. Systematic investigation of miRNA expression in HBV infection and the interaction between HBV and miRNAs may deepen our understanding of the transcription mechanisms of HBV cccDNA, thereby providing opportunities for intervention. miRNA sequencing and real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) were used to analyze miRNA expression after HBV infection of cultured cells. Clinical samples were analyzed for miRNAs and HBV transcription-related indicators, using qRT-PCR, enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), and Western blot. miRNA mimics or inhibitors were used to study their effects on the HBV life cycle. The target genes of miR-3188 and their roles in HBV cccDNA transcription were also identified. The expression of 10 miRNAs, including miR-3188, which was significantly decreased after HBV infection, was measured in clinical samples from patients with chronic HBV infection. Overexpression of miR-3188 inhibited HBV transcription, whereas inhibition of miR-3188 expression promoted HBV transcription. Further investigation confirmed that miR-3188 inhibited HBV transcription by targeting Bcl-2. miR-3188 is a key miRNA that regulates HBV transcription by targeting the host protein Bcl-2. This observation provides insights into the regulation of cccDNA transcription and suggests new targets for anti-HBV treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Decreased ovarian reserve function is mainly characterized by female endocrine disorders and fertility decline. Follicular fluid (FF) exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to regulate the function of granulosa cells (GCs). The present study explored differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) in patients with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). Methods: FF was collected from 12 DOR patients and 12 healthy controls. DEmiRNAs between the two groups were identified and analyzed using high-throughput sequencing technology and validated by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Results: A total of 592 DEmiRNAs were identified using high-throughput miRNA sequencing, of which 213 were significantly upregulated and 379 were significantly downregulated. The sequencing results were further validated by RT-qPCR. These DEmiRNA target genes were mainly involved in the cancer pathway, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway, regulation of actin cytoskeleton signaling pathway, and biological processes related to protein binding, nucleoplasm, cytoplasm, and cell membrane. Conclusion: FF exosomal miRNAs are significantly differentially expressed in DOR patients versus non-DOR patients, underscoring their crucial role in regulating the pathogenesis of DOR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of the automobile market is a macro-expression of the behavior of automakers' production decisions. This study examines the competitive environment between new energy vehicles (NEVs) and conventional fuel vehicles (CFVs) and develops a game-theoretical model incorporating consumer utility, automaker profit, and the competitive density of NEVs and CFVs. It aims to assess how consumers' preferences for vehicle range and smart features influence automakers' strategic decisions and the broader market evolution under the Dual Credit Policy. The findings indicate: (1) A low NEV credit price facilitates NEV market size growth, but this growth rate diminishes beyond a certain price threshold; (2) The lower the consumer's range preference, the higher NEV credit price can accelerate the development of new energy vehicles to their saturation value. However, when consumers in the market prioritize smart features, increasing the NEV credit price does not significantly influence the growth of NEV market size. (3) Higher consumer preferences for both range and smart features, combined with increased NEV credit prices, can synergistically accelerate the speed of the NEV market to reach the saturation value and also raise the saturation value of the scale of NEVs. And higher consumer range preference combined with increased NEV credit prices has a more significant effect on the promotion of NEV market size than the combined effect of higher consumer smart preference and increased NEV credit prices. The actual data of China's automobile market is used in the simulation of this model. The model and its simulation results effectively explain and reveal the evolutionary impacts of consumers' range and smart feature preference on the promotion of China's NEVs under the Dual Credit Policy to provide effective technological and theoretical support for the promotion of the sustainable development of China's NEV industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, with the continuous improvement of motor power density, oil cooling technology has been widely used in permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) for electric vehicles (EVs) as an efficient cooling method. A PMSM with a rated capacity of 53kW for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) is designed, and the motor is cooled by the oil injection pipe. In order to improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the end winding, the number of injection pipes and the structure of the nozzle are optimised, and a novel nozzle structure is proposed. By using the moving particle solution (MPS) method to simulate the fluid flow, the optimal cooling structure of the motor is determined. In addition, different from the equivalent winding model in the traditional temperature field simulation, a hairpin winding model that can more realistically reflect the geometry of the end winding is established. On this basis, the temperature field of the motor is simulated. It is verified that the cooling structure designed can effectively improve the thermal performance of the end winding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a microscopic constitutive model is established that includes friction, plastic, and spring elements and has clear physical meaning. The friction unit reflects the mutual friction between crack surfaces, the plastic unit reflects the development of concrete plasticity, and the fracture of the spring unit reflects the formation and expansion of interior cracks in concrete. In addition, the integration of the random field theory into this model uncovers the physical underpinnings of the relationship between concrete's nonlinearity and randomness. The multi-scale modeling of the concrete static damage constitutive model is then realized once the parameters of the random field are discovered using the macro test results. In order to apply the model's applicability in finite element programs, a subroutine was ultimately constructed. The experimental data and the anticipated values from the numerical simulation are in good agreement, supporting the model's realism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in women. Correct differentiation between benign and malignant ovarian tumors is of immense importance in medical fields. In this paper, we introduce group penalized logistic regressions to enhance diagnosis accuracy. Firstly, we divide 349 ovarian cancer patients into two sets: one for learning model parameters, and the other for assessing prediction performance, and select 46 variables from 49 traits as the predictor vector to construct GLASSO/GSCAD/GMCP penalized logistic regressions with 11 groups. Secondly, we develop group coordinate descent (GCD) algorithm and its specific pseudo code to simultaneously complete group selection and group estimation, introduce the tenfold cross validation (CV) procedure to select the relatively optimal tuning parameter, and apply the testing set and Youden index to obtain class probability estimator and class index information. Finally, we compute the accuracy, precision, specificity, sensitivity, F1-score and the area under ROC curve (AUC) to assess the prediction performance to the proposed group penalized methods, and found that GLASSO/GSCAD/GMCP penalized logistic regressions outperform three machine learning methods (ANN, artificial neural network; SVM, support vector machine; XGBoost, eXtreme gradient boosting) and three deep learning methods (CNN, convolutional neural network; DNN, deep neural network; RNN, recurrent neural network) in terms of accuracy, F1-score and AUC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malt produced from barley contaminated with Fusarium graminearum can cause premature yeast flocculation (PYF) in beer fermentation, which ultimately affects the production efficiency and flavor quality of beer. In this study, a strain of Bacillus velezensis B‐3 that was isolated from soil displayed strong antifungal activity against F. graminearum. The antifungal substances were extracted and separated by ammonium sulfate fractional precipitation and semipreparative high‐performance liquid chromatography to obtain fraction VI with the strongest antifungal activity. Ultra‐performance liquid chromatography‐quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight‐mass spectrometry was used to identify that the fraction contained lipopeptides such as iturin A, surfactant B, and surfactant C. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the fraction was 0.2 mg/mL, and confocal laser scanning microscopy showed that the morphology of F. graminearum hyphae was obviously abnormal, with most of them were dead. Antifungal fraction VI could inhibit the growth of F. graminearum and avoid the production of PYF factor during malting but did not affect other qualities of malt. Therefore, the development of antimicrobial agents against Fusarium provides an effective potential strategy to control the production of PYF factors for malt‐manufacturing enterprises. Practical Application: Antifungal fraction VI could inhibit the growth of F. graminearum and the formation of DON during malting but did not affect other qualities of malt. The levels of soluble nitrogen, free amino nitrogen, and color experienced a substantial reduction compared to the malt infected by F. graminearum. The PYF phenomenon was significantly improved, the number of suspended yeast cells and the degree of fermentation were increased, and the level of residual extract in the wort was low, close to that of control malt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a low-cost, low toxicity and metal-free catalyst with strong light absorption, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4)-based materials have gained wide attention for efficient H2O2 photocatalysis. However, further investigation regarding the charge transfer process and reaction mechanism of H2O2 photoproduction remains to be completed. In this work, bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-7-ene-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA) modified g-C3N4 is synthesized through a facile one-step dehydration process, and the H2O2 photoproduction could reach 22.5 μmol within 8 hours. The proposed structure of g-BTDA is confirmed by FTIR, XPS and SEM studies. The transient absorption reveals a 20.88 ps charge transfer process caused by the electron withdrawing ability of the C＝O group, and a 2-electron oxygen reduction pathway is proposed. Our work represents a new strategy for efficient H2O2 photoproduction using easily acquired materials with future application potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rhino‐orbito‐cerebral mucormycosis (ROCM) is an opportunistic pathogenic fungal disease caused by the fungus mucor, and it is a life‐threatening fungal infection. The ulceration on the skin of the head and neck, accompanied by rhinitis, headache, orbital inflammation, and eyelid edema, should raise a high suspicion of Mucor infection in diabetic patients with inadequately controlled blood glucose. Case Description: The clinical data of a patient with ROCM were analyzed retrospectively, and the clinical features were analyzed. The patient was admitted to the hospital with "diabetic hyperosmotic coma" after presenting with fatigue, poor appetite, and disturbances in consciousness as initial symptoms. After improving relevant examinations, controlling underlying diseases, and administering antifungal treatment, the final clinical outcome was death. Conclusion: ROCM is more prevalent in patients with uncontrolled diabetes and varied clinical manifestations. The characteristic feature is an eschar‐like necrosis of the local skin or mucosa. The gold criteria for diagnosis are pathology and fungal culture; imaging examination does not reveal any specific manifestations. Early diagnosis and effective treatment are the keys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the actual production process, time-varying and nonlinear problems are numerous important problems to be considered, in view of these problems, a process monitoring approach based on locally weighted probabilistic kernel principal component analysis (LWPKPCA) is proposed. First, the method selects the normal process data with a high similarity to the test samples as training data of the local model, and continuously updates the local model according to the test samples to build an accurate time-varying model. Second, by weighting the data of different importance, the role of data similar to test samples in the modeling process is strengthened. Third, the LWPKPCA model is applied to process monitoring, the monitoring indicators are established in a high-dimensional space and used to detect faults. Finally, on the basis of LWPKPCA, the penicillin fermentation process (PFP) is taken to evaluate the monitoring performance of the proposed methods. According to the comparison of the experiment results, the detection rate and accuracy rate of the LWPKPCA method is considerably better than those of probabilistic principal component analysis and probabilistic kernel principal component analysis methods. The results demonstrate that the proposed method is suitable for processing time-varying data with nonlinear characteristics, and the LWPKPCA process monitoring method is effective for improving the performance of fault detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a novel method for fastly obtaining orthotropic material parameters in permanent magnet synchronous motor. First, a theoretical model of the equivalent single cylindrical shell is introduced with three orthotropic material parameters by considering the orthotropic characteristics of the motor. Then, the relationship of three orthotropic material parameters and the axial mode order m, the radial mode order n and modal frequency f is established. On this basis, an analytical method with m = 0 is proposed to acquire three values, and its adaptability is pointed out. Meanwhile, based on the above obtained orthotropic material parameters, the calculation method of modal frequencies is presented. Finally, the modal test and finite‐element method are implemented to verify the rationality of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microbial metabolic activity during malting is an important factor affecting malt quality besides barley varieties. Elucidating the effect and action mechanism of dominant microbial on malt quality will provide a new strategy for the precise control of malt quality. Pantoea spp. was identified as the dominant bacteria of barley by the aid of high-throughput sequencing technique. Moreover, the dilution plating results showed that P. agglomerans was the dominant bacteria in quantity. During malting, the number of P. agglomerans did not change significantly after steeping, but increased exponentially during germination. The quality of malt, especially the filtration rate, is affected by the inoculation of P. agglomerans in the malting process. The exopolysaccharides of P. agglomerans was the main factor leading to the decrease of wort filtration speed. When the exopolysaccharides of P. agglomerans in the wort reached at 12.5 μg/mL, the filtration speed decreased by 50%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The optimal treatment for cerebral infarction caused by posterior circulation occlusion of large vessels has not yet been determined. Intravascular interventional therapy is an important treatment for cerebral infarction with posterior circulation occlusion of large vessels. However, endovascular therapy (EVT) of some posterior circulation cerebrovascular is ineffective and eventually become futile recanalization. Therefore, we performed a retrospective study to explore the factors influencing futile recanalization after EVT in patients with posterior circulation large-vessel occlusion. Methods: Eighty-six patients with acute cerebral infarction and posterior circulation large vessel occlusion after intravascular intervention were divided into two groups according to their modified Rankin scale (mRS) scores after 3 months: group 1, mRS scores less than or equal to 3 (the effective recanalization group); group 2, mRS scores greater than 3 (the ineffective recanalization group). The basic clinical data, imaging index scores, time from onset to recanalization, and operation time between the two groups were compared and analyzed. Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors influencing indicators of good prognosis, and the ROC curve and Youden index were used to determine the best cutoff value. Results: Between the two groups, there were significant differences in the posterior circulation CT angiography (pc-CTA) scores, GCS scores, pontine midbrain index scores, time from discovery to recanalization, operation time, NIHSS score and incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding. The logistic regression revealed that the NIHSS score and time from discovery to recanalization were associated with good prognoses. Conclusion: NIHSS score and recanalization time were independent influencing factors of ineffective recanalization of cerebral infarctions caused by posterior circulation occlusion. EVT is relatively effective for cerebral infarction caused by posterior circulation occlusion when the NIHSS score is less than or equal to 16 and the time from onset to recanalization is less than or equal to 570 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a debilitating nosocomial disease. Postmenopausal women may have an increased risk of CDI, suggesting estrogen influence. Soybean products contain a representative estrogenic isoflavone, genistein. Methods The anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects of genistein were determined using primary human cells and fresh colonic tissues. The effects of oral genistein therapy among mice and hamsters were evaluated. Results Within 10 days of CDI, female c57BL/6J mice in a standard environment (regular diet) had a 50% survival rate, while those with estrogen depletion and in an isoflavone-free environment (soy-free diet) had a 25% survival rate. Oral genistein improved their 10-day survival rate to 100% on a regular diet and 75% in an isoflavone-free environment. Genistein reduced macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α) secretion in fresh human colonic tissues exposed to toxins. Genistein inhibited MIP-1α secretion in primary human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, abolished apoptosis and BCL-2–associated X (BAX) expression in human colonic epithelial cells, and activated lysine-deficient protein kinase 1 (WNK1) phosphorylation in both cell types. The anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects of genistein were abolished by inhibiting estrogen receptors and WNK1. Conclusions Genistein reduces CDI disease activity by inhibiting proinflammatory cytokine expression and apoptosis via the estrogen receptor/G-protein estrogen receptor/WNK1 pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the large-scale and high-dimensional problems of industrial data and fault-tracing problems, a fault detection and diagnosis method based on multi-block probabilistic kernel partial least squares (MBPKPLS) is proposed. First, the process variables are divided into several blocks in a decentralized manner to address the large-scale and high-dimensional problems. The probabilistic characteristics and relationship between the corresponding process variables and the quality variables of each block are analyzed using latent variables, and the PKPLS model of each block is established separately. Second, the MBPKPLS model is applied to process monitoring, statistics of each block are established in a high-dimensional space, and the monitoring indicators in each block are used to detect faults. Third, based on fault detection, the multi-block concept is further used to locate the cause of fault, thereby solving the problem of fault tracing. Finally, a numerical example and the penicillin fermentation process (PFP) are used to test the effectiveness of the MBPKPLS method. The results demonstrate that the proposed method is suitable for processing large-scale, high-dimensional data with strong nonlinear characteristics, and the MBPKPLS process monitoring method is effective for improving the performance of fault detection and diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To study the associations between baseline blood glucose levels (BGL), glycemic variability and clinical outcomes in patients with severe acute kidney injury (AKI) receiving continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of the Randomized Evaluation of Normal versus Augmented Level of RRT (RENAL) study. A multivariate Cox regression model was used to assess the association between baseline BGL, glycemic variability and clinical outcomes. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality, and secondary outcomes were duration of hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) stay. Results: Baseline BGL data were available in 1404 out of 1508 patients from the RENAL study. Among them, 627 patients died within 90 days of randomization. Compared to patients in the second quartile (BGL 5.8–7.2 mmol/L), patients in the first quartile (BGL < 5.8 mmol/L) had increased mortality rate (90-day HR 1.48; p = 0.001; 28-day HR 1.47; p = 0.042). However, there were no significant differences in ICU and hospital length of stay (LOS) (p = 0.82 and p = 0.33, respectively). Glycemic variability data were from 1345 out of 1404 patients who had data for BG values within 28 days. Higher coefficient of variation (CV) (HR 1.02; P trend = 0.002) and standard deviation value (SD) (HR 1.29; P trend = 0.027) were associated with higher risk of death at day 90. Conclusions: We identified a low BGL within the normal physiological range at baseline and greater CV and SD values as significant modifiable risk factors for mortality in severe AKI patients in ICU, which may be a target for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The thermosensitive and light-sensitive neuron models are obtained. • The mechanism of growth of synaptic connection is clarified. • Energy diversity controls the synapse connection between neurons. • Neurons from different regions of brain are connected for energy balance. A reliable functional neural circuit can estimate the information encoding and signal exchange between neurons, and thus the recognition of electric activities in biological issues can be considered with problems on functional networks connected by neural circuits because more biophysical factors can be taken into account. Neurons communicate with each other via synaptic connections, besides the electric synapse connection via resistor coupling, inductor is effective to perform function as chemical synapses by activating similar inductive field coupling. In this paper, two kinds of neural circuits (light-sensitive and thermosensitive circuits) are connected by an induction coil, and external stimuli are applied to detect the adaptive synchronization approach when the coupling intensity is controlled by energy diversity between neurons. The two neurons hold different intrinsic energy values and then the synaptic connection is created for fast energy exchange along the coupling channel with increasing coupling intensity adaptively. When the energy of two neural circuits/neurons reaches perfect balance, the coupling intensity terminates its further increase and maintains a