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The cognitive impairment will gradually appear over time in Parkinson's patients, which is closely related to the basal ganglia-cortex network. This network contains two parallel circuits mediated by putamen and caudate nucleus, respectively. Based on the biophysical mean-field model, we construct a dynamic computational model of the parallel circuit in the basal ganglia-cortex network associated with Parkinson's disease dementia. The simulated results show that the decrease of power ratio in the prefrontal cortex is mainly caused by dopamine depletion in the caudate nucleus and is less related to that in the putamen, which indicates Parkinson's disease dementia may be caused by a lesion of the caudate nucleus rather than putamen. Furthermore, the underlying dynamic mechanism behind the decrease of power ratio is investigated by bifurcation analysis, which demonstrates that the decrease of power ratio is due to the change of brain discharge pattern from the limit cycle mode to the point attractor mode. More importantly, the spatiotemporal course of dopamine depletion in Parkinson's disease patients is well simulated, which states that with the loss of dopaminergic neurons projecting to the striatum, motor dysfunction of Parkinson's disease is first observed, whereas cognitive impairment occurs after a period of onset of motor dysfunction. These results are helpful to understand the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment and provide insights into the treatment of Parkinson's disease dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a narrative of how the collection Canaan Hymns is embedded in the context of the life and struggles of ecclesial life within the Chinese church movement, embodied in their pneumatologically-led creation, and empowered by the theology of laity and women. It argues that the ecclesiological mode of the grassroots together with the affective style of worship and reflections form the two key characteristics of a decolonizing missiology, offering an epistemology of "knowing with" in relation to missio Dei. This is followed by further examining the mission impulse, nationalistic fever and transnational currents. Contesting the ideology of atheism, a decolonizing missiology of the Chinese church movement offers a bottom-up construction in that the lived embodied experiences of everyday life in Christ within a cultural soil take priority as sources of a theology of mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A brain tumor magnetic resonance image processing algorithm can help doctors to diagnose and treat the patient's condition, which has important application significance in clinical medicine. This paper proposes a network model based on the combination of U-net and DenseNet to solve the problems of class imbalance in multi-modal brain tumor image segmentation and the loss of effective information features caused by the integration of features in the traditional U-net network. The standard convolution blocks of the coding path and decoding path on the original network are improved to dense blocks, which enhances the transmission of features. The mixed loss function composed of the Binary Cross Entropy Loss function and the Tversky coefficient is used to replace the original single cross-entropy loss, which restrains the influence of irrelevant features on segmentation accuracy. Compared with U-Net, U-Net++, and PA-Net the algorithm in this paper has significantly improved the segmentation accuracy, reaching 0.846, 0.861, and 0.782 respectively in the Dice coefficient index of WT, TC, and ET. The PPV coefficient index has reached 0.849, 0.883, and 0.786 respectively. Compared with the traditional U-net network, the Dice coefficient index of the proposed algorithm exceeds 0.8%, 4.0%, and 1.4%, respectively, and the PPV coefficient index in the tumor core area and tumor enhancement area increases by 3% and 1.2% respectively. The proposed algorithm has the best performance in tumor core area segmentation, and its Sensitivity index has reached 0.924, which has good research significance and application value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This longitudinal study examined bidirectional relations between parental harsh punishment and psychoticism at the between‑ and within‑family levels in Chinese adolescents. There were 3,307 Chinese youth (43.6% girls, Mage = 11.30 years, SD = 0.24) who participated in a 4-wave longitudinal study, spaced 12 months apart. The results of cross-lagged panel modeling (i.e. CLPM) found the significant bidirectional relations between parental harsh punishment and psychoticism at the between-family level. However, the within-person level analysis of random intercept cross-lagged panel modeling (i.e. RI-CLPM) only revealed parental harsh punishment significantly predicted youth psychoticism, but not vice versa. Moreover, no sex differences were observed in the bidirectional relations between parental harsh punishment and psychoticism at the between- or within-family level. These results suggest parental harsh parenting could exacerbate the psychoticism trait at both the between- and within-family level, whereas the influence of young people's psychoticism on harsh parenting response from parents occurs only at the between-family level. The findings help to understand the nature of the dynamic process of change between psychoticism and harsh parenting among Chinese adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease worldwide and the strongest predictor of mortality in patients with diabetes. Despite its significance, the pathological mechanism underlying the onset and progression of DKD remains incompletely understood. In this study, we have shown that mitochondrial ribosomal protein L12 (MRPL12) plays a significant role in DKD by modulating mitochondrial function. We demonstrated that MRPL12 was mainly ubiquitinated at K150 in renal tubular epithelial cells. We have found that Cullin3 (CUL3), an E3 ubiquitin ligase, directly interacts with MRPL12 and induces the K63‐linked ubiquitination of MRPL12, resulting in mitochondrial biosynthesis dysfunction. Moreover, under high‐glucose (HG) conditions in renal tubular epithelial cells, we observed up‐regulation of CUL3 expression, significant increase in CUL3‐mediated ubiquitination of MRPL12 and dysregulation of mitochondrial biosynthesis. Notably, CUL3 knockdown stabilised the MRPL12 protein and protected mitochondrial biosynthesis under HG conditions. Our findings provide novel insight into how CUL3 affects mitochondrial biosynthesis in renal tubular epithelial cells through MRPL12 ubiquitination and suggest a potential therapeutic strategy for DKD in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the prescribed tracking performance control problem is addressed for uncertain nonlinear systems with unknown periodically time‐varying parameters and arbitrary switching signal. By utilizing radial basis function neural network and fourier series expansion, an approximator is developed to overcome the difficulty of identifying unknown periodically time‐varying and nonlinearly parameterized functions. To achieve the ideal tracking control performance and eliminate the influence of filtering error, a novel command filter‐based adaptive neural network prescribed tracking performance controller is designed by introducing a filtering compensation mechanism. Differently from the standard Backstepping technique, the proposed control scheme eliminates the "explosion of complexity" problem and relaxes the constraint condition on the reference signal. And then, it is warranted that the closed‐loop system is semi‐globally ultimately uniformly bounded and the tracking error is always limited to the specified region bounded by the performance functions. Three simulation examples are used to demonstrate the feasibility of the developed technique in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The group care is a well-established maternal care model that has been widely used in many developed countries, but in China, it is confined to prenatal care services. In addition, affected by traditional birth culture, Chinese women tend to focus more on their fetuses and newborns but lack attention to their own intrapartum and postpartum care. The aim of this study was to construct and implement a prenatal, intrapartum, and the postpartum continuous group care model that combines online and offline service in Hainan Province, China, and to evaluate the effect on maternal women and newborns. Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial involving 144 pregnant women in a first-class tertiary general hospital in Hainan Province, China. Women were divided into an intervention group and a control group using the random number table, with 72 women in each group. The control group received routine maternal care services, and the intervention group received the continuous group care based on the routine maternal care services. Count data such as rate of cesarean section and incidence rate of fetal macrosomia were analyzed with the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, and the General Self-efficacy Scale scores were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant, with two-sided probability values. Results: Compared with the control group, the rate of excessive prenatal weight gain, cesarean section, and 42-day postpartum depression were significantly lower in the intervention group (P < 0.05), and higher General Self-efficacy Scale scores (in the expectant period and 42 days postpartum) and exclusive breastfeeding rate (42 days postpartum) (P < 0.05). The incidence of fetal macrosomia was significantly lower in the intervention group (P < 0.05). But there was no significant difference in birth weight, preterm birth, the incidence of low-birth-weight infants and 1-min Apgar score (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The continuous group care with online and offline service can effectively control the gestational weight gain, reduce the rate of cesarean section, macrosomia, and postpartum depression. It can improve the self-efficacy of women and the rate of exclusive breastfeeding effectively. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Regestry (ChiCTR2200065765, 04/11/2022, Retrospectively registered). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggressive behavior is one of the pervasive and costly negative behaviors in everyday life. Previous studies have shown that individuals who are excluded tend to exhibit more aggressive behaviors, but it is unclear whether the type of self-construction of individuals in the same cultural background will affect the differences in aggressive behavior after being excluded. Therefore, the current study examined the differences in aggressive behavior of individuals with different self-construal types in the same cultural background after social exclusion through two experiments. A total of 128 effective participants were recruited for Experiment 1. Individuals' self-construal types were classified by the Self-Construal Scale, the cyberball game was used for the manipulation of social exclusion, and the laboratory assistant application paradigm was used to measure individuals' relational aggression. The results showed that compared with interdependent self-constructors, independent self-constructors exhibited more relational aggression in the exclusion group. A total of 141 effective participants were recruited for Experiment 2. Using the same method as Experiment 1 to classify participants' self-construal types and induce excluded experiences, the hot sauce paradigm was used to measure individuals' physical aggression. The results showed that compared with interdependent self-constructors, independent self-constructors exhibited more physical aggression in the exclusion group. The current study helps to understand whether social exclusion negatively impacts individuals with different self-constructors in the same cultural background and provides enlightenment on how individuals who are self-constructors cope with social exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determination of low‐abundance proteins in body liquid is the significant strategy for the early diagnosis of diseases and the discovery of signal paths in pathobiology. Here, the limit of detection of 113 aM for model human IgA is successfully obtained by the fluoroimmunoassay developed on an optical soda lime glass microsphere in micrometers that is illumed by the microsphere amplified fluorescence (MAF), which can be identified to the most sensitive immunoassay so far. In this case, the fluorescence signal of fluoroimmunoassay can be physically amplified by MAF while the large reacting area will be supplied by the glass microsphere to complete the fluoroimmunoassay. Therefore, the assay time of the fluoroimmunoassay can be shortened to 12 min via the optical glass microsphere‐enabled ultrasensitive fluoroimmunoassay at the same time. The developed fluoroimmunoassay indicates a possibility to perform the ultrasensitive immunoassay on the optical glass microsphere in 10 min and more, which may greatly facilitate the development of the ultrasensitive immunoassay for the urgent measurements and promote the development of portable fluoroimmunoassay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a series of Ru/ZTCs samples were prepared using LaY zeolite-templated carbon as a support. Characterizations showed that the unique structure of the ZTCs and the chemical state of Ru facilitated superior HER performance compared to other carbon-supported samples. This work offers a new strategy for designing excellent electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia (NH3) synthesis is one of the most important catalytic reactions in energy and chemical fertilizer production, which is of great significance to the sustainable development of society and the economy. The electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (eNRR), especially when driven by renewable energy, is generally regarded as an energy-efficient and sustainable process to synthesize NH3 in ambient conditions. However, the performance of the electrocatalyst is far below expectations, with the lack of a high-efficiency catalyst being the main obstacle. Herein, by means of comprehensive spin-polarized density functional theory (DFT) computations, the catalytic performance of MoTM/C2N (TM = 3d transition metal) for use in eNRR was systematically evaluated. Among the results, MoFe/C2N can be considered the most promising catalyst due to its having the lowest limiting potential (−0.26 V) and high selectivity in the context of eNRR. Compared with its homonuclear counterparts, MoMo/C2N and FeFe/C2N, MoFe/C2N can balance the first protonation step and the sixth protonation step synergistically, showing outstanding activity regarding eNRR. Our work not only opens a new door to advancing sustainable NH3 production by tailoring the active sites of heteronuclear diatom catalysts but also promotes the design and production of novel low-cost and efficient nanocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decreased coherence in electroencephalogram (EEG) has been reported in Alzheimer's disease (AD) experimentally, which could be considered as a typical electrophysiological characteristic in AD. This work aimed to investigate the effect of AD on coherence in the dorsal visual pathway by the technique of neurocomputation. Firstly, according to the hierarchical organization of the cerebral cortex and the information flows of the dorsal visual pathway, a more physiologically plausible neural mass model including cortical areas v1, v2, and v5 was established in the dorsal visual pathway. The three interconnected cortical areas were connected by ascending and descending projections. Next, the pathological condition of loss of long synaptic projections in AD was simulated by reducing the parameters of long synaptic projections in the model. Then, the loss of long synaptic projections on coherence among different visual cortex areas was explored by means of power spectral analysis and coherence function. The results demonstrate that the coherence between these interconnected cortical areas showed an obvious decline with the gradual decrease of long synaptic projections, i.e. decrease in descending projections from area v2 to v1 and v5 to v2 and ascending projection from area v2 to v5. Hopefully, the results of this study could provide theoretical guidance for understanding the dynamical mechanism of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the gold standard surgical procedure for treating gallstone disease. Despite it being minimally invasive, various medications and methods are used to alleviate postoperative pain, and some patients still experience moderate-to-severe pain. This is a crucial problem that must be solved to avoid chronic pain. As part of postoperative multimodal analgesia, regional block is being increasingly applied in surgery under ultrasound guidance. We aimed to evaluate the analgesic effect of erector spinae plane block in adult patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched for randomized controlled trials investigating the efficacy of erector spinae plane block on postoperative pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The primary outcome was the postoperative pain score. The secondary outcomes were the cumulative intraoperative and postoperative opioid consumption at 24 h, incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, and shoulder pain after surgery. The results were pooled using the fixed- or random-effects model with Review Manager 5.3. Results: Fifteen randomized controlled trials involving 947 patients were included in the analysis. Postoperative pain score in the erector spinae plane block group was lower than that in the control group at postoperative 12 h (MD − 0.81, 95% CI − 1.1 to − 0.51, p < 0.00001) and 24 h (MD − 0.41, 95% CI − 0.62 to − 0.19, p = 0.0002). Cumulative opioid consumption was lower in the erector spinae plane block group than in the control group at postoperative 24 h (MD − 7.88, 95% CI − 10.17 to − 5.58, p < 0.00001). The erector spinae plane block group also experienced a lower incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting than the control group. Opioid consumption and the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting were similar between the erector spinae plane block group and other block groups, including the oblique subcostal transversus abdominis plane block and quadratus lumborum block groups. Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block provides effective postoperative analgesia in adults undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous works imply that involving brainstem in neuropathological studies of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is of clinically significant. This work constructs a comprehensive neural mass model for cholinergic neuropathogenesis that involves brainstem, thalamus and cortex, wherein how acetylcholine deficiency in AD affects neural oscillation of the model output is systematically explored from the perspective of neurocomputation. By decreasing synapse connectivity parameters in direct cholinergic pathway from brainstem to thalamus or in indirect glutamatergic synapse pathway from cortex to brainstem to mimic the pathological condition of reduced acetylcholine release in patients with AD, the property of neural oscillation in this model is numerically investigated by means of power spectrum in frequency domain and amplitude distribution in time domain. Simulated results demonstrate that decreasing synapse connectivity whether in the direct cholinergic pathway or in the indirect glutamatergic synapse pathway can alter the neural oscillation significantly in three aspects: it induces an obvious decrease of dominant frequency; it leads to a degraded rhythmic activity in the alpha frequency band as well as an enhanced rhythmic activity in the theta frequency band; it results in reduced oscillation amplitude of the model output. These results are agreement with the characteristic of electrophysiological EEG measurement recorded in AD, especially support the hypothesis that cholinergic deficiency is a promising pathophysiological origin of EEG slowing in AD. Our analysis indicates that targeting the cholinergic system may have potential prospects in early diagnosis and treatment of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraviolet (UV) lasers with dynamic wavelength‐tunability and high monochromaticity are crucial in a multitude of practical applications yet still remarkable challenges. Here, we show wide wavelength‐tuning of single‐mode UV lasing based on lanthanide‐doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs). The rationally designed Yb3+/Er3+/Tm3+/Gd3+/Ce3+ co‐doped multilayer UCNPs, which exhibits a broad gain spectrum with the full width of half maximum of around 57 nm in the UV regime, are developed. More importantly, by taking advantages of a diffraction grating as the tuning component, stable single‐mode emission can be achieved in the UCNPs‐based external‐cavity‐extended Fabry–Pérot laser at room temperature. Specifically, the lasing threshold is around 137 µJ cm–2, which is two orders of magnitude lower than that in the previously reported articles. Precise wavelength‐tuning from 310 to 363 nm can be realized by adjusting the Littrow angle. This achievement highlights a portable alternative to continuously wideband‐tunable UV lasers and opens up new opportunities for constructing compact solid‐state UV photon sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies the formation of the Canaan Hymns (Jianan shige 迦南诗歌) in relation to the history of the contemporary Chinese indigenous church. Over the last thirty years, Lü Xiaomin (吕小敏 , 1970–) has composed more than two thousand hymns. They reflect not only her own personal life and evangelism, but also the growth of the Fangcheng Fellowship (方城团契) in Henan Province from a local home gathering to a national mission movement. Through textual studies, interviews, and archival research, this article examines how local congregants adopted Lü's hymns, which are distinct from both western traditional hymns and Chinese rural spiritual songs (lingge 灵歌). These hymns represent a unique form of theological meaning-making within the indigenous church movement and serve as a pointer to the Chinese understanding of missio Dei as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial cellulose (BC) hydrogel is renowned in the field of tissue engineering for its high biocompatibility, excellent mechanical strength, and eco-friendliness. Herein, we present a biomimetic mineralization method for preparing BC/hydroxyapatite (HAP) composite hydrogel scaffolds with different mineralization time and ion concentration of the mineralized solution. Spherical HAP reinforcement enhanced bone mineralization, thereby imparting increased bioactivity to BC matrix materials. Subsequently, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was introduced into the scaffold. The PRP-loaded hydrogel enhanced the release of growth factors, which promoted cell adhesion, growth, and bone healing. After 3 weeks of MC3T3-E1 cell-induced osteogenesis, PRP positively affected cell differentiation in BC/HAP@PRP scaffolds. Overall, these scaffolds exhibited excellent biocompatibility, mineralized nodule formation, and controlled release in vitro , demonstrating great potential for application in bone tissue repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to explore free vibration analysis of hybrid reinforced porous composite plates subjected to fluid loading. The hybrid composite comprises a porous core layer covered by two reinforced porous face sheets. Graphene Platelets (GPLs) and Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) are considered as reinforcement materials. The linear three-dimensional piezo-elasticity theory is employed to model the structural part of the system, while the classical Rayleigh integral is used to obtain the fluid interaction part. The accuracy and reliability of the proposed model are validated by comparing the calculated natural frequencies of the plate in vacuum and water-loaded conditions with those reported in the literature. For the first time, several parametric studies are performed to investigate the effects of dimension ratios, porosity distributions, reinforcement dispersion pattern, porosity coefficient, and weight fraction of nanofiller on the natural frequency of hybrid reinforced porous composites. The results indicate that adjusting the porosity and weight fraction of the face sheets can enhance stiffness without changing the mass, emphasizing the importance of hybrid composites for achieving optimal stiffness while maintaining a constant mass. Furthermore, the influence of core layer porosity distributions on the composite behavior differs from that of porosity distributions in the face layers. Additionally, the effectiveness of the reinforcement pattern depends on the type of porosity distribution in the face layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with diabetes coexisting with viral infection tend to have poor outcomes, but the association between diabetes and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prognosis is controversial at present. The present study reviewed and analyzed the data of 1,892 patients with COVID-19 admitted to Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital (Xi'an, China). Demographic, clinical, laboratory and treatment data as well as clinical outcomes were extracted from the electronic medical records and compared between patients with and without diabetes. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the risk factors affecting the prognosis of COVID-19. Compared with patients without diabetes, the levels of glucose, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, creatinine, total bilirubin and plasma D-dimer were significantly increased in patients with diabetes, while the levels of lymphocytes and albumin were significantly decreased (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that platelet count, albumin, total bilirubin and lymphocytes were significantly correlated with the severity of COVID-19. Diabetes mellitus was an independent prognostic factor that affected the mortality outcome of patients with COVID-19. Additionally, an age of ≥80 years, male sex, cerebral infarction complications and a critical diagnosis of COVID-19 at admission were risk factors for critical illness during hospitalization. The results of the present study suggest that diabetes may be a risk factor for the rapid progression and poor prognosis of COVID-19. Therefore, further attention should be paid to individuals with diabetes in order to prevent rapid deterioration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis (AS) is one of the main cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) leading to an increase in global mortality, and its key pathological features are lipid accumulation and oxidative stress. Huang-Lian-Jie-Du decoction (HLJDD), a representative formula for clearing heat and detoxifying, has been shown to reduce aortic lipid plaque and improve AS. However, multiple components and multiple targets of HLJDD pose a challenge in comprehending its comprehensive mechanism in the treatment of AS. This study was designed to illustrate the anti-AS mechanisms of HLJDD in an apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE−/−) mouse model from a metabolic perspective. ApoE−/− mice were kept on a high-fat diet (HFD) to induce AS. Serum total cholesterol (TC), total triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were determined to evaluate the influence of HLJDD on dyslipidemia. Oil red O was used to stain mouse aortic lipid plaques, and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to assess the pathological changes in the aortic roots. Metabolomics and lipidomics combined with serum pharmacochemistry were performed to research the HLJDD mechanism of alleviating AS. In this study, HLJDD treatment improved serum biochemical levels and histopathological conditions in AS mice. A total of 6 metabolic pathways (arginine biosynthesis, glycerophospholipid, sphingolipid, arachidonic acid, linoleic acid, and glycerolipid metabolism) related to 25 metabolic biomarkers and 41 lipid biomarkers were clarified, and 22 prototype components migrating to blood were identified after oral administration of HLJDD. HLJDD improved AS induced by HFD in ApoE−/− mice. The effects of HLJDD were mainly attributed to regulating lipid metabolism by regulating the metabolic pathways of glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, arachidonic acid, linoleic acid, and glycerolipids and reducing the levels of oxidative stress by upregulating arginine biosynthesis. [Display omitted] • Metabolomics, lipidomics, and serum pharmacochemistry were combined to study HLJDD for the first time. • HLJDD improved AS through regulating serum oxidative stress and lipid metabolism. • The effects of ApoE gene knockout and an HFD in AS mice were evaluated via lipidomics. • This study proposed a candidate method for exploring the mechanisms of other TCMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Note that identifying Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is crucial to early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This work explores how classification features and experimental algorithms influence classification performances on the ADNI database. Based on structural Magnetic Resonance Images (sMRI), two features including gray matter (GM) volume and lateralization index (LI) are firstly extracted through hypothesis testing. Afterward, several classifier algorithms including Random Forest (RF), Decision Tree (DT), K-Nearest Neighbor(KNN) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) with RBF kernel, Linear kernel or Polynomial kernel are established to realize binary classification among Normal Control (NC), Early Mild Cognitive Impairment (EMCI), Late Mild Cognitive Impairment (LMCI) and AD groups. The main experimental results are as follows. (1) The classification performance in the feature of LI is poor compared with those in the feature of GM volume or the combined feature of LI and GM volume, i.e., the classification accuracies in the feature of LI are relatively low and unstable for most classifier models and subject groups. (2) Comparing with the classification performances in the feature of GM volume and the combined feature of LI and GM volume, the classification accuracy of NC group versus AD group is relatively stable for different classifier models, moreover, the accuracy of AD group versus NC group is almost the highest, with the most classification accuracy of 98.0909%. (3) For different subject groups, the SVM classifier algorithm with Polynomial kernel and the KNN classifier algorithm show relatively stable and high classification accuracy, while DT classifier algorithm shows relatively unstable and lower classification accuracy. (4) Except the groups of EMCI versus LMCI and NC versus EMCI, the classification accuracies are significantly enhanced by emerging the LI into the original feature of GM volume, with the maximum accuracy increase of 5.6364%. These results indicate that various factors of subject data, feature types and experimental algorithms influence classification performances remarkably, especially the newly introduced feature of LI into the feature of GM volume is helpful to improve classification results in some certain extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes the transmission chain of "digital finance-financing constraint-firm innovation" at the theoretical and practical levels, incorporates digital finance into the empirical analysis framework of firm innovation, selects the data of Chinese GEM(Growth Enterprise Market)-listed companies from 2011 to 2020, and matches the data of the digital inclusive finance index. The paper empirically examines the incentive effect and impact mechanism of digital finance on SME innovation through the two-way fixed-effects model and mediated-effects model by matching the data of China GEM-listed companies from 2011 to 2020 with the digital financial inclusion index data. The findings show that the digital development and promotion of digital finance play a significantly positive impact in helping SMEs innovate and stimulate innovation. The effect is realized by alleviating corporate financing constraints. Further, digital finance has different incentive effects on enterprises with varying rights of property nature, as well as on other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The n -dimensional augmented cube A Q n , proposed by Choudum and Sunitha in 2002, is one of the most famous interconnection networks of the distributed parallel system. Reliability evaluation of underlying topological structures is vital for fault tolerance analysis of this system. As one of the most extensively studied parameters, the k -conditional edge-connectivity of a connected graph G , λ k (G) , is defined as the minimum number of the cardinality of the edge-cut of G , if exists, whose removal disconnects this graph and keeps each component of G − F having minimum degree at least k. Let n , t and δ be three integers, where δ = 1 , if t = 0 and δ = 0 , if t > 0. In this paper, we determine the exact value of the (2 t − 1) -conditional edge-connectivity of A Q n , λ 2 t − 1 (A Q n) = 2 t (2 n − 2 t) − δ for each positive integer 0 ≤ t ≤ n − 1 and n ≥ 1 , and give an affirmative answer to Shinde and Borse's corresponding conjecture on this topic in [On edge-fault tolerance in augmented cubes, J. Interconnection Netw. 20(4) (2020), DOI:10.1142/S0219265920500139 ]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objects: Abnormal blood pressure (BP) regulation is a feature of autonomic dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. The present study was to analyze the BP alterations by 24‐h ambulatory BP monitoring in PD patients with different disease stages and subtypes. Methods: 32 consecutive patients PD patients and 43 control patients in our hospital from 2017 to 2020 were included. The circadian BP rhythm was divided into three types according to the 24‐h ambulatory BP monitoring. Dipping was defined as an average systolic BP (SBP) reduction during night‐time of 10%–19%. Reverse dipping was defined as an average increase in night‐time SBP values. The differences of the circadian BP rhythm and BP variability (BPV) were analyzed between PD group and the control group, the early PD group and the advanced PD group, as well as the tremor‐dominant group and the nontremor‐dominant group. Results: There was statistical difference in circadian BP rhythm between PD group and control group (p <.05). There were statistical differences in circadian BP rhythm between the early PD group and the advanced PD group (p <.05). The mean values of night‐time SBP and diastolic BP (DBP) in the advanced PD group were higher than those in the control group and the early PD group (p <.05). The DBP CV in the advanced PD group was higher than that in the control group and the early PD group (p <.05). There was no significant difference of circadian BP rhythm, mean BP, and BPV between the tremor‐dominant and the nontremor‐dominant PD group after matching the disease duration. Conclusions: Reverse dipping was more common in PD patients in this study, especially in the advanced PD patients. 