Search

The nuclear and magnetic structures of CaxSr2−xWMnO6 (x = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5) have been investigated by neutron diffraction at 295, 30 or 40 K, and 4 or 5 K. The compounds crystallized in the monoclinic symmetry with a space group P21/n. The nuclear structure consists of ordered WO6 and Mn2+O6 octahedral frameworks, with lattice constant a decreasing more rapidly than b with increasing Ca content. No structural change was found around the magnetic transition temperature, although the Mn octahedron below the magnetic order temperature exhibited a slightly compressed Jahn–Teller distortion (0.1–0.3 Å) along the c axis. A standard magnetic model was used to solve the magnetic structure, with the Mn magnetic moments ferromagnetically coupled along the a axis and anti-ferromagnetically coupled along the b and c axes, resulting in a magnetic propagation vector of k = (0,1/2, 1/2) and a magnetic superlattice of 1a × 2b × 2c. In each crystallographic cell, the Mn1–Mn2 atoms are antiferromagnetically configurated, compensating the total moment to zero by symmetry. A layer-type magnetism along the (111) crystallographic plane was confirmed to couple antiferromagnetically between these planes and ferromagnetically within them. The magnetic structure refinement confirmed an average Mn moment of 4.5 μB. Also, it reveals that the collinear magnetic Mn configuration has three possible spin orientations, namely, (with their standard deviation) [μx = (3.3 ± 0.4) μB, μy = (2.5 ± 0.3) μB, μz = (−0.7 ± 0.7) μB], [μx = (3.0 ± 0.4) μB, μy = (0.5 ± 0.2) μB, μz = (−2.8 ± 0.2) μB, and [μx = (−1.8 ± 0.4) μB, μy = (2.9 ± 0.2) μB, μz = (−2.4 ± 0.3) μB. The first configuration is estimated to be the ground state, while the other magnetic configurations are an optimum local value derived from the refinements. Combined with the density functional theory calculations, these experimental results confirm a high-spin state Mn2+ (d5) electron configuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under appropriate parameters, medical ultrasound can induce immunogenic cell death via thermal and/or nonthermal effects, activating a certain degree of antitumor immunity in cancer mouse models. Different types of sono-responsive biomaterials have been coupled to immunomodulators, which can be released into the tumor microenvironment under ultrasonic irradiation. Systems that integrate sonosensitizers and immunologically active agents generating reactive oxygen species can result in a combined therapeutic effect upon ultrasound exposure in certain cancer mouse models. Following ultrasound treatment, certain engineered bacterial or cellular approaches can trigger antitumor immune responses in certain cancer mouse models. Current cancer immunotherapy suffers from limited response rates, variable efficacies, and immune-related adverse events. One alternative strategy is to use emerging sono-immunotherapeutic approaches via biomedical ultrasound, which can serve as a switch to induce direct therapy as well as further antitumor immune responses. Understanding the process of sono-immunomodulation and the potencies of several novel strategies based on sono-immunomodulatory agents can accelerate the development and transformation of immunotherapy for certain cancers and, ideally, for other diseases. Owing to its remarkable ease of use, ultrasound has recently been explored for stimulating or amplifying immune responses during cancer therapy, termed 'sono-immunotherapy'. Ultrasound can cause immunogenic cell death in cancer cells via thermal and nonthermal effects to regulate the tumor microenvironment, thereby priming anticancer immunity; by integrating well-designed biomaterials, novel sono-immunotherapy approaches with augmented efficacy can also be developed. Here, we review the advances in sono-immunotherapy for cancer treatment and summarize existing limitations along with potential trends. We offer emerging insights into this realm, which might prompt breakthroughs and expand its potential applications to other diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of abundant spatio-temporal information based on the location of mobile objects in publicly accessible GPS mobile devices makes it crucial to collect, analyze, and mine such information. Therefore, it is necessary to index a large volume of trajectory data to facilitate efficient trajectory retrieval and access. It is difficult for existing indexing methods that primarily rely on data-driven indexing structures (such as R-Tree) or space-driven indexing structures (such as Quadtree) to support efficient analysis and computation of data based on spatio-temporal range queries as a service basis, especially when applied to massive trajectory data. In this study, we propose a massive GPS data storage and indexing method based on uneven spatial segmentation and trajectory optimization segmentation. Primarily, the method divides GPS trajectories in a large spatio-temporal data space into multiple MBR sequences by greedy algorithm. Then, a hybrid indexing model for segmented trajectories is constructed to form a global spatio-temporal segmentation scheme, called HHBITS index, to achieve hierarchical organization of trajectory data. Eventually, a spatio-temporal range query processing method is proposed based on this index. This paper implements and evaluates the index in MongoDB and compares it with two other spatio-temporal composite indexes for performing spatio-temporal range queries efficiently. The experimental results show that the method in this paper has high performance in responding to spatio-temporal queries on large-scale trajectory data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is a serious health problem to be solved. With the development of biomaterials, enhanced diagnostic and controllable therapeutic strategies for cancer have emerged, revealing encouraging results with a promising future. Due to its outstanding tissue penetration and controllability, along with a series of bioeffects on tissues, ultrasound (US), as a common medical technology, has been regarded as an effective tool against cancer, and its use has promoted the exploration of US‐sensitive biomaterials. In this review, the bioeffects of US are first introduced and then the main US‐sensitive biomaterials (containing cavitation nuclei, sonosensitizers, and US‐responsive macromolecular systems) used to treat cancer, followed by a summary of several applications based on US‐sensitive biomaterials, from diagnosis to therapy. Finally, the emerging challenges in this field that need to be overcome are highlighted. This review reports the progress of US‐sensitive biomaterials, providing new possibilities in cancer theranostics and thus benefiting patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peritoneal fibrosis (PF) is the main complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD) and the most common cause of cessation from PD. There is still no effective therapeutic approach to reserve PF. We aimed to investigate the role of miR-132-3p and underlying potential mechanisms in PF. Methods: A total of 18 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided randomly into three groups (n = 6): (i)Control group (ii)PF group (iii)PF+Losartan group; Rats in the PF group and PF+Losartan group received daily intraperitoneal injections of 3 mg/kg chlorhexidine for 14 days, and rats in the PF+Losartan group simultaneously received daily intraperitoneal injections of 2 mg/kg losartan for 14 days. The control group was injected with saline in the same volume. Met-5A cells were treated for 24h with TGF-β1 dissolved in recombinant buffered saline at a concentration of 10 ng/ml, meanwhile, PBS solution as a negative control. The human peritoneal solution was collected for the detection of miR-132-3p. Results: In vivo, SD rats were infused with chlorhexidine to establish PF model, and we found that miR-132-3p significantly decreased and the expressions of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), and Smad2/3 were up-regulated in PF. In vitro, miR-132-3p mimics suppressed TGF-β1/Smad2/3 activity, whereas miR-132-3p inhibition activated the pathway. In human peritoneal solution, we found that the expression of miR-132-3p decreased in a time-dependent model and its effect became more pronounced with longer PD duration. Conclusion: MiR-132-3p ameliorated PF by suppressing TGF-β1/Smad2/3 activity, suggesting that miR-132-3p represented a potential therapeutic approach for PF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document discusses the challenges of diagnosing the causes of unexplained child deaths and presents a study on the use of molecular autopsy to identify genetic variations associated with these deaths. Traditional autopsies are not always acceptable to parents due to religious and cultural beliefs, so molecular autopsy, which involves DNA sequencing, offers a promising alternative. The study used stored neonatal dried blood spots to conduct clinical exome sequencing and found that 88.9% of cases had genetic variations associated with the cause of death. The study suggests that molecular autopsies using clinical exome sequencing can be a feasible and effective method for investigating unexplained child deaths. [Extracted from the article]