constant value. In case of phase synchronization/lock between neurons, desynchronization occurs accompanied by continuous energy pumping along the coupling channel without energy balance. Indeed, external energy injection can enhance the field coupling between neurons for decreasing the energy diversity. The involvement of memristive function as induction current for discerning electromagnetic induction in one neuron can increase the energy diversity between neurons, and then bursting synchronization can be suppressed. For the same and identical neural circuits, adaptive growth of synaptic connection can realize perfect energy balance and complete synchronization. For different neural circuits, synchronization is corrupted even the field coupling is further enhanced in the intensity. As a result changeable energy diversity is helpful to induce desynchronization and potential neural disorders and diseases can be blocked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relationship between remnant cholesterol (RC) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk has been given increasing attention in recent years. However, its association with verbal learning and memory performance has not been reported. Methods: Data were extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2014 database. Participants aged ≥60 years with available fasting lipid data were included. Verbal learning and memory performance were evaluated using the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Word List Memory Task (CERAD-WL) subtest. The CERAD total score was calculated as the mean of three immediate recalls and a delayed recall. RC was calculated as total cholesterol (TC) minus the sum of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Multivariate ordinal logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association between RC, as well as its derived marker, the TC/RC ratio, and age-stratified quartiles of the CERAD total score. Results: A total of 1377 participants were analysed. On a continuous scale, per 1 mmol/L increase in RC and per 1 unit increase in the TC/RC ratio were associated with multivariable adjusted odds ratios (95% CI) of 0.74 (0.58–0.94) and 1.45 (1.13–1.87), respectively, for having a CERAD total score in a higher quartile. On a categorical scale, higher RC quartiles were associated with a CERAD total score in a lower quartile; in contrast, the higher TC/RC quartile was associated with a CERAD total score in a higher quartile (all P for trend < 0.05). Conclusions: The current study suggests that lower RC levels and a higher TC/RC ratio are associated with better verbal learning and memory function, which indicates that lowering RC levels could be beneficial for preventing cognitive impairment in elderly individuals. Further research is needed to validate the causal roles of RC and the TC/RC ratio in cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding long-term vegetation diversity patterns and their potential responses to climate and/or human driven processes are important for ecosystem modeling and conservation. Late-Holocene fossil pollen assemblage and associated vegetation diversity estimates provide an opportunity to explore the interactions among vegetation, climate, and human activities. A continuous 2000-year palynological record was obtained from the Beihai Wetland, southwestern China, to represent regional vegetation history, particularly the vegetation diversity changes. The results indicate that regional vegetation was dominated by deciduous broadleaved forest components (e.g. Alnus, deciduous Quercus), which showed a gradual decrease accompanied by expansion of herbaceous taxa (mainly Poaceae) after AD 800. Such progressive decline of forest was attributed to regional deforestation driven by intensified human activities, which was further confirmed by the increasing non-pollen polymorph abundance, particularly an abrupt rise after AD 1350. Vegetation diversity based on the Hill numbers (N 0, N 1, and N 2) showed a dramatic decline between ca. AD 200–400, which was triggered by regional fire events as shown by increased charcoal abundance from a nearby lake. The vegetation diversity reduced gradually after AD 800, especially the vegetation richness reflected by N 0, revealing the transitional process from climate-driven to human-dominated vegetation changes. Minor increases of vegetation diversity occurred during Chinese dynastical transitions, probably due to reduced human activities following war-induced population crises. On the multidecadal scale, variations in vegetation diversity correlated significantly with climate fluctuations (revealed by synthesized temperature of China and stable oxygen isotope record from Dongge Cave) before AD 800, indicating a climate dominant condition. Then, the correlation between vegetation diversity and climate declined after AD 800, representing a progressive transition to human-dominant condition. In addition, the compositional turnover based on DCCA of the fossil pollen assemblage revealed a stepwise decrease, indicating reduced vegetation turnovers under anthropogenic influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu foils play an important role in preparing high quality of graphene films by chemical vapor deposition. For the commonly used commercial Cu foil, the nucleation density of graphene is high due to the associated defects in the manufacturing process of Cu foil. In this work, different substrates containing polished aluminum plate, polished stainless steel plate, glass ceramics, and SiO2/Si were selected as substrates to prepare distinct Cu foils with different roughness by thermal evaporation method. Then the growth conditions of high flatness graphene films and the effect of Cu foils on graphene films were discussed in detail. The results show that Cu foils are predominantly (111) orientation, and keep the surface with nanometer-level flatness after separation from substrates. After the growth of graphene, the nucleation density of Cu foil peeled from SiO2/Si is the lowest among these four kinds of substrates. At the same time, its crystal structure has almost no change and has good crystallinity. There are nearly no Cu grain boundary defects on the surface of the Cu foil peeled from SiO2/Si. When the pressure is 3 000 Pa and the flow rates of hydrogen and methane are 300 mL/ min and 0.5 mL/ min, respectively, a graphene single crystal domain with a lateral dimension of about 1 mm can be obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premature yeast flocculation (PYF) is a sporadic problem in brewery fermentations that results in the incomplete utilisation of fermentable sugars. This work tests the hypothesis that barley or malt infected by xylanase‐producing filamentous fungi contributes to premature yeast flocculation. Ten different fungi and yeasts were isolated and identified from malt and barley husk. These were inoculated onto barley husk and xylanase activity, arabinoxylan and the PYF value determined. The results from the fungal strains ‐ Aureobasidium pullulans, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium graminearum, and Alternaria tenuissima – indicated involvement in PYF. Small‐scale malting and brewing was used to evaluate the PYF activity of fungal infected barley. The results showed that xylanase activity and arabinoxylan content were significantly (p < 0.05) related to PYF activity. With the exception of F. graminearum, xylanase activity was detected in the three other fungal isolates. The xylanases reduced the minimum concentration of arabinoxylan required for the induction of PYF. A small‐scale brewing assay showed that xylanase secreted by the four filamentous fungi played a role in PYF. This research will contribute to the development of effective control strategies to prevent PYF factors in malt. © 2022 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological neurons keep sensitive to external stimuli and appropriate firing modes can be triggered to give effective response to external chemical and physical signals. A piezoelectric neural circuit can