24‐h ambulatory BP monitoring is an important method to evaluate the BP alterations in PD patients. Clinicians should be alert to reverse dipping in PD patients and intervene to prevent serious clinical events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses a tracking control problem with prespecified accuracy for uncertain switching nonlinear systems under arbitrary switching with periodically time-varying parameters. To approximate the unknown nonlinear functions and unknown periodically time-varying parameters, the radial basis function neural network and Fourier series expansion are introduced, respectively. Compared with the previous results of unknown nonlinear switching system approximation, the upper bounds of the approximation errors are considered for the first time. And then, a new adaptive NN control scheme is constructed by using backstepping technique and common Lyapunov function theory. It can be proved that all the signals in the closed-loop system are semi-globally uniformly ultimately bounded and the tracking error converges to the prescribed neighborhood of zero. Two examples are provided to verify the feasibility and advantages of the proposed approach in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In engineering practice, horizontal layers of reinforcement geosynthetics are widely used to improve the bearing capacity of foundations. However, there are few studies on the seismic bearing capacity of foundations on reinforced soil, and there is a lack of derivation of theoretical formulas in this direction. In this paper, based on the upper bound theorem of limit analysis, the seismic bearing capacity of foundations on reinforced soil is studied for the first time using the modified pseudo-dynamic approach. Seismic forces are calculated using a slicing method that adapts to spatial and temporal variations. Based on three different failure mechanisms, three different formulas and constraints are used. Each formula contains 61 variables, and the bearing capacity value is optimized by MATLAB program. By comparing the calculation results of three failure mechanisms, the exact upper bound solution of seismic bearing capacity for sliding failure is obtained. Considering the temporal as well as spatial characteristics of seismic forces, the effects of the coefficient of seismic acceleration, the internal friction angle, the damping ratio, the normalized frequency, and the reinforcement burial depth on the seismic bearing capacity are analyzed, providing a theoretical basis for the application of reinforced soil foundations in engineering practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Echinacoside (ECH) is a compound derived from the natural herbs Cistanche and Echinacea, which has considerable protective effects on heart failure (HF). HF is characterized by myocardial damage and abnormal ferroptosis. Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) is an important regulator of ferroptosis, which plays a role in ferroptosis-related diseases. Despite this, the therapeutic mechanisms of ECH against HF remain unknown. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the cardioprotective effect and underlying mechanisms of ECH in the treatment of doxorubicin (DOX)-induced chronic HF (CHF). Cell proliferation was assessed using a CCK-8 assay. Furthermore, cardiac cell injury and oxidative stress were determined by measuring the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH) levels. The levels of Fe2+ and lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS), and expression of the biomarkers of ferroptosis, including GPX4 and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), were measured to examine cardiomyocyte ferroptosis. Additionally, RNA interference was used to silence Gpx4. In vitro and in vivo, ECH considerably reduced the MDA and LDH levels and increased the GSH level, thereby attenuating DOX-induced cardiac injury and oxidative stress. Meanwhile, ECH treatment decreased the lipid ROS levels and PTGS2 expression while increasing GPX4 expression, thereby alleviating DOX-induced cardiomyocyte ferroptosis. Moreover, knockdown of Gpx4 inhibited the protective effects of ECH on DOX-induced accumulation of lipid ROS in cardiomyocytes. These findings indicate that ECH can reduce DOX-induced cardiac injury by inhibiting ferroptosis via GPX4, highlighting its value as a potentially valuable therapeutic target in the management of CHF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrospinning has become a popular nanotechnology for the fabrication of tissue engineering scaffolds, which can precisely regulate fiber diameter and microstructure. Herein, we have prepared a three-dimensional polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber by liquid-assisted electrospinning. The spacing between PAN nanofibers can reach to 15-20 μm, as the uniform internally connected pore structure can be formed, through the regulation of parameters. Furthermore, the chitosan attached to the as-prepared nanofibers gives the material antibacterial effect and increases its biocompatibility. Meanwhile, the special structure of chitosan also provides the possibility for further loading drugs in dressings in the future. This newly developed nanocomposite seems to be highly suitable for wound healing due to its unique properties of biodegradability, biocompatibility, and antimicrobial effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the relationship between the decrease of plasma oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) levels and clinical outcomes in patients with acute atherosclerosis-related ischemic stroke. Methods. We recruited acute ischemic stroke patients within 3 days of onset consecutively. Plasma oxLDL levels were measured on the second day after admission and before discharge (10-14 days after stroke onset). Initial stroke severity was assessed by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, and infarct volume was measured using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) by the ITK-SNAP software. Clinical outcomes were evaluated by DWI volumes in the acute phase, neurological improvement at discharge, and favorable functional prognosis at 90 days. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association between oxLDL level decrease and clinical outcomes. Results. 207 patients were enrolled in this study. Compared with the mild decrease of the oxLDL level group, patients with a significant decrease of the oxLDL level group were more likely to have a higher ratio of neurological improvement at discharge (55.07% vs. 14.49%, p < 0.01) and favorable functional prognosis at 90 days (91.30% vs. 55.07%, p < 0.01). In multivariable logistic regression, the degree of oxLDL level decrease was related to neurological improvement at discharge and favorable functional prognosis at 90 days (p < 0.01). Patients with significant decrease were more likely to have neurological improvement at discharge (OR = 7.92 , 95% CI, 3.14-19.98, and p < 0.01) and favorable functional prognosis at 90 days (OR = 7.46 , 95% CI, 2.40-23.23, and p < 0.01) compared to patients with mild decrease of oxLDL level. The DWI volumes in patients with different oxLDL level decrease groups had no statistical difference (p = 0.41), and the Spearman's rho between oxLDL level decrease and DWI infarct volumes was -0.03, but no statistical difference (p = 0.72). Conclusions. The degree of oxLDL level decrease is related to neurological improvement at discharge and favorable functional prognosis at 90 days for patients with acute atherosclerosis-related ischemic stroke, but not with infarct volume in the acute phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Situated at the intersection of visual art and the context of the Anthropocene, this article offers an eco-philosophical reading of