Background: The growth-regulating factor-interacting factor (GIF) gene family plays a vital role in regulating plant growth and development, particularly in controlling leaf, seed, and root meristem homeostasis. However, the regulatory mechanism of heteromorphic leaves by GIF genes in Populus euphratica as an important adaptative trait of heteromorphic leaves in response to desert environment remains unknown. Results: This study aimed to identify and characterize the GIF genes in P. euphratica and other five Salicaceae species to investigate their role in regulating heteromorphic leaf development. A total of 27 GIF genes were identified and characterized across six Salicaceae species (P. euphratica, Populus pruinose, Populus deltoides, Populus trichocarpa, Salix sinopurpurea, and Salix suchowensis) at the genome-wide level. Comparative genomic analysis among these species suggested that the expansion of GIFs may be derived from the specific Salicaceae whole-genome duplication event after their divergence from Arabidopsis thaliana. Furthermore, the expression data of PeGIFs in heteromorphic leaves, combined with functional information on GIF genes in Arabidopsis, indicated the role of PeGIFs in regulating the leaf development of P. euphratica, especially PeGIFs containing several cis-acting elements associated with plant growth and development. By heterologous expression of the PeGIF3 gene in wild-type plants (Col-0) and atgif1 mutant of A. thaliana, a significant difference in leaf expansion along the medial-lateral axis, and an increased number of leaf cells, were observed between the overexpressed plants and the wild type. Conclusion: PeGIF3 enhances leaf cell proliferation, thereby resulting in the expansion of the central-lateral region of the leaf. The findings not only provide global insights into the evolutionary features of Salicaceae GIFs but also reveal the regulatory mechanism of PeGIF3 in heteromorphic leaves of P. euphratica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mortality rates for patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) remain unacceptably high compared to the general population, and more specific information about the causes of death is not known. The study aimed to develop and validate a risk prediction model that uses common clinical factors to predict the probability of cardiovascular events in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. The study involved 3488 adult patients who received regular scheduled hemodialysis treatment at 20 hemodialysis centers in southwest China between June 2015 and August 2020, with follow-up until August 2021. The optimal parameter set was identified by multivariable Cox regression analyses and Cross-LASSO regression analyses and was used to establish a nomogram for predicting the risk of cardiovascular events in maintenance hemodialysis patients at 3 and 5 years. The performance of the model was evaluated using the consistency index (Harrell’s C-index), the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and calibration plots. The model was validated by tenfold cross-validation and bootstrapping with 1000 resamples. In the derivation cohort, the model yields an AUC of 0.764 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.737–0.790] and 0.793 [CI, 0.757–0.829] for predicting the risk of cardiovascular events of MHD patients at 3 and 5 years. In the internal validation cohort AUC of 0.803 [95% CI, 0.756–0.849], AUC of 0.766 [95% CI, 0.686–0.846], and the external validation cohort AUC of 0.826 [95% CI, 0.765–0.888], AUC of 0.817 [95% CI, 0.745–0.889] at 3 and 5 years. The model’s calibration curve is close to the ideal diagonal. By tenfold cross-validation analyses, the 3- and 5-year risk of cardiovascular events (AUC 0.732 and 0.771, respectively). By the bootstrap resampling method, the derivation cohort and validation cohort (Harrell’s C-index 0.695 and 0.667, respectively) showed good uniformity with the model. The constructed model accurately predicted cardiovascular events of MHD patients in the 3rd and 5th years after dialysis. And the further research is needed to determine whether use of the risk prediction tool improves clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tumor cells frequently suffer from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Previous studies have extensively elucidated the role of tumorous unfolded protein response in melanoma cells, whereas the effect on tumor immunology and the underlying mechanism remain elusive. Methods: Bioinformatics, biochemical assays and pre-clinical mice model were employed to demonstrate the role of tumorous inositol-requiring transmembrane kinase/endoribonuclease 1α (IRE1α) in anti-tumor immunity and the underlying mechanism. Results: We firstly found that IRE1α signaling activation was positively associated with the feature of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Then, pharmacological ER stress induction by HA15 exerted prominent anti-tumor effect in immunocompetent mice and was highly dependent on CD8+T cells, paralleled with the reshape of immune cells in tumor microenvironment via tumorous IRE1α-XBP1 signal. Subsequently, tumorous IRE1α facilitated the expression and secretion of multiple chemokines and cytokines via XBP1-NF-κB axis, leading to increased infiltration and anti-tumor capacity of CD8+T cells. Ultimately, pharmacological induction of tumorous ER stress by HA15 brought potentiated therapeutic effect along with anti-PD-1 antibody on melanoma in vivo. Conclusions: Tumorous IRE1α facilitates CD8+T cells-dependent anti-tumor immunity and improves immunotherapy efficacy by regulating chemokines and cytokines via XBP1-NF-κB axis. The combination of ER stress inducer and anti-PD-1 antibody could be promising for increasing the efficacy of melanoma immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimal serum magnesium level of patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) with cognitive impairment is still unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between serum magnesium levels and mild cognitive impairment among HD patients. This was a multicenter observational study. Patients undergoing hemodialysis from 22 dialysis centers in Guizhou Province, China were recruited into the study. HD patients were divided into five groups according to serum magnesium quintile. Cognitive function was measured with Mini Mental State Examination. The outcome was an incident mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Multivariate logistic regression analysis, restricted cubic spline and subgroup analysis were applied to explore the association of serum magnesium level with MCI. Among 3562 HD patients (mean age 54.3 years, 60.1% male), the prevalence of MCI was 27.2%. After adjusting for confounders, serum magnesium 0.41–0.83 mmol/L [odds ratios (OR) 1.55, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10–2.18] had a higher risk of MCI compared with serum magnesium of 1.19–1.45 mmol/L. A U-shaped association was identified between the serum magnesium and incident MCI (P for non-linearity = 0.004). The optimal range of magnesium level with the lowest risk of MCI was 1.12–1.24 mmol/L. As the serum magnesium level was lower than 1.12 mmol/L, the risk of MCI decreased by 24% per standard deviation (SD) increase in serum magnesium (OR 0.76, 95%CI: 0.62–0.93); when the serum magnesium level exceeds 1.24 mmol/L, a rise per SD increased the risk of MCI by 21% (OR = 1.20, 95%CI: 1.02–1.43). Subgroup analyses demonstrated that the associations were robust among individuals with low educational level, smoking, living alone, no working, and without hypertension or diabetes. Serum magnesium has a U-shaped association with MCI among HD patients. Both lower and higher serum magnesium can increase the risk of MCI for this population specifically. The optimal serum magnesium range with the lowest risk of MCI was 1.12–1.24 mmol/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stimulus‐responsive room temperature phosphorescent (RTP) materials have endowed wide potential applications. In this work, by introducing naphthalene and spiropyran (SP) into polyacrylamide as the energy donor and acceptor respectively, a new kind of brilliant dynamic color‐tunable amorphous copolymers were prepared with good stability and processibility, and afterglow emissions from green to orange in response to the stimulus of photo or acid, thanks to multi‐responsibility of SP and the energy transfer between naphthalene and SP. In addition to the deeply exploring of the inherent mechanism, these copolymers have been successfully applied in dynamically controllable applications in information protection and delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stimulus‐responsive room temperature phosphorescent (RTP) materials have endowed wide potential applications. In this work, by introducing naphthalene and spiropyran (SP) into polyacrylamide as the energy donor and acceptor respectively, a new kind of brilliant dynamic color‐tunable amorphous copolymers were prepared with good stability and processibility, and afterglow emissions from green to orange in response to the stimulus of photo or acid, thanks to multi‐responsibility of SP and the energy transfer between naphthalene and SP. In addition to the deeply exploring of the