perceive external voice and nonlinear vibration by generating equivalent piezoelectric voltage, which can generate an equivalent trans-membrane current for inducing a variety of firing modes in the neural activities. Biological neurons can receive external stimuli from more ion channels and synapse synchronously, but the further encoding and priority in mode selection are competitive. In particular, noisy disturbance and electromagnetic radiation make it more difficult in signals identification and mode selection in the firing patterns of neurons driven by multi-channel signals. In this paper, two different periodic signals accompanied by noise are used to excite the piezoelectric neural circuit, and the signal processing in the piezoelectric neuron driven by acoustic waves under noise is reproduced and explained. The physical energy of the piezoelectric neural circuit and Hamilton energy in the neuron driven by mixed signals are calculated to explain the biophysical mechanism of auditory neuron when external stimuli are applied. It is found that the neuron prefers to respond to the external stimulus with higher physical energy and the signal which can increase the Hamilton energy of the neuron. For example, stronger inputs used to inject higher energy and it is detected and responded more sensitively. The involvement of noise is helpful to detect the external signal under stochastic resonance, and the additive noise changes the excitability of neuron as the external stimulus. The results indicate that energy controls the firing patterns and mode selection in neurons, and it provides clues to control the neural activities by injecting appropriate energy into the neurons and network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the resting energy expenditure (REE) in Chinese adults using indirect calorimetry (IC), and evaluate the validity of published predictive equations for estimating REE in overweight and obese subjects comparing to IC. 181 subjects with different body mass index (BMI) were recruited. Body composition was determined by bio-electrical impedance analysis (BIA). REE was measured by IC and estimated by 29 REE prediction equations to analyze the accuracy of REE prediction equations. For all participants combined, the Bernstein et al. and Bernestin et al. (BC) equations similarly predicted REE values between -4% and 8% (P > 0.05) of measured REE. When participant data were stratified by sex, BMI, the accuracy of each regression equation is different. In male overweight and obese group, the highest accuracy of the Bernestin et al. (BC) was 65.5% and 70.4%. In female overweight and obese group, the highest accuracy of the Bernestin et al. (BC) and Bernestin et al. was 79.6% and 69.4%. The Bernestin et al. (BC) was closest to IC in male overweight/obese and female overweight, and the Bernestin et al was closest to IC in female obese. However, because those equations have shown considerable variability, they should be used cautiously when estimating the individual REE. When the IC method cannot be used, the Bernestin et al. (BC) and Bernestin et al are more accurate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Immune inflammatory cells and cytokines play an important role in the occurrence and development of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Acteoside has been reported to regulate the inflammation and immune response. The study aims to investigate the effects of acteoside on the expressions of MCP-1 and TGF-β1 on nephropathy in diabetic mice. Methods: C57BL/6J mice in the model group were given a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (150 mg/kg). Model mice were divided randomly into two groups: 5 without treatment, 5 treated with acteoside. After continuous administration for 8 weeks, serum, urine, and kidney tissue were collected, then, ralated biochemical parameters, pathological characteristics and MCP-1 and TGF-β1 mRNA or protein were detected. The NRK-52E cells were divided into three groups as follows: the normal control group (NC group), the high glucose group (HS group), the high glucose+acteoside group (HS+ACT group). The expressions of MCP-1 and TGF-β1 in the mRNA and protein levels were assessed with RT-PCR, western blot and ELISA. Results: The expressions of MCP-1 and TGF-β1 were significantly enhanced in DN group and dramatically reduced after acteoside treatment. Compared with those in NC group, the expressions of MCP-1 and TGF-β1 in NRK-52E cell of HS group were significantly enhanced, while both were significantly decreased in HS+ACT group compared with HS group. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that Acteoside has protective effects on DN via inhibiting the expressions of MCP-1 and TGF-β1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The space–time distribution characteristics of the air-gap magnetic field (AGMF) determine the electromagnetic performance of the motor. This article studies the influence of the inter-turn fault (ITF) on space and time harmonics of the AGMF, and the relevant fault characteristics are obtained through analysis and experiments. First, a theoretical analysis is deduced to compare the components of AGMF before and after the fault, and all space and time harmonics are obtained. Then, according to the parameters of the prototype, the distortion and components of space and time harmonics are analyzed. Also, the influence of rotor slot harmonics is considered to analyze the variations of time harmonics. Finally, a detection wire method that can directly measure the AGMF is proposed, and the spectrum results of the measured signals prove the correctness of the research in this article. A fault feature can be extracted based on the frequency band analysis, and it is not affected by load variations. The results obtained through analytical analysis, simulation, and experiment further improve the AGMF research of induction motors with ITF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corrosivity of molten salt can be detrimental to the safe operation and longevity of concentrated solar thermal power generation equipment. Additionally, the presence of impurity Cl− can increase corrosion on metal materials, leading to mechanical property degradation. To assess the extent of this effect, the corrosion behaviour of three types of stainless steel (304, 316L, and 347H) in molten salt at high temperatures was studied using the loss-in-weight method and tensile tests. According to the findings, the Rdepths of 304, 316L, and 347H stainless steels are 0.0018 mm/a, 0.0016 mm/a, and 0.0019 mm/a, respectively, resulting in a decrease in elongation of 12.2%, 7.0%, and 3.7% after 720 h of corrosion at 600°C. Furthermore, at a higher temperature of 680°C, the Rdepths of all stainless steels increased, and the elongation decreased by 25.4%, 18.9%, and 13.5%, respectively. Similar corrosion behaviour was observed in 347H stainless steel with increased chloride ion concentration. However, the yield strength and tensile strength of stainless steel did not exhibit significant changes under different experimental conditions. The corrosion mechanism of metal alloys in molten salt is mainly due to the selective corrosion of Cr and its dissolution into molten salt in the form of ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new cleaner micron-sized water-based powder particles (DW) were prepared by physical dispersion method of hydrophobic silica and ultrapure water at different proportions. The effects of chemical composition of metal salts on physical properties of dry water materials such as fluidity and particle size distribution were analyzed. The microscopic morphology of DW particles with different components was observed by optical microscope, and the effects of different filling pressures on their microscopic morphology and fire extinguishing efficiency were analyzed. The thermal decomposition kinetics of different DW were analyzed to get their thermal mechanism to extinguish. The results showed that the size of DW particles is more uniform; the structure edge is clearer, and the structure is