the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic regarding the ecological entanglements between humans, viruses, and the environment. Deploying the trope of the spectrality as a 'heuristic device', it argues that confronting the spectral aspects of human-virus encounter provides a helpful way to properly understand the ecological implications of the present pandemic. Bringing contemporary Chinese artist Xu Bing's Air Memorial (2003) and Jia Zhangke's short film Visit (2020) into conversation with the theory of spectrality, I analyze what I call the 'spectral aesthetics' shared by both works. Specifically, it looks at how Xu's artwork elicits the spectral (im)materiality of viruses that is associated with the memory of the SARS epidemic, the materialisation of air, and the way that the spectre of air can keep haunting us across time and space. Then, it delves into the cinematic representation of a spectral atmosphere permeating the minuteness of human contact, arguing that the coronavirus opens up possibilities of perceiving, thinking, and living as spectres, evoking the sense of co-existence that entails the symbiotic relations among humans, viruses, and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advancement of highly-efficient, non-noble metal electrocatalysts with high active sites for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) continues to face severe challenges. In this work, a new 3D flower-like α-Co(OH) 2 catalyst with high Co–NH 2 active sites (referred to as α-Co(OH) 2 –NH 2) is prepared. The Co–NH 2 active sites are formed through the interactions between Co2+ and –NH 2 groups and exhibit higher electrocatalytic performance for OER in alkaline mediums, with a lower overpotential (300 mV at 10 mA cm−2), a flatter Tafel slope (75 mV dec−1) and a longer stability. Moreover, water splitting catalyzed by α-Co(OH) 2 –NH 2 delivers 1.62 V to reach a current density of 10 mA cm−2. The mechanism studies show that the OER electrocatalytic activity is closely related to the content of –NH 2. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations unveil that –NH 2 groups can facilitate the formation of OH∗ on the α-Co(OH) 2 surface and promote the desorption of O 2 ∗ into O 2(g). • A new type Co–NH 2 active sites in OER electrocatalyst was obtained by in-situ coordination strategy. • The electrocatalyst shows excellent OER activity and stability. • The OER electrocatalytic activity can be tuned by –NH 2 content. • Water splitting catalyzed by α-Co(OH) 2 –NH 2 delivers 1.62 V to reach a current density of 10 mA cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on a tracking control issue for a class of uncertain switching nonlinear systems under arbitrary switching with unknown time-varying parameters. An approximator is designed by combining Multilayer neural network (MNN) with Fourier series expansion (FSE) to approximate the nonlinearly parameterized unknown functions. Then, a common Lyapunov function (CLF) is constructed and a novel adaptive neural network (NN) control scheme is proposed by using the adaptive Backstepping technique. It can be proven that the tracking error falls into a prespecified domain of equilibrium and the whole system is semi-globally uniformly ultimately bounded (SGUUB). The effectiveness of the designed approach is verified through two simulation examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stability analysis of tunnel faces is usually carried out under dry or saturated assumptions. However, in practice, soils are often unsaturated due to the presence of matric suction, and unsaturated components often have nonnegligible effect on soil strength. For a more realistic solution, the influence of unsaturated components on the stability of a three-dimensional tunnel face was considered for the first time. To meet this requirement, the three-dimensional rotational failure mechanism and the extended form of Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion were used to express the face failure in the limit analysis framework. The strength reduction technique was employed to estimate the stability of ta hree-dimensional tunnel face and the safety factors were calculated by the bracketing method. The proposed method is verified by comparing with the results obtained by FLAC3D. The effects of matric suction distribution, tunnel geometry parameters and shear strength nonlinearity on the stability of three-dimensional tunnel face were analyzed in the parameter analysis. The results show that considering the effect of suction stress is beneficial for improving the tunnel face stability, but it is influenced by the matric suction distribution, the tunnel geometry, soil types, and the shear strength nonlinearity. The main novelty of this study is to develop an effective method to evaluate the face stability of tunnels in unsaturated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin D was well-known to be associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) has been linked to vitamin D and GDM, respectively. We hypothesize that changes in IGF-I metabolism induced by 25(OH)D3 might contribute to GDM. Therefore, we investigated the independent and combined relationships of serum 25(OH)D3 and IGF-I concentrations with GDM risk, and the mediation effect of IGF-I on 25(OH)D3. A total of 278 pregnant women (including 125 cases and 153 controls) were recruited in our current study. Maternal serum 25(OH)D3 and IGF-I were measured in the second trimester. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations of 25(OH)D3 and IGF-I concentrations with the risk of GDM. Mediation analyses were used to explore the mediation effect of IGF-I on the association between 25(OH)D3 and the risk of GDM. After adjusted for the confounded factors, both the third and fourth quartile of 25(OH)D3 decreased the risk of GDM (OR = 0.226; 95% CI, 0.103–0.494; OR = 0.109; 95% CI, 0.045–0.265, respectively) compared to the first quartile of 25(OH)D3. However, the third and fourth quartile of serum IGF-I (OR = 5.174; 95% CI, 2.287–11.705; OR = 12.784; 95% CI, 5.292–30.879, respectively) increased the risk of GDM compared to the first quartile of serum IGF-I. Mediation analyses suggested that 19.62% of the associations between 25(OH)D3 and GDM might be mediated by IGF-I. The lower concentration of serum 25(OH)D3 or higher IGF-I in the second trimester was associated with an increased risk of GDM. The serum IGF-I level might be a potential mediator between 25(OH)D3 and GDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the effects of intergroup vicarious ostracism on individual prejudicial attributions and aggressive intentions. It takes Tibetan and Hui college students in northwestern China as participants. Study 1 and Study 2 explore the difference in observers' prejudicial attributions and aggressive intentions, respectively, when the group members who experienced ostracism (Tibetan college students) observed an in-group member being ostracized by out-group members versus an in-group member being ostracized by in-group members. Results show that those in-group participants, i.e., the Tibetan college students, who observed an in-group member being ostracized by out-group members, showed much higher prejudicial attributions, F(1, 106) = 19.65, p <.001, ηp2 =.156, and aggressive intentions, F(1, 108) = 10.51, p =.002, ηp2 =.089, toward ostracizers than those who observed an in-group member being ostracized by in-group members. In Study 3, Hui college students were recruited as participants to further test the results of Study 1 and Study 2. In addition, we also found that under the out-group conditions, prejudicial attribution mediates the effects of inclusionary status on aggressive intentions (95% bias-corrected confidence interval did not include zero; 95% CI [0.15, 0.69]). This study shows that ostracizers' group membership could affect observers' prejudicial attributions and their aggressive intentions toward the ostracizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) plays an important role in maintaining cellular homeostasis, as it suppresses cell damage caused by external stimuli by regulating the transcription of intracellular defense-related genes. Accumulating evidence has highlighted the crucial role of reduction-oxidation (REDOX) imbalance in the development of bone-related diseases. Nrf2, a transcription factor linked to nuclear factor-erythrocyte 2, plays a pivotal role in the regulation of oxidative stress and induction of antioxidant defenses. Therefore, further investigation of the mechanism and function of Nrf2 in bone-related diseases is essential. Considerable evidence suggests that increased nuclear transcription of Nrf2 in response to external stimuli promotes