inherent mechanism, these copolymers have been successfully applied in dynamically controllable applications in information protection and delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate and reliable estimation of photovoltaic models holds immense significance within the realm of energy systems. In pursuit of this objective, a Boosting Flower Pollination Algorithm (BFPA) was introduced to facilitate the robust identification of photovoltaic model parameters and enhance the conversion efficiency of solar energy into electrical energy. The incorporation of a Gaussian distribution within the BFPA serves the dual purpose of conserving computational resources and ensuring solution stability. A population clustering strategy is implemented to steer individuals in the direction of favorable population evolution. Moreover, adaptive boundary handling strategies are deployed to mitigate the adverse effects of multiple individuals clustering near problem boundaries. To demonstrate the reliability and effectiveness of the BFPA, it is initially employed to extract unknown parameters from well-established single-diode, double-diode, and photovoltaic module models. In rigorous benchmarking against eight control methods, statistical tests affirm the substantial superiority of the BFPA over these controls. Furthermore, the BFPA successfully extracts model parameters from three distinct commercial photovoltaic cells operating under varying temperatures and light irradiances. A meticulous statistical analysis of the data underscores a high degree of consistency between simulated data generated by the BFPA and observed data. These successful outcomes underscore the potential of the BFPA as a promising approach in the field of photovoltaic modeling, offering substantial enhancements in both accuracy and reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread application of electrochemical energy conversion devices, such as proton exchange membrane fuel cells, is hindered by the kinetically sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode. Transition‐metal and nitrogen codoped carbon materials (TM−N−C) are among the most promising catalysts to solve this problem. Particularly, dual‐metal TM−N−C have already displayed excellent performance. However, further knowledge on the reaction mechanism and the structure−activity relationship is still required. In this study, we established three dual‐metal TM−N−C models (FeMn−N−C, FeCo−N−C, and FeNi−N−C) to investigate the electronic interaction between the metallic sites and their corresponding adsorption strength for oxygenated intermediates in ORR electrocatalysis. Then, using density functional theory calculations, we determined that the ORR activity of the dual‐metal TM−N−C models followed the order of FeCo−N−C > FeNi−N−C > FeMn−N−C. We confirmed the theoretically predicted activity by synthesizing atomically dispersed FeMn−N−C, FeCo−N−C, and FeNi−N−C catalysts using metal‐organic framework precursors, among which FeCo−N−C showed the best results in terms of ORR onset potential and half‐wave potential (0.92 and 0.81 V vs. the reference hydrogen electrode in 0.1 M HClO4, respectively.). The results demonstrate the feasibility of the theory‐guided rational design of efficient dual‐metal catalysts for ORR electrocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LiPON), as an intermediate layer, can address the poor compatibility that exists between the LiCoO2 cathode and the polyethylene oxide (PEO) electrolyte. At the cut-off voltage of 4.5 V, the as-assembled all-solid-state Li battery with the inorganic/polymer bilayer electrolyte delivers an initial discharge capacity of 173 mA h g−1 and 87% capacity retention rate after 100 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop a 3D wheel-rail adhesion model under wet condition, which considers the generated surface roughness topography and the traditional braking procedure for high-speed trains. Design/methodology/approach: Wheel-rail adhesion has an important effect on the braking ability of railway vehicle. Based on the deterministic mixed lubrication approach, the model was solved to get the adhesion characteristics of the train during braking. The elastic deformation was calculated with the discrete convolution and fast Fourier transform method. The simulation results of adhesion coefficient were compared with the experimental values. The wheel-rail adhesion characteristics of train braking at several different initial speeds were investigated. The effects of the time-step length and roughness orientation on the contact load ratio were also discussed. Findings: The results show that the adhesion coefficient of the numerical model is in good agreement with the experimental results. At the instant of braking, the adhesion coefficient drops to a lower adhesion level, the value of adhesion coefficient is lower than 0.06, especially at a higher speed (200, 300 and 400 km/h). Originality/value: It can provide a better understanding of the low adhesion phenomenon of train braking under wet condition. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-02-2023-0040/ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the general population, metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment, including global and specific cognitive domains. These associations are not well studied in patients undergoing hemodialysis and were the focus of the current investigation. Methods: In this multicenter cross-sectional study, 5492 adult hemodialysis patients (3351 men; mean age: 54.4 ± 15.2 years) treated in twenty-two dialysis centers of Guizhou, China were included. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was utilized to assess mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MetS was diagnosed with abdominal obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia. Multivariate logistic and linear regression models were used to examine the associations of MetS, its components, and metabolic scores with the risk of MCI. Restricted cubic spline analyses were performed to explore the dose–response associations. Results: Hemodialysis patients had a high prevalence of MetS (62.3%) and MCI (34.3%). MetS was positively associated with MCI risk with adjusted ORs of 1.22 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08–1.37, P = 0.001]. Compared to no MetS, adjusted ORs for MCI were 2.03 (95% CI 1.04–3.98) for 22.51 (95% CI 1.28–4.90) for 3, 2.35 (95% CI 1.20–4.62) for 4, and 2.94 (95% CI 1.48–5.84) for 5 components. Metabolic syndrome score, cardiometabolic index, and metabolic syndrome severity score were associated with increased risk of MCI. Further analysis showed that MetS was negatively associated with MMSE score, orientation, registration, recall and language (P < 0.05). Significant interaction effect of sex (P for interaction = 0.012) on the MetS-MCI was observed. Conclusion: Metabolic syndrome was associated with MCI in hemodialysis patients in a positive dose–response effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to develop a simple, rapid, and efficient pretreatment method using a supramolecular solvent as the extractant combined with high‐performance liquid chromatography‐ultraviolet to detect benzimidazole residues in environmental soil. The supramolecular solvent was composed of long‐chain alcohols, tetrahydrofuran, and water in proportion, showing excellent solubility and polarity range, so a supramolecular solvent microextraction method was established. The optimum method was identified by optimizing the types of long‐chain alcohols, the alcohol/tetrahydrofuran ratio, the pH, the amount of extractant, and the extraction time. The detection limits were 12.1–39.9 μg/kg with a relative standard deviation between 1.2% and 3.2% (n = 6). The recoveries ranged between 56.6% and 86.1%, and the linear relationship was good. The correlation coefficient (r2) was 0.9843 ‐ 0.9998. This method was then used to measure five benzimidazoles (thiabendazole, albendazole sulfone, ophendazole, albendazole, and fendazole) in soil samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The realization of efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) significantly depends on the development of durable and effective semiconductor photocatalysts. Copper indium sulfide (CuInS 2) is an emerging ternary chalcogenide semiconductor material for solar-to-chemical energy application, because it possesses a suitable bandgap, environment-friendly elements, and a low melting point. CuInS 2 -based semiconductor photocatalysts have been investigated for PHE via water splitting, but current PHE performance still has difficulty in meeting commercial application requirements and needs to be further improved. In this review, the basic semiconductor properties of CuInS 2 , including its crystal and band structures, are introduced, and its PHE mechanism is discussed in detail. The PHE performance of CuInS 2 -based photocatalysts is systematically discussed, with a focus on morphology, engineered structure, and heterojunction construction. Finally, issues and challenges currently encountered in the PHE application of CuInS 2 -based photocatalysts and their possible solutions are presented. [Display omitted] • The article focuses on photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) using CuInS 2 as