more stable when the mass ratio of SiO2 to water is 1:13. The fluidity and filling performance of DW were improved by different metal salinization components at a certain concentration. When the filling pressure is 0.6 MPa, the DW structure can remain stable and the fire extinguishing efficiency is the best. DW material can instantly extinguish the small-size oil pool fire. DW shows the best extinguishing efficiency compared to dry powder and water mist. Combined with the thermal decomposition analysis, the addition of metallic sodium salt would increase the apparent activation energy by more than 10 times; therefore, the fire extinguishing efficiency of sodium carbonate-modified DW shows the most obvious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurogenetic diseases are neurological conditions with a genetic cause (s). There are thousands of neurogenetic diseases, and most of them are incurable. The development of bioinformatics and elucidation of the mechanism of pathogenesis have allowed the development of gene therapy approaches, which show great potential in treating neurogenetic diseases. Viral vectors delivery, antisense oligonucleotides, gene editing, RNA interference, and burgeoning viroid delivery technique are promising gene therapy strategies, and commendable therapeutic effects in the treatment of neurogenetic diseases have been achieved (Fig. 1). This review highlights a sampling of advances in gene therapies for neurogenetic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aging‐associated osteoporosis is frequently seen in the elderly in clinic, but efficient managements are limited because of unclear nosogenesis. The current study aims to investigate the role of melatonin on senescent bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) and the underlying regulating mechanism. Methods: Melatonin levels were tested by ELISA. Gene expression profiles were performed by RNA‐sequencing, enrichment of H3K36me2 on gene promoters was analyzed by Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Sequencing (ChIP‐seq), and chromatin accessibility was determined by Assay for Transposase‐Accessible Chromatin with high‐throughput sequencing (ATAC‐seq). Osteogenesis of BMSCs in vitro was measured by Alizarin Red and Alkaline Phosphatase staining, and in vivo effects of melatonin was assessed by histological staining and micro computed tomography (micro‐CT) scan. Correlation of NSD2 expression and severity of senile osteoporosis patients were analyzed by Pearson correlation. Results: Melatonin levels were decreased during aging in human bone marrow, accompanied by downregulation of the histone methyltransferase nuclear receptor binding SET domain protein 2 (NSD2) expression in the senescent BMSCs. Melatonin stimulated the expression of NSD2 through MT1/2‐mediated signaling pathways, resulting in the rebalancing of H3K36me2 and H3K27me3 modifications to increase chromatin accessibility of the osteogenic genes, runt‐related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) and bone gamma‐carboxyglutamate protein (BGLAP). Melatonin promoted osteogenesis of BMSCs in vitro, and alleviates osteoporosis progression in the aging mice. In clinic, severity of senile osteoporosis (SOP) was negatively correlated with melatonin level in bone marrow, as well as NSD2 expression in BMSCs. Similarly, melatonin remarkably enhanced osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs derived from SOP patients in vitro. Conclusions: Collectively, our study dissects previously unreported mechanistic insights into the epigenetic regulating machinery of melatonin in meliorating osteogenic differentiation of senescent BMSC, and provides evidence for application of melatonin in preventing aging‐associated bone loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between microRNA (miRNA) and hosting long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) remains unclear. Here, the expression levels of microRNA-210 (miR-210) and hosting lncRNA MIR210HG are significantly increased and positively correlated in gastric cancer (GC). Gain- and loss-of-function studies demonstrate that miR-210 and MIR210HG synergistically promote the migration and invasion of GC cells in vitro. Furthermore, GC sublines simultaneously expressing miR-210 and MIR210HG display synergistic promotion of lung metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, MIR210HG interacts with DExH-box helicase 9 (DHX9) to increase DHX9/c-Jun complex's occupancy on the promoter of matrix metallopeptidases (MMPs), and thus promotes migration and invasion of GC cells. Additionally, miR-210 directly suppresses the expression of dopamine receptor D5 (DRD5), serine/threonine kinase 24 (STK24) and MAX network transcriptional repressor (MNT), resulting in enhanced migration and invasion. Finally, MYC proto-oncogene (c-Myc) transactivates miR-210 and MIR210HG. Overexpression of miR-210 or/and MIR210HG can rescue the inhibitory effect on the migration and invasion by silencing c-Myc. Moreover, c-Myc inhibitor significantly decreases lung metastasis of GC in vivo. Collectively, our findings identify a novel mechanism, by which c-Myc-activated miR-210 and MIR210HG synergistically promote the metastasis of GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) is a powerful tool used in the microelectronics analysis by applying a certain bias voltage between the conducting probe and the sample and obtaining the electrical information of sample. In this work, the surface morphological information and current images of the lambda DNA (λ DNA) molecules with different distributions were obtained by C-AFM. The 1 and 10 ng ÎĽ lâˆ'1 DNA solutions were dripped onto mica sheets for making randomly distributed DNA and DNA network samples, and another 1 ng ÎĽ lâˆ'1 DNA sample was placed in a DC electric field with a voltage of 2 V before being dried for stretching the DNA sample. The results show that the current flowing through DNA networks was significantly higher than the stretched and random distribution of DNA in the experiment. The I â€" V curve of DNA networks was obtained by changing the bias voltage of C-AFM from âˆ'9 to 9 V. The currents flowing through stretched DNA at different pH values were studied. When the pH was 7, the current was the smallest, and the current was gradually increased as the solution became acidic or alkaline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron molybdate (FeMoO 4) nanostructures show great promise as a superior anode for sodium-ion batteries. However, its use in practical application is hampered by its poor electronic conductivity, large volume changes and sluggish reaction kinetics. Herein, we have developed an interconnected network of multiwall carbon nanotube (CNT) and FeMoO 4 (FMO) by a simple one-step hydrothermal method. As well as providing efficient channels for charge transfer and diffusion, highly conductive CNTs also have a degree of volume elasticity and excellent electrical conductivity to ensure migration of sodium ions, enabling both fast kinetics and long-term stability. As a result, the FMO@CNT anode delivers a high reversible capacity of 485 mA h g−1 at 0.05 A/g and very long cycling stability with a capacity of 75 mA h g−1 after 1000 cycles at 1 A/g. Furthermore, by combining the ex-situ X-ray diffraction, ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry results, sodium ion storage mechanism of the FMO@CNT electrode obeys a conversion mechanism. The results of this work provide a better understanding on the sodium ion storage mechanism of binary metal oxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transformer models have proved to be excellent in solving long-distance dependency problems for many tasks. However, a large amount of computation is required to achieve a high performance. In addition, this model has certain limitations in its ability to extract local information. In this paper, a local information enhancement and sparse attention mechanism Transformer (LSA-Transformer) model is proposed to address these issues. First, local information between data is