the expression of intracellular antioxidant-related genes, which in turn leads to the inhibition of bone remodeling imbalance, improved fracture recovery, reduced occurrence of osteoarthritis, and greater tumor resistance. Certain natural extracts can selectively target Nrf2, potentially offering therapeutic benefits for osteogenic arthropathy. In this article, the biological characteristics of Nrf2 are reviewed, the intricate interplay between Nrf2-regulated REDOX imbalance and bone-related diseases is explored, and the potential preventive and protective effects of natural products targeting Nrf2 in these diseases are elucidated. A comprehensive understanding of the role of Nrf2 in the development of bone-related diseases provides valuable insights into clinical interventions and can facilitate the discovery of novel Nrf2-targeting drugs. [Display omitted] • Nrf2 plays an important role in the occurrence and development of bone-related diseases. • Some extracts and drugs target Nrf2 to ease the progression of the bone-related diseases. • Nrf2 may be considered as a potential therapeutic target to combat bone related diseases, especially benign bone diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims to develop a numerical-analytical framework within the kinematic approach of limit analysis to assess the stability of non-circular tunnel faces under seepage conditions with tensile strength cut-off from a discretization-based perspective. Considering the overestimation of the tensile strength of the soil by the Mohr-Coulomb criterion, a modification based on the concept of tensile strength cut-off is recommended to reduce or eliminate the tensile strength. A modified 3D rotational discretization-based failure mechanism incorporating the tension cut-off is generated point-to-point starting from a real non-circular tunnel face to model the face failure, where the failure surface on the top intersects more rapidly due to the increasing rupture angle in the tensile regime. The seepage towards the non-circular tunnel face is numerically simulated, and then the numerical seepage field is extracted into the 3D discretization-based failure mechanism. Within the kinematic approach, the seepage effect is introduced from two aspects: pore pressure and seepage force. A hybrid optimization routine is employed to search for the maximum required face pressure. The developed framework is validated by comparisons with numerical fluid-mechanical simulations and previous studies. Afterward, parametric analyses are carried out on different seepage conditions, different face pressure distributions, different soil strengths, and different tension cut-off conditions. The developed framework can give insight into the combined effect of the tension cut-off and seepage on the stability of non-circular tunnel faces under various conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In extant studies, most of the analyses on active earth pressure focused on dry or saturated soils using two-dimensional failure mechanisms. However, in practice, soils are usually unsaturated, and all failures of retained soil masses indicate a somewhat three-dimensional (3D) feature. This work adopts the kinematic limit analysis method to evaluate the active earth pressure with considering the 3D effect and the presence of vertical steady unsaturated seepage. A closed-form framework for describing the profile of suction stress is adopted, and an extended form of the Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion is introduced to represent the unsaturated soil strength. In the context of a 3D horn-like collapse mechanism, the resultant of active earth pressure is evaluated and expressed as a dimensionless coefficient. Several charts are provided for parametric studies. The obtained results indicate that accounting for either the presence of unsaturated seepage or the 3D effect can lead to a more economical result. This study considers a more realistic service behavior of retaining structures and presents a useful solution for the 3D active earth pressure under unsaturated seepage conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LAG1 longevity assurance homolog 2 (LASS2), a highly conserved transmembrane protein, has been reported to be associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the effect of LASS2 on energy homeostasis and its mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we found lower expression levels of LASS2 in the livers of mice with liver steatosis induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) and free fatty acids (FFAs)-treated hepatocytes. In FFAs-treated Hepa1-6 cells and mouse primary hepatocytes (MPHs), LASS2 overexpression significantly decreased intracellular lipid content compared with the control cells. LASS2 overexpression also significantly upregulated lipolysis-related proteins, such as ATGL and HSL, and inhibited lipogenesis-related proteins, such as SREBP1 and FAS. In addition, the phosphorylation levels of AMPK and ACC increased significantly. On the contrary, LASS2 knockdown in FFAs-treated hepatocytes aggravated lipid accumulation via facilitating lipogenesis and inhibiting lipolysis. Further, co-IP and LC-MS analysis found that LASS2 might interacted with NDUFS2 to inhibit lipogenesis. The production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) may be related to the interaction between LASS2 and NDUFS2. Collectively, we are the first time to showed that LASS2 might promote the phosphorylation of AMPK via mtROS produced by interaction with NDUFS2/OXPHOS, thus inhibiting lipogenesis. • LASS2 play a protective role in FFAs-induced hepatocellular steatosis. • LASS2 regulate hepatic steatosis via AMPK activation. • LASS2 might interact with NDUFS2/OXPHOS related proteins. • The production of mtROS may be related to the interaction between LASS and NDUFS2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While poetry was used as a rich vehicle to express one's identity, freedom and communal belonging in the "poetry fever" (shige re , 诗歌热) of the 1980s in Mainland China, its connection with Christian theology has been long neglected despite the rapid increase in Chinese conversion to Christianity amongst the post-1989 generation. Using both autoethnographic and phenomenological methodology, this paper explores the relationship between the two using the author's own poetry writings as a case study. From the vantage point of a Chinese Christian, poet and migrant to Australia, this paper is an inter-disciplinary study that journeys with the poetic voice from the themes of lament to search and then return , followed by some theological reflections. It argues that the dualistic thinking of poetry and theology can move into non-dualist responses so that the two can meet and become fused on the epistemological path towards God. This path parallels with that of the Israelites in exile, and ultimately Jesus' journey in the gospel. It aims to provide a trajectory to develop further a poetic Chinese theology of displacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multimodel ensemble of general circulation models (GCM) is a popular approach to assess hydrological impacts of climate change at local, regional, and global scales. The traditional multimodel ensemble approach has not considered different uncertainties across GCMs, which can be evaluated from the comparisons of simulations against observations. This study developed a comprehensive index to generate an optimal ensemble for two main climate fields (precipitation and temperature) for the studies of hydrological impacts of climate change over China. The index is established on the skill score of each bias-corrected model and different multimodel combinations using the outputs from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). Results show that the optimal ensemble of the nine selected models accurately captures the characteristics of spatial–temporal variabilities of precipitation and temperature over China. We discussed the uncertainty of subset ensembles of ranking models and optimal ensemble based on historical performance. We found that the optimal subset ensemble of nine models has relative smaller uncertainties compared with other subsets. Our proposed framework to postprocess the multimodel ensemble data has a wide range of applications for climate change assessment and impact studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A decrease in alpha band power is defined as a hallmark of electroencephalogram (EEG) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study devotes to understanding the neuronal correlates of alpha rhythm slowing associated with AD from the view of neurocomputation. Firstly, a