photocatalyst. • Semiconductor properties of CuInS 2 is suitable for efficient PHE. • The strategies that enhance PHE rate of CuInS 2 are summarized. • Limitations and future prospects of CuInS 2 -based photocatalysts have also been reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Children with idiopathic scoliosis (IS) have a high risk of osteoporosis and IS with low bone mineral density (BMD) are susceptible to curve progression. This review aims to explore the risk factors of low BMD in children with IS. Methods: Studies were retrieved from 5 databases that were published up to January 2022. Search terms are keywords in titles or abstracts, including subject headings related to "Scoliosis", "Bone Mineral Density", and "Risk Factors". Observational studies on risk factors of low BMD in children with IS were enrolled in this review. The number of studies, sample size, outcome measures, research type, endocrine, and lifestyle-related factors, gene/signal pathway, and other contents were extracted for qualitative analysis. Results: A total of 56 studies were included in this scoping review. Thirty studies involved genetic factors that may affect BMD, including the Vitamin-D receptor gene, RANK/RANKL signal pathway, the function of mesenchymal stem cells, Runx2, Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and miR-145/β-catenin pathway. Eight studies mentioned the influence of endocrine factors on BMD, and the results showed that serum levels of IL-6, leptin and its metabolites, and ghrelin in children with IS were different from the age-matched controls. In addition, there were 18 articles on lifestyle-related factors related to low BMD in children with IS, consisting of physical activity, calcium intake, Vitamin D level, and body composition. Conclusions: Genetic, endocrine, and lifestyle-related factors might relate to low BMD and even osteoporosis in IS. To prevent osteoporosis, the effectiveness of regular screening for low BMD risk factors in children with IS needs to be investigated. Additionally, clear risk factors suggest strategies for bone intervention. Future studies should consider the effectiveness of calcium and vitamin D supplements and physical activity in BMD improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Osteoporosis is a risk factor for idiopathic scoliosis (IS) progression, but it is still unclear whether IS patients have bone mineral density (BMD) loss and a higher risk of osteoporosis than asymptomatic people. This systematic review aims to explore the differences in BMD and prevalence of osteoporosis between the IS group and the control group. Methods: We searched 5 health science-related databases. Studies that were published up to February 2022 and written in English and Chinese languages were included. The primary outcome measures consisted of BMD z score, the prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia, and areal and volumetric BMD. Bone morphometry, trabecular microarchitecture, and quantitative ultrasound measures were included in the secondary outcome measures. The odds ratio (OR) and the weighted mean difference (WMD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to pool the data. Results: A total of 32 case–control studies were included. The pooled analysis revealed significant differences between the IS group and the control group in BMD z score (WMD −1.191; 95% CI − 1.651 to −0.732, p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed significance in both female (WMD −1.031; 95% CI −1.496 to −0.566, p < 0.001) and male participants (WMD −1.516; 95% CI −2.401 to −0.632, p = 0.001). The prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia in the group with IS was significantly higher than in the control group (OR = 6.813, 95% CI 2.815–16.489, p < 0.001; OR 1.879; 95% CI 1.548–2.281, p < 0.000). BMD measures by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and peripheral quantitative computed tomography showed a significant decrease in the IS group (all p < 0.05), but no significant difference was found in the speed of sound measured by quantitative ultrasound between the two groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Both the male and female IS patients had a generalized lower BMD and an increased prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis than the control group. Future research should focus on the validity of quantitative ultrasound in BMD screening. To control the risk of progression in IS patients, regular BMD scans and targeted intervention are necessary for IS patients during clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cognitive impairment is prevalent in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD), which is related to the nutritional and inflammatory status of this population. Malnutrition-inflammation score (MIS) has been identified as a useful tool to evaluate nutrition and inflammation status. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between MIS and cognitive impairment in HD patients. Methods: This was a multicenter observational cohort study with 1,591 patients undergoing HD. Nutritional and inflammatory status was evaluated with MIS, anthropometric measurements, and body composition assessments. Cognitive function was evaluated with the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). The associations between MIS and cognitive impairment were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression models. Results: Among 1,591 HD patients, the mean MIS was 6.0 ± 2.6. Patients with higher MIS had significantly lower MMSE scores. 311 patients had cognitive impairment. After adjusting clinical confounders, higher MIS was independently associated with increased rate of cognitive impairment both as a categorized variable (OR, 1.358; 95% CI, 1.010–1.825; p = 0.045) and as a continuous variable (OR, 1.113; 95% CI, 1.053–1.178; p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed a stronger association between MIS and cognitive impairment in males, the population with age 41–60 years, and 61–80 years, no smoker, living by oneself, HD combined with or without hemoperfusion as dialysis modality. ROC curve analysis of MIS showed 60.1% sensitivity and 52.0% specificity in predicting cognitive impairment (AUC 0.604; 95% CI 0.567–0.640, p < 0.001). Conclusions: MIS was independently associated with cognitive impairment in HD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the high-temperature mechanical properties of potassium magnesium phosphate cement mortar and the high-temperature resistance of its laminates. Potassium magnesium phosphate cement (MKPC) was prepared by using heavy-burning magnesium oxide and potassium dihydrogen phosphate as the main raw materials, borax as the retarder, and compounded with a certain amount of fly ash and silica fume. The effect of the mass ratio of magnesium to phosphorus (M:P), compounded fly ash and silica fume on the setting time and mechanical properties of MKPC was investigated. Furthermore, based on the better M:P, the compressive strength of MKPC mortar was studied after 3 h of constant temperature at 400 °C, 600 °C, and 800 °C, and the effect of fly ash and silica fume on the high-temperature resistance of MKPC was analyzed. The high-temperature resistance of MKPC was further evaluated by analyzing the temperature variation of potassium magnesium phosphate cement laminate during a constant temperature of 650 °C for 3 h. The results showed that the mechanical properties of potassium magnesium phosphate cement were influenced by different raw material ratios, and the mechanical properties of potassium magnesium phosphate cement were optimal when M:P was 2:1, fly ash was 5% and silica fume was 15%. The internal temperature of MKPC laminate increased slowly with time, and its high-temperature resistance was better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deformable nanovesicles (DNVs) have been widely used in oral mucosal delivery studies of biomolecular drugs. However, their development for oral mucosal preparations has been limited by their physical and chemical instability, the need for small oral volumes, and the complexity of the oral microenvironment. This study aimed to develop a more suitable buccal delivery system for DNVs with improved storage stability. Preliminary stability studies investigated different gel types, the effects of different hydrophilic gel matrices, and matrix temperature sensitivity using DNVs loaded with insulin-phospholipid complex (IPC-DNVs). A temperature-sensitive gel encapsulating IPC-DNVs (IPC-DNV-TSG) prepared with 2% w/v gelatin was stable at 4 °C for three months and maintained an excellent hypoglycemic effect. The delivery efficiency of IPC-DNVs and IPC-DNV-TSG was compared using a TR146 cell model, revealing that cell viability remained high. Cellular uptake was slightly lower for IPC-DNV-TSG than for IPC-DNVs, but total transport did not differ significantly between the two groups, which may have been related to the viscosity of IPC-DNV-TSG and the hydrophilicity, cell adhesion properties, and biocompatibility of gelatin. Moreover, neither IPC-DNVs nor IPC-DNV-TSG induced significant mucosal irritation in rabbit tongue tissue sections. The study findings demonstrate a promising method for possible use as oral mucosal delivery of peptide drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, dramatically improving survival rates of melanoma and lung cancer patients. Nevertheless, immunotherapy is almost ineffective against ovarian cancer (OC) due to its cold tumor immune microenvironment (TIM). Many traditional medications aimed at remodeling TIM are often associated with severe systemic toxicity, require frequent dosing, and show only modest clinical efficacy. In recent years, emerging nanomedicines have demonstrated extraordinary immunotherapeutic effects for OC by reversing the TIM because the physical and biochemical features of nanomedicines can all be harnessed to obtain optimal and expected tissue distribution and cellular uptake. However, nanomedicines are far from being widely explored in the field of OC immunotherapy due to the lack of appreciation for the professional barriers of nanomedicine and pathology, limiting the horizons of biomedical researchers and materials scientists. Herein, a typical cold tumor‐OC is adopted as a paradigm to introduce the classification of TIM, the TIM characteristics of OC, and the advantages of nanomedicines for immunotherapy. Subsequently, current nanomedicines are comprehensively summarized through five general strategies to substantially enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy by heating the cold OC. Finally, the challenges and perspectives of this expanding field for improved development of clinical applications are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With thrust weight ratio increasing, integral panel is an important component to reduce the aircraft weight, and it is a great challenge to ensure the forming accuracy and mechanical property in the large-scale panel. Laser shock forming has a great development prospect in realizing integral panel forming and improving its mechanical properties. This work investigated unequal alternate double-sided laser shock forming, which can make 7075 aluminum panel form and induce the hardened layers in both panel sides. The improvements were analyzed in mechanical properties and microstructure evolution of 7075 aluminum panels after unequal alternate double-sided laser shock forming. In the surface and subsurface layer, the residual stress and microhardness were verified to be enhanced by the laser shock wave. The results of XRD and EBSD provided the evidence of grain refinement. The strengthening mechanism of unequal alternate double-sided laser shock forming was analyzed in this work. The grains are distorted and refined during high strain rate plastic deformation due to dislocation slip and accumulation. The mechanical properties were enhanced by unequal alternate double-sided laser shock forming due to the hardened layers in both panel sides. The hardened layers and grain refinement have a great significance in inhibiting the crack generation and growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: ABCB1 overexpression significantly desensitized both drug-selected and gene-transfected cells, which overexpress ABCB1, to OTS964 and that this drug resistance can be antagonized by verapamil, a known ABCB1 inhibitor. Consistently, a similar trend was observed in tumor-bearing mice. OTS964 stimulated ATPase activity of ABCB1 and upregulated expression levels of ABCB1, resulting in induced resistance to other ABCB1 substrate-drugs, such as paclitaxel. OTS964 received a comparable affinity score and can dock into the substrate-binding site of human ABCB1 protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pneumatic actuators exhibit significant potential across various applications owing to their compliance, yet achieving precise motion control remains challenging due to rate-dependent and asymmetric hysteresis. While the Prandtl–Ishlinskii model adeptly captures intricate hysteresis traits, its practical control usage often necessitates intricate inversions, resulting in elevated computational burden and limited accommodation of system uncertainties and model inaccuracies. This study introduces an online, rate-dependent modified generalized Prandtl–Ishlinskii model derived via the gradient descent algorithm. This model is seamlessly amalgamated with a model predictive control strategy, addressing the inversion challenge inherent in the Prandtl–Ishlinskii model. Leveraging integration with a three-layer fuzzy neural network controller, the proposed approach achieves closed-loop trajectory tracking control for a soft bending pneumatic muscle. Convergence analysis, grounded in Lyapunov theory, underscores the efficacy of the proposed model. Comprehensive real-world comparative experiments affirm the approach’s effectiveness and reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Simple one-step synthesis of porous metal oxide desulfurizers. • Suitable for desulfurization in harsh, high-temperature environments. • Equimolar SO 2 adsorption by metal oxide absorbents. • High selectivity and good cyclic adsorption performance. • Identification of the adsorption process as Pseudo-second order model process. A series of novel porous metal oxides (MO, M = Mg, Ca, Ba, Mn and Zn) adsorbents were synthesized through simple thermal treatment of the corresponding metal sulfite for the remotion of sulfur dioxide (SO 2). The obtained MO adsorbents were characterized by various techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and nitrogen adsorption studies. The results show that the SO 2 adsorption capacity of manganese oxide (MnO) is much higher than that of other MO. And due to its highly dispersed and large specific surface area, especially its well-developed pore structure, equimolar adsorption of SO 2 can be achieved for the first time among similar SO 2 adsorbents. In addition, different sources of MnO were explored and it was found that the MnO obtained from the decomposition of MnSO 3 had the highest SO 2 adsorption capacity. Adsorption kinetic studies show that the reaction between MnO and SO 2 conforms to the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation. Furthermore, it was found through seven-cycle experiments that the adsorption amount tended to stabilize in each of the following cycles, except for the first high temperature, which led to changes in the adsorbent and a decrease in cycling performance. This strategy has three advantages: one-step preparation at low temperatures, equimolar adsorption of SO 2 as well as good reusability and selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Electrochemical biosensors combining duplex-specific nuclease and rolling circle amplification. • Surface modification of gold electrodes with streptavidin. • Quantitative analysis of influenza virus H1N1 based on current signal. Infectious diseases caused by the influenza virus are the primary global concern. This study aimed to develop an electrochemical biosensor for detecting influenza A H1N1 virus based on duplex-specific nuclease (DSN) and rolling circle amplification (RCA) technologies. A single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) probe, comprising a recognition sequence for a target sequence of influenza virus H1N1-specific RNA sequence and primer sequence for initiating RCA, was designed and synthesized. A specific sequence of target H1N1 RNA triggered cyclical DSN cleavage of the probe. The released primer sequence then initiated RCA to generate detectable ssDNA-labeled multiple biotins. ssDNA was captured by streptavidin (SA) on the electrode surface and labeled with free Streptavidin-Horseradish Peroxidase (SA-HRP). The H1N1 influenza virus was quantitatively analyzed based on the changing current signal generated on the electrode surface. A linear range from 10 pM to 100 nM and a limit of detection of 0.44 pM were recorded. In addition, the biosensor demonstrated excellent selectivity, repeatability, and stability for analyzing H1N1 in real samples. This biosensor could be applied for the clinical diagnosis of influenza A H1N1 virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to propose a new three-dimensional wheel-rail adhesion model under wet condition which considers insufficient water supply, the measured surface roughness and dynamic effect of the vehicle and track coupling system. Firstly, a longitudinal vehicle/track coupling dynamic model (LVTDM) was developed to obtain the dynamic parameters and contact points trace in curved track. Then, an improved numerical method was used to solve the transient general starved Reynolds equations, utilizing the input dynamic parameters acquired from the LVTDM. The numerical model was validated under the starved steady condition for the smooth surface and subsequently applied to investigate wheel and rail contact behaviors under wet condition. The results show that the effect of starvation on the wheel-rail rolling contact behaviours becomes significant when the inlet film thickness is less than 1000 nm for smooth surface. The numerical results were also compared with experimental results conducted by a high-speed tribology facility. In addition, the time-dependent characteristics of the wheel-rail rolling contact were obtained at different time instants. The transient wheel-rail adhesion characteristics under wet condition for different train speeds were obtained. The transient wheel-rail adhesion modeling results shows that the train speed has a significant