captured from deep and multiple scales to achieve feature fusion and enhancement of local information. Second, by the sparse attention mechanism, the long-distance dependency relationship of the data is preserved. Third, the computational complexity of the improved model is reduced from quadratic to linear, while retaining the ability to capture long-distance dependencies. Finally, experiments in the penicillin fermentation process show that the improved Transformer model achieves significant improvements compared to existing methods. • A new deep-learning method based on the LSA-Transformer is proposed for the fault detection. • Feature extraction and enhancement of local information are achieved from deep and multiple scales. • Long-distance dependency relationship of the data is preserved. • The computational complexity is reduced from quadratic to linear. • The performance of process monitoring and fault detection is improved significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variability scoring system and mortality. [Display omitted] • Whether GV and SBPV have additive effects on mortality in ICU patients is unclear. • High GV and high SBPV were associated with an increased risk of mortality. • The effects of GV and SBPV on in-hospital mortality were partially mediated by ventricular arrhythmias. • The risk of mortality increases with the number of high-variability parameters. • The risk of mortality increases with increasing variability scores. Variability of metabolic parameters, such as glycemic variability (GV) and systolic blood pressure variability (SBPV), are associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. However, whether these parameters have additive effects on mortality in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) remains unclear. We retrospectively enrolled patients with CAD from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-IV database. The highest tertile of variability was defined as high variability. A variability scoring system was established, which assigned 0 points to tertile 1, 1 point to tertile 2, and 2 points to tertile 3 for GV and SBPV. Among 4237 patients with CAD, 400 patients died in hospital, and 967 patients died during 1-year follow-up. High GV and high SBPV were associated with an increased risk of mortality. The effects of GV and SBPV on in-hospital mortality were partially mediated by ventricular arrhythmias (18.0 % and 6.6 %, respectively). The risk of mortality gradually increased with the number of high-variability parameters and increasing variability scores. GV and SBPV have additive effects on the risk of mortality in patients with CAD hospitalized in the ICU. Ventricular arrhythmias partially mediate the effects of GV and SBPV on in-hospital mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a model of neurodegenerative disease, the study on SH-SY5Y cells is of great significance due to the complexity of cause and difficulty in cure. Based on this reality, we studied the influence of culture duration on the morphology and mechanical properties of living SH-SY5Y cells by atomic force microscopy (AFM). A comparative analysis was made to characterize the cell size and tip-cell adhesion, and their increased trends with the increase of cell culture duration were obtained, providing a guideline for the physiological characteristics of the cells. As the culture time increased from 24 h to 48 h, the measured average height and width of cells were increased by 0.59 μ m and 1.38 μ m, respectively. As for cell elasticity, statistical analysis showed that the difference between different parts of the cell was obvious. Additionally, the electrophysiological characteristic as an important indicator for measuring the functional activities of SH-SY5Y cells was investigated. Here, a homemade conductive atomic force microscope (C-AFM) provided an effective way for membrane potential recordings. It was successfully used to study the real-time responses of living SH-SY5Y cells to mechanical insertions, and a membrane potential with an amplitude of − 0. 1 0 1 V was obtained without losing cell viability. The conductive probe equipped on a homemade C-AFM was isolated with dielectric material except for the tip apex, which enabled it to act as a nanoelectrode. As the sharp tip moves towards the target cell, the noise caused by liquid disturbance about 2 mV amplitude was captured. Right after the tip was inserted into the cell surface, a membrane potential spike with an amplitude of −0.101 V was successfully recorded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Drug resistance mutation (DRM)-associated virological failure has become a critical issue for ART and the elimination of HIV.Objectives: To investigate the distribution characteristics of DRMs of HIV CRF01_AE, CRF07_BC and CRF08_BC, the predominant subtypes in China.Methods: Patients receiving ART up to 31 August 2020 in Ganzhou in China were recruited. Full-length sequences of the HIV pol gene were amplified from patients with virological failure. DRMs and antiretroviral susceptibility were explored using the Stanford University HIV Drug Resistance Database HIVdb Program.Results: Overall, 279 of 2204 patients under ART were found to have virological failure. Nine HIV subtypes were identified among 211 sequences that were amplified successfully and CRF08_BC (37.0%), CRF01_AE (26.1%) and CRF07_BC (25.6%) were the most prevalent, with mutation frequencies of 44.9% (35/78), 52.7% (29/55) and 35.2% (19/54), respectively. The most common DRMs of these three subtypes were K103N and M184V, while the mutation frequencies of M41L, D67N, K70R, K101E, V106M, Y181C, K219E, H221Y and N348I were obviously different among subtypes. The resistance levels and frequencies for antiretroviral drugs for these three subtypes were similar and resistances to nevirapine, efavirenz, lamivudine and emtricitabine were the most frequently observed. Compared with CRF01_AE and CRF07_BC, CRF08_BC had higher proportions of DRMs for NRTIs and lower frequencies of resistance to NRTIs and NNRTIs.Conclusions: The distribution characteristics of DRMs of HIV CRF01_AE, CRF07_BC and CRF08_BC were inconsistent and should be considered when selecting antiretroviral strategies, developing new drugs and controlling HIV strains containing DRMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBCs) of aero-engine in the marine environment will be subjected to periodic salt solution corrosion and high-temperature corrosion. The cyclic corrosion tests were designed to study the change of corrosion resistance and degradation mechanism of YSZ coating on the thermal cycling and salt corrosion. The corrosion morphology, element distribution and phase composition were characterized by SEM, EDS and XRD. It is found that sulfate and Cl- reacted with the bond coat resulting in the volume expansion of the coating. Serious oxidation of Thermally Grown Oxide (TGO) layer, serious corrosion collapse area at the bond coat and the grain boundary corrosion at substrate were observed, indicating that molten salt penetrated the whole TBCs through the capillary action of cracks. Compared with other parts of the TBCs, the bond coat is more likely to be damaged by corrosion, which is the short board of the TBCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel double air-gaps permanent magnet vernier synchronous motor (PMVSM) is proposed in this article. Because of the unique slotted structure of the outer stator, the motor has the characteristics of low speed and large torque. The rotating magnetic field of the inner and outer double air gaps simultaneously drags the rotor to move. The parameterized outer stator slotted double air-gaps PMVSM has a 22.5% higher torque than the same structure single air-gap motor. Use a magnetic field analytical calculation to analyze the motor. By establishing the Laplace and Poisson equations, the general solution and the relevant coefficients in the analytical solution of each part of the motor are solved. The parametric study of the outer stator slot angle $\gamma $ and the inner stator notch angle $\beta $ increases the torque and reduces the torque ripple. The comparison between the analytical calculation results and the finite-element method (FEM) results confirms the effectiveness of the magnetic field analytical calculation and parametric study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most of the biological functions of circular RNAs (circRNAs) and the potential underlying mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not yet been discovered. Methods: In this study, using circRNA expression data from HCC tumor tissues and adjacent tissues from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, we identified out differentially expressed circRNAs and verified them by qRT-PCT. Functional experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of circFAM13B in HCC in vitro and in vivo. Results: We found that circFAM13B was the most significantly differentially expressed circRNA in HCC tissue. Subsequently, in vitro and in vivo studies also demonstrated that circFAM13B promoted the proliferation of HCC. Further studies revealed that circFAM13B, a sponge of miR-212, is involved in the regulation of E2F5 gene expression by competitively binding to miR-212, inhibits the activation of the P53 signalling pathway, and promotes the proliferation of HCC cells. Conclusions: Our findings revealed the mechanism underlying the regulatory role played by circFAM13B, miR-212 and E2F5 in HCC. This study provides a new theoretical basis and novel target for the clinical prevention and treatment of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Besides natural climate variations, human activities can also cause significant changes in regional vegetation composition, especially during the late Holocene period. Southwest China has experienced a long history of human activities in terms of deforestation and agricultural development. Here we present a continuous fossil pollen record covering the past 2,100 years from Beihai Wetland in western Yunnan Province, for a better understanding of regional vegetation history and potential human activities. The pollen results indicate that the forest components show decreasing trends, including Alnus dominated deciduous broadleaved forest and evergreen broadleaved forest represented by evergreen Quercus. On the other hand, herbs such as Poaceae and Artemisia expanded along with the decline of forest, especially during the period after ad 1120. The results of ordination analysis further confirm such a pattern in which the first PCA component (PC1, capturing 42.2% of total variance) represents an increasing trend, which is subsequently interpreted as an index of human activities. Our findings show broadly identical patterns to previously published sedimentary records from Yunnan as well as historical documents. The human activities increased following the expansion in regional population, in the form of deforestation and regional agricultural development. They may also have caused the expansion of herbs, especially Poaceae, which replaced forest. Therefore, as indicated by the fossil pollen record from the Beihai Wetland, human activities in southwest China increased gradually during the past 2,100 years and more rapidly after ad 1120. Results of sediment influx and grain size analyses showed generally consistent patterns with the signs of summer monsoons captured by stable oxygen isotope records from stalagmites, indicating limited influence from human activities within the wetland system compared to the regional landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the application effect of the direct reporting system of adverse nursing events and special continuous nursing quality improvement measures in the management of these adverse events. Methods: The implementation time of continuous nursing improvement based on the direct reporting system was the demarcation point. We retrospectively collected and analyzed nursing adverse event reports and hospitalization data from Xiangtan Central Hospital before implementation (2015–2018) and after implementation (2019–2022). The active reporting rate of adverse events, the composition of these events and the processing time were compared between the two groups. Results: The rate of active reporting of adverse events before the implementation was lower than that after the implementation (6.7% vs. 8.1%, X2 = 25.561, P < 0.001). After the implementation of the direct reporting system for nursing events and the continuous improvement of nursing quality, the reporting proportion of first-level and second-level events decreased significantly. Moreover, the reporting proportion of third-level events increased significantly. The proportion of falls and medication errors decreased, and the proportion of unplanned extubation, infusion xerostomia and improper operation increased. The processing time of the reported nursing adverse events was significantly reduced (31.87 ± 7.83 vs. 56.87 ± 8.21, t = 18.73, P < 0.001). Conclusion: The direct reporting system of adverse nursing events and the continuous improvement measures for nursing quality can effectively improve the active reporting rate of adverse events, change their composition and reduce their processing time, as well as help create a safe psychological environment for both patients and nursing staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), previously regarded as a toxic exhaust and atmospheric pollutant, has emerged as the third gaseous signaling molecule following nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO). Recent research has revealed significant biological effects of H2S in a variety of systems, such as the nervous, cardiovascular, and digestive systems. Additionally, H2S has been found to impact reproductive system function and may have therapeutic implications for reproductive disorders. This paper explores the relationship between H2S and male reproductive disorders, specifically erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer, male infertility, and testicular damage. Additionally, it examines the impact of H2S regulation on the pathophysiology of the female reproductive system, including improvements in preterm birth, endometriosis, pre-eclampsia, fetal growth restriction, unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion, placental oxidative damage, embryo implantation, recovery of myometrium post-delivery, and ovulation. The study delves into the regulatory functions of H2S within the reproductive systems of both genders, including its impact on the NO/cGMP pathway, the activation of K+ channels, and the relaxation mechanism of the spongy smooth muscle through the ROCK pathway, aiming to broaden the scope of potential therapeutic strategies for treating reproductive system disorders in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The k Nearest Neighbor (KNN) algorithm has been widely applied in various supervised learning tasks due to its simplicity and effectiveness. However, the quality of KNN decision making is directly affected by the quality of the neighborhoods in the modeling space. Efforts have been made to map data to a better feature space either implicitly with kernel functions, or explicitly through learning linear or nonlinear transformations. However, all these methods use pre-determined distance or similarity functions, which may limit their learning capacity. In this paper, we present two loss functions, namely KNN Loss and Fuzzy KNN Loss, to quantify the quality of neighborhoods formed by KNN with respect to supervised learning, such that minimizing the loss function on the training data leads to maximizing KNN decision accuracy on the training data. We further present a deep learning strategy that is able to learn, by minimizing KNN loss, pairwise similarities of data that implicitly maps data to a feature space where the quality of KNN neighborhoods is optimized. Experimental results show that this deep learning strategy (denoted as Deep KNN) outperforms state-of-the-art supervised learning methods on multiple benchmark data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]