modified computational model of thalamo-cortico-thalamic (TCT) circuitry is constructed by incorporating two important biologically plausible ingredients. One is the disinhibition property between different inhibitory interneurons in the cortical module. The other is the full relay function of thalamic relay nucleus (TCR) to the cortical module. Then, by decreasing synaptic connectivity parameters to mimic the neuropathological condition of synapse loss in AD, the correlation between neuronal synaptic behavior and abnormal alpha rhythm is simulated by means of power spectral analysis. The results indicate that these decreases of synaptic activity, i.e., not only the excitatory synaptic connections from TCR to fast inhibitory interneurons Cfte and from excitatory interneurons to pyramidal neurons Cpxe but also the inhibitory synaptic connections from fast inhibitory interneurons to slow inhibitory interneurons Clfi and from inhibitory interneurons to TCR Ctii, can significantly diminish the peak power density over the alpha band of the thalamic output, which implies that there is a slowing of alpha band. Furthermore, the underlying mechanism behind the alpha rhythmic changes is analyzed using nonlinear dynamical technique. The results reveal that decreases of Cfte, Cpxe, Clfi and Ctii can make the thalamic module transfer from a limit cycle mode to a point attractor mode, which may lead to the alpha rhythm slowing in the modified TCT model. We expect this work can be helpful in identifying early biomarkers of AD's EEG and understanding potential pathogenesis of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective:Studies have reported that the spouses of patients with recurrent miscarriage have a high rate of sperm aneuploidy,The types and the methods of determination of sperm aneuploidy are different. The correlation between the specific type of sperm aneuploidy and recurrent miscarriage is inconclusive.Here, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the rate of sperm aneploidy tested in FISH way in male partners of women with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL group) and fertile male control groups. Methods:Cochrane, Embase, Web of Science, and PubMed databases and a manual search were done for observational research from inception till 23 May 2019.Pooled standard mean difference (SMD), odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to describe effect sizes.This study was conducted according to MOOSE statement. Results:Overall, One study was included for qualitative analysis owing to a lack of standard deviation data, and nine studies were included for quantitative analysis.326 male partners of women with recurrent pregnancy loss and 124 fertile men were included in this study.The primary outcome was the rate of sperm aneuploidy. Pooled data from three studies with sufficient data suggested that male partners of women with a history of RPL had significantly higher rates of total sperm aneuploidy compared with the partners of fertile control women(SMD: 1.07, 95% CI: 0.39–1.75, P < 0.01). In the qualitative analysis, the RPL group had a greater percentage of sperm aneuploidy, Conclusions:Qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis suggested an association between total sperm aneuploidy and RPL. However, for some specific type of sperm aneuploidy, male partners of women with a history of RPL had similar rates as fertile men. Further studies are needed owing to the significant heterogeneity between studies and lack of prospective pregnancy outcome data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficiency of alighting and boarding plays an important role in station service level, train timetable making, etc. This paper proposes an improved social force model to investigate the effect of waiting area design at the metro platform on passengers' alighting and boarding behaviors. Train timetable is considered for the description of the desired speed, and the desired direction is determined depending on different spatial partitioning of train door. Simulation results show that the design of waiting area indeed affects the alighting and boarding efficiency. With the change of civilization degree, and the number of boarding passengers and alighting passengers, the most frequently used type I waiting areas show more advantages than the type II waiting area in reducing the total travel time and the probability of deadlock in most conditions, which reflects that it would be best to adopt the type I waiting areas in the practical design. Moreover, the travel efficiency achieves the highest when passengers fully comply the rule of alighting first, which further indicates that compliance with civilized rules is more conducive to traffic and should be encouraged. This study can provide theoretical supports for the design of metro platform, thereby improving the station service level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hydrogel is a three-dimensional (3D) network structure formed through polymer crosslinking, and these have emerged as a popular research topic in recent years. Hydrogel crosslinking can be classified as physical, chemical, or enzymatic, and photocrosslinking is a branch of chemical crosslinking. Compared with other methods, photocrosslinking can control the hydrogel crosslinking initiation, crosslinking time, and crosslinking strength using light. Owing to these properties, photocrosslinked hydrogels have important research prospects in tissue engineering, in situ gel formation, 3D bioprinting, and drug delivery. Methacrylic anhydride modification is a common method for imparting photocrosslinking properties to polymers, and graft -substituted polymers can be photocrosslinked under UV irradiation. In this review, we first introduce the characteristics of common natural polysaccharide- and protein-based hydrogels and the processes used for methacrylate group modification. Next, we discuss the applications of methacrylated natural hydrogels in tissue engineering. Finally, we summarize and discuss existing methacrylated natural hydrogels in terms of limitations and future developments. We expect that this review will help researchers in this field to better understand the synthesis of methacrylate-modified natural hydrogels and their applications in tissue engineering. [Display omitted] • The characteristics and methacrylated modification process of natural macromolecular hydrogels were displayed. • The applications of methacrylated natural macromolecular hydrogels in tissue engineering were summarized. • The different processing methods of methacrylated natural macromolecular hydrogels were presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encapsulation of Cu nanoparticles by carbon chain mail is a promising approach to extend the service endurance. However, the diffusion of oxygen across the surfaces and interfaces of Cu nanoparticles (NPs) may induce obvious changes to their surface compositions, thereby dramatically altering catalytic properties. Here we reported an unanticipated boosting catalytic activity of graphitic chain mail-encapsulated Cu nanocatalysts (1.3- to 6.8-fold enhancement from initial 1.6–13.4 s−1g−1 to stable 6.6–21.5 s−1g−1) for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol by simply immersing these NPs in water for 10 days without any further treatment. The graphitic shells were arc-converted from sixteen types of biomass residuals and polymeric wastes. The rising catalytic activity was attributed to the temporal formation of Cu 2 O at the interface of Cu core and graphite shell, which was derived from the diffusion of dissolved oxygen across the defective graphitic chain mail. The increment of catalytic activity was linearly related with the rising content of Cu 2 O. The monotonous relations of initial and enhanced activities with shell thickness and interfacial composition of NPs were also well established. This work provides a new insight into the interfacial manipulation of core/shell nanocatalysts, and paves a versatile path for the high value-added utilization of carbon wastes. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports a rare case of biliary obstruction caused by live Fasciola hepatica, a parasite. A 46-year-old female presented with upper abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Diagnostic tests revealed biliary obstruction and dilation of the bile ducts. During surgery, a live parasite was found in the common bile duct. The article highlights the challenges in diagnosing this condition and suggests that improved imaging techniques could help differentiate between biliary stones and parasitic infections in the future. [Extracted from the article]