effect on the adhesion ability. • A transient three-dimensional numerical model of wheel/rail adhesion is developed. • Co-simulation of dynamic model and deterministic mixed model are implemented. • Microscopic measured surface roughness and starvation are considered. • Transient wheel/rail contact characteristics are obtained under wet condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glasses such as automobile windshields, mirrors, and lampshades are prone to fogging due to temperature changes, which affects the process of use and even jeopardizes safety. Hydrophilic films can prevent the glass surface from fogging by absorbing condensation droplets. However, the anti-fog film only lasts for a short period because it will gradually dissolve with the moisture increasing, which leads to image distortion. Herein, we propose a hydrophilic/hydrophobic coating to achieve longer anti-fog persistence. The strong interface bonding of the polymer is the key to improving the durability performance of the coating. It prevents interfacial failure and folding caused by fogging conditions. In this paper, a multifunctional coating with good anti-fog and anti-frost properties was prepared using butyl acrylate (BA), acrylic acid (AA) and 4-benzoylphenyl acrylate (BPA) as the polymer monomers. The light transmission of coated glass is up to 90 % even under harsh fogging conditions. The poly(AA- co -BA-co-BPA) can be firmly bonded with the plasma-treated glass plate, which greatly enhances the durability and water resistance of the coating. After being immersed in deionized water for 60 h at room temperature, the coated glass still has a certain anti-fog effect and the light transmittance is maintained at about 85 %. In addition, the anti-fog coating has excellent self-healing properties due to the fact that the carboxyl group in AA can generate hydrogen bonding, so that it can be healed within 15 s with the help of hot water after physical damage. This anti-fog coating has great potential for application in construction, shipbuilding and other industries. [Display omitted] • The anti-fog coating is obtained by free radical polymerization of BA, AA and BPA. • The poly(AA- co -BA-co-BPA) coating exhibits excellent anti-fogging/swelling resistance/self-healing properties. • The coating and the glass are firmly bonded to obtain satisfied mechanical properties. • The coated glass can withstand 60 h of immersion in deionized water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of four newborn screening modes using newborn genomic sequencing (nGS) and traditional biochemical screening (TBS). Prospective clinical study with a total of 1,012 newborn samples from retrospective TBS. Three independent groups performed the study under strict double-blind conditions according to the screening modes: independent biochemical (IBS), independent NeoSeq (INS), sequential (SS), and combined (CS) screening. Using targeted sequencing, the NeoSeq panel included 154 pathogenic genes covering 86 diseases. Of the 1,012 newborns, 120 were diagnosed were diagnosed with genetic diseases Among them, 52 cases were within the scope of TBS and 68 additional cases were identified through nGS. The number of cases detected per screening mode was 50, 113, 56, and 119 for IBS, INS, SS, and CS, respectively. CS was the most satisfactory screening mode, with the detection rate of 99.17%, the specificity and positive predictive value of 100%, and the negative predictive value of 99.89%. In addition, of the 68 cases identified by nGS (96 variants in 31 pathogenic genes), only four participants (5.9%) had clinical manifestations consistent with the disease. The experimental reporting cycles of CS and INS were the shortest. CS was the most satisfactory method for newborn screening, which combined nGS with TBS to improve early diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving both high-volumetric capacitance and high-rate performance in thick pseudocapacitive film materials plays a critical role in facilitating the realization of large-scale electrochemical energy storage. However, MXene (Ti 3 C 2 T x), as a two-dimensional material with a high aspect ratio, is blocked by the industry problem of nanosheets self-stacking when assembled into dense films, which would induce extremely poor ionic mobility and significant attenuation of thick electrode performance. Herein, we create uniform in-plane nanopore defects in MXene nanosheets, and introduce nonvolatile liquids with different water contents, in which the interlaminar structure of holey MXene film can be accurately controlled by the capillary compression generated during evaporation. More importantly, the residual nonvolatile liquids effectively maintain the wettability of MXene surface, making it is easy to obtain compact pseudocapacitive film materials with pore structure connectivity, and allows ions to rapidly transport. The results demonstrate that the liquid-mediated densified holey MXene film can still present high-volumetric capacitance and high-rate performance at the actual mass loading level (>10 mg cm−2), which is of great significance for promoting the advancement of MXene materials from the theoretical elucidation to practical application. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the activity of a nano‐catalyst, a general and quantitative solution to building direct structure–reactivity relationship has not yet been established. On top of the first‐principle‐based kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations, we developed a model to build the adsorption site dependence of the activity. We applied this model to study the nano effects of Cu catalysts in the water‐gas shift reaction. By accumulating the activities of different adsorption sites, our model satisfactorily reproduced the experimental apparent activation energies for catalysts with sizes over hundreds of nanometers, which were out of reach for conventional KMC simulations. Our results disclose that, even for a cubic catalyst with size of 877 nm, its activity can still be closely related to the activity of edge sites, instead of only the exposed Cu(100) facets as might be expected. The present model is expected to be useful for systems that are controlled by the hydrogenation/dehydrogenation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the activity of a nano‐catalyst, a general and quantitative solution to building direct structure–reactivity relationship has not yet been established. On top of the first‐principle‐based kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations, we developed a model to build the adsorption site dependence of the activity. We applied this model to study the nano effects of Cu catalysts in the water‐gas shift reaction. By accumulating the activities of different adsorption sites, our model satisfactorily reproduced the experimental apparent activation energies for catalysts with sizes over hundreds of nanometers, which were out of reach for conventional KMC simulations. Our results disclose that, even for a cubic catalyst with size of 877 nm, its activity can still be closely related to the activity of edge sites, instead of only the exposed Cu(100) facets as might be expected. The present model is expected to be useful for systems that are controlled by the hydrogenation/dehydrogenation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the effect of confinement media and ablative coating, laser shock processing (LSP) is a surface modification processing with properties of high efficiency, cleaning, and non-pollution. At room temperature, water is used as the common confinement media and black tape is used as ablative coating in LSP. However, due to the instability of water and black tape at high temperature, warm laser shock processing (WLSP) favors silicone oil as confinement media and aluminum foil as ablative coating, where aluminum foil is pasted on specimen surface by thin vacuum grease. Due to the differences in confinement media and ablative coating, this work focuses on the effect of confinement media and ablative coating on surface quality and mechanical property of FGH98 powder material treated by LSP. FGH98 specimens were strengthened by LSP at room temperature with different confinement medias and ablative coatings. Three groups were divided based on confinement media and ablative coating: water+black tape, water+aluminum foil, and silicone oil+aluminum foil. The group of black tape and silicone oil was removed for the absence of practical significance in engineering. 2D and 3D surface topography was observed by white-light interference surface profilometer (WLI). In addition, surface microhardness and compressive residual stress were determined. The results show that a circular pit is induced by LSP, and its shape is similar to the shape of the Gaussian curve. Compared with the other groups, the 2D surface topography of the circular pit section in the silicone oil+aluminum foil group is smoother, which would delay crack initiation. After LSP treatment, surface microhardness is improved by 7.8-10.6%, and compressive residual stress raises from 355MPa to 896MPa in the first group. According to the comparison of residual stress and surface quality, the effect of confinement media and ablative coating groups on laser shock pressure is ranked in order: water+black tape > water+aluminum foil > silicone oil+aluminum foil. The main reasons for that group order are that shock pressure may be consumed by grease cream and the reduced acoustic impedance of silicone oil is lower than that of water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients have a high incidence of poor clinical outcomes, which is related to the inflammatory and nutritional status of this population. Platelet-to-albumin ratio (PAR), recently identified as a useful biomarker to monitor inflammation and nutrition, can predict a poor prognosis in various diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between PAR and technique failure and mortality in PD patients. This single-center retrospective study enrolled 405 PD patients from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2019 and collected complete demographic characteristics, clinical laboratory baseline data. The outcomes were technique failure and mortality. The associations between PAR and technique failure, death were analyzed by Cox proportional hazard models and competing risk regression models with kidney transplantation as a competing event. The areas under the curve (AUC) of receiver-operating characteristic analysis were used to determine the predictive values of PAR for technique failure and mortality. During a median follow-up period of 24.0 (range, 4.0–91.0) months, 139 (34.3%) PD patients experienced technique failure, 61 (15.1%) PD patients died. The patients with higher PAR levels had increased risk of technique failure and mortality. After adjustment for confounding factors, we found that high PAR levels were risk factor for both technique failure (subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR] 1.775; 95%CI, 1.157–2.720; p = 0.033] and mortality [SHR 3.710; 95%CI, 1.870–7.360; p < 0.001]. The predictive ability of PAR was superior to platelet and albumin based on AUC calculations for technique failure and mortality. PAR was a risk factor associated with technique failure and mortality in PD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the clinical application of NeoSeq in newborn screening.Methods: Based on the results obtained from traditional newborn screening (NBS) with tandem mass spectrometry (TMS), three cohorts were recruited into the present study: 36 true positive cases (TPC), 60 false-positive cases (FPC), and 100 negative cases. The dried blood spots of the infants were analyzed with NeoSeq, which is based on multiplex PCR amplicon sequencing.Results: Overall, the sensitivity of NeoSeq was 55.6% (20/36) in the detection of TPC. NeoSeq detected disease-related genes in 20 of 36 TPC infants, while it could not identify these genes in eight children. Five cases (3.1%) with disease risk were additionally found in the FPC and NC cohorts. There was a significant difference in the diagnostic time between the two methods-10 days for NeoSeq vs. 43 days for traditional NBS.Conclusions: NeoSeq is an economic genomic screening test for newborn screening. It can detect most inborn errors of metabolism, reduce the rate of false positive results, shorten the porting cycles, and reduce the screening cost. However, it is still necessary to further optimize the panel design and add more clinically relevant genomic variants to increase its sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A modified constitutive model, combining laser shock processing and dynamic strain aging (DSA), is used to obtain the compressive residual stress field of In 718 in warm laser shock processing (WLSP) by ABAQUS VUMAT subroutine. In this work, a constitutive model with DSA is simplified by a single equation to integrate the interactions of face-centered cubic (FCC) and body-centered cubic (BCC) crystal structure. The modified Voyiadjis–Abed–Song (VAS) constitutive model is imported by a procedure code developed independently, including the Mises yield criterion application and parameter update. Based on the constitutive model and Gaussian mode laser wave, the strengthen process of WLSP in In 718 is simulated. For the experiment, 30×30×4 mm In718 specimen is strengthened by WLSP without coating. We analyze the amplitude and distribution of residual stress to explore the effect of temperature in impact regions through experiment and simulation. Predicted by the modified VAS constitutive model, the residual stress predicted by the modified VAS constitutive model agrees well with the experimental data at various temperatures. As a result, temperature softening has obvious effect on the residual stress distribution for In 718 in WLSP at 200°C. At 300°C, the residual stress amplitude has no diminution compared with 200°C due to DSA active, even there is thermal softening. DSA promotes the diffused solute atoms gathering and dislocation multiplication, that makes a flow stress reduce at a temperature range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common metabolic disorders in pregnancy, and a novel association of maternal lipid profile has been suggested to play an important role. However, the molecular mechanism is not clear. Bio-analyzed combined with placental metabonomics and single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) successfully identified a potentially important molecule: α-β hydrolase domain-containing protein 5 (ABHD5). The syncytiotrophoblast (SCT) cell model was adopted as a fusion of BeWo cells in response to forskolin. On this basis, the high glucose-stimulated cell experiment was carried out. 15 women with GDM and 15 normal pregnant women were recruited for validation experiments. ABHD5 was mainly expressed in the trophoblast cells, especially in SCT cells, and significantly decreased in the GDM placenta. After stimulation by high glucose, the expression of ABHD5 was downregulated in a time-dependent manner in BeWo cells treated with forskolin. At the same time, lipid droplets (LDs) were increased in the SCT. LD storage was also increased in the SCT with siABHD5, while it was significantly reduced in SCT cells with high ABHD5 expression. However, this effect could be attenuated by downregulated carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1B (CPT1B). ABHD5-CPT1B is confirmed as an important regulator of placental lipid metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The difference in bending direction and indentation surface morphology of plates with different thicknesses are derived from the plastic flow behaviors under laser shock wave. • The distribution and direction of synthetic/main strain vector are available for shock path design. • Laser parameters are quickly determined by the bending deformation of test plate in experimental and simulation results. Laser shock forming (LSF) is an advanced and flexible forming method that bend thin plate by inducing a high-strain-rate plastic deformation layer under laser shock wave. The forming method can be applied to the complex structure with grooves and stiffeners for the superiority of non-contact and free die. This paper analyzes the plastic flow mechanism of thin plates with different thicknesses under laser shock wave, and proposes an accurate forming strategy for complex shapes in laser shock forming. The indentations on 0.6 mm plates show a smooth upend hat shape after 2–10 J laser shock treatment, while the flat-bottomed indentations with bulges can be found on 3 mm plates shocked by 4–12 J laser beam. The difference in the 3D surface topography of the indentation comes from the plastic flow deformation of the thin plates under the shock wave and the relationship between the influence depth of the shock wave and plate thickness. When the influence depth of shock wave is greater than the plate thickness, the indentation shows a smooth upend hat shape without a bulge, and the plate is bent towards laser beam, and when the influence depth of the shock wave is less than the plate thickness, the indentation has a flat bottom and a circle of bulge, and the plate is bent away from laser beam. Based on the convex bending deformation in laser shock forming, this paper proposes an accurate forming method for complex shapes. The shock region and shock path are determined by the synthetic or main strain of in-plane strain and bending strain obtained from the inverse development of the target shape surface to the initial surface. Obtained from the development of 3D target geometry model to the initial shape, the required bending moment is applied to the test plate model as loads, and the laser parameters are determined by the coincidence of the geometry shape of test plate in experimental and simulation results. The forming efficiency of the process design strategy is verified by the experimental saddle- and cylinder-shaped plate conducted with the designed shock path and reasonable laser parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improper use of antibiotics results in poor treatment and severe bacterial resistance. In this study, ultrafiltration probes were successfully placed in the ileum of piglets with the aid of anesthetic. After the fluoroquinolone antimicrobial drug danofloxacin (DAN) was intramuscularly administered, blood and ileum ultrafiltrate were collected at different time points and then determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Pharmacokinetics (PK) parameters for plasma and ileum ultrafiltrate were calculated by WinNonlin software. The DAN concentration in ileum ultrafiltrate was much higher than that in plasma during the period 1.2–48 h. The DAN concentration in plasma reached its maximum at 1.10 ± 0.03 h, but reached at 6.00 ± 0.00 h in the ileum ultrafiltrate. The mean Cmax of the ileum is 13.59 times that of plasma. The elimination half-life (T1/2β) in the ileum ultrafiltrate (6.84 ± 1.49 h) was shorter than those in plasma (7.58 ± 3.20 h). The MIC, MBC and MPC of DAN in MH broth against Escherichia coli (O158) were 0.5 µg/mL, 0.5 µg/mL and 4 µg/mL, respectively. Both in vitro and ex vivo kill curves indicated that the killing mechanism of DAN against E. coli is concentration-dependent. The AUC/MPC ratio is 21.33 ± 2.14. Mean PK/PD index (AUC24h/MIC) for ileum ultrafiltrate that achieved bacteriostatic, bactericidal, and eradication were 99.85, 155.57, and 218.02 h, respectively. Three different dosages (1.49 mg/kg, 2.42 mg/kg, and 3.24 mg/kg) were calculated respectively based on AUC24h/MIC ratio above, which might provide a novel approach to the rational design of dosage schedules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A refined extended alternating convex optimization (REACO) method is presented to synthesize multibeam sparse circular-arc antenna arrays with minimum element spacing control by considering real antenna array structure characteristics. This method consists of the initial step and a few refining steps. At the initial step, an initial array with dense elements distributed on a circular-arc is considered, and its array manifold vector is described by rotating a simulated isolated element pattern (IEP) without considering element mutual coupling. The collective excitation coefficient vector (CECV) and its energy bound are introduced for each element, and consequently, the common element positions for generating desired multibeam patterns can be found by minimizing the number of active CECVs under multiple constraints. This minimization problem is further formulated as performing a sequence of alternating convex optimization (ACO) in which the CECV and an auxiliary weighting vector are alternately chosen as the optimization variables so that the minimum element spacing constraint can be easily dealt with. Once the initial optimization step is finished, a few refining steps are performed in which the element positions and excitations are successively updated in each step by renewing the array manifold vector through rotating the simulated nearby active element patterns (AEPs) of the antenna array obtained at the previous step. In such a way, the mutual coupling can be incorporated into the multibeam sparse array synthesis. An example of synthesizing a sparse circular-arc conformal array with 23 beams covering the space from −63.25° to 63.25° is conducted to validate the effectiveness and advantage of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deformable nanovesicles (DNVs) have been used in the buccal delivery of biomacromolecules due to their ability to enhance drug penetration. However, no breakthroughs have been made until now due to limited understanding of the factors affecting in vivo buccal delivery. In this study, we designed a series of DNVs, based on an insulin–phospholipid complex (IPC-DNVs), to investigate the influence of drug dose, buccal administration methods, and key quality characteristics of IPC-DNVs for buccal delivery. IPC-DNVs showed a non-linear dose–response relationship between 8 and 12 IU. There was no significant effect of drug delivery site (sublingual mucosa/buccal mucosa) or ligation time (15 or 30 min) on buccal absorption of IPC-DNVs. However, the area above the curve of reduction in blood glucose level overtime (AAC0–6h) for oral mucosa administration was significantly higher than that for buccal mucosa administration. Increasing the drug concentration in IPC-DNVs led to a decrease in AAC0–6h. This might be due to local leakage of DNVs, while squeezing through biological barriers with high concentration of insulin, thus hindering the subsequent delivery of DNVs. IPC-DNVs, measuring 80–220 nm in size, did not significantly affect AAC0–6h. However, when the size was increased to approximately 400 nm, AAC0–6h decreased, thus suggesting that IPC-DNVs with reasonable size were more effective. Additionally, increased deformability of IPC-DNVs might cause drugs to leak easily, thus reducing the promoting effect of buccal absorption. Our results clarified the effect of characteristics of IPC-DNVs on buccal delivery in vivo and provided meaningful support for the design of dosage form of DNVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isoflurane postconditioning alleviates cerebral ischemic–reperfusion injury (CIRI), but the underlying mechanism has not been fully clarified. We previously demonstrated that the transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1)/Smads signaling pathway is involved in the neuroprotective effect of isoflurane postconditioning. TGF-β3 has a highly homologous sequence relative to that of TGF-β1. In this study, we explored the roles of the TGF-β3/Smad3 signaling pathway and myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C) in neuroprotection induced by isoflurane postconditioning. A CIRI rat model was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion for 1.5 h, followed by 24 h of reperfusion. Isoflurane postconditioning led to lower infarct volumes and neurologic deficit scores, more surviving neurons, and less damaged and apoptotic neurons as compared with those of CIRI rats. Moreover, isoflurane postconditioning upregulated the expressions of TGF-β3, p-Smad3, and MEF2C. However, the neuroprotective effect was reversed by pirfenidone, a TGF-β3/Smad3 signaling pathway inhibitor. Also, pirfenidone treatment downregulated the expression of MEF2C. These results indicate that the TGF-β3/Smad3 signaling pathway contributes to the neuroprotection of isoflurane postconditioning after CIRI and is possibly related to MEF2C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing lithium ion capacitors (LICs) with high energy density is still challenging, due to the kinetic mismatch between the capacitor-type cathode and the battery-type anode. In addition, metal-free LICs are preferred over high-cost and unsustainable metal-containing electrode materials. Exploring appropriate metal-free cathode and anode materials with high capacity and excellent rate performance is one of the keys to attain such goal. Herein, nanoarchitectured graphene-based LICs are successfully constructed by using 2D polydopamine-graphene heterostructured anode and porous graphene cathode. The 2D nature of polydopamine-graphene facilitate the transport of electrolyte ions while graphene promotes electron transfer. The high specific surface area of the porous graphene endows ions with accessibility and fast transport. The metal-free LIC device achieves a high energy density (135.6 Wh kg−1 at 210.4 W kg−1), high power density (21.0 kW kg−1 at 78.9 Wh kg−1), high low-temperature performance (76.4 Wh kg−1 at −20 °C), and reasonably long cycling life. This work provides an effective strategy to design metal-free LIC with high performance at wide temperature range. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Apramycin is used exclusively for the treatment of Escherichia coli (E.coli) infections in swine around the world since the early 1980s. Recently, many research papers have demonstrated that apramycin has significant in vitro activity against multidrug-resistant E.coli isolated in hospitals. Therefore, ensuring the proper use of apramycin in veterinary clinics is of great significance of public health. The objectives of this study were to develop a wild-type cutoff for apramycin against E.coli using a statistical method recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and to investigate the prevalence of resistance genes that confer resistance to apramycin in E. coli. Results: Apramycin susceptibility testing of 1230 E.coli clinical isolates from swine were determinded by broth microdilution testing according to the CLSI document M07-A9. A total number of 310 E.coli strains from different minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) subsets (0.5–256 μg/mL) were selected for the detection of resistance genes (aac(3)-IV; npmA; apmA) in E. coli by PCR. The percentage of E. coli isolates at each MIC (0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, and 256 μg/mL) was 0.08, 0.08, 0.16, 2.93, 31.14, 38.86, 12.85, 2.03, 1.46, and 10.41%. The MIC50 and MIC90 were 16 and 64 μg/mL. All the 310 E.coli isolates were negative for npmA and apmA gene, and only the aac(3)-IV gene was detected in this study. Conclusions: The wild-type cutoff for apramycin against E.coli was defined as 32 μg/mL. The prevelance of aac(3)-IV gene mainly concentrated in these MIC subsets ‘MIC ≥ 64 μg/ mL’, which indicates that the wild-type cutoff established in our study is reliable. The wild-type cutoff offers interpretion criteria of apramycin susceptibility testing of E.coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It has been demonstrated that swine waste is an important reservoir for resistant genes. Moreover, the bacteria carrying resistant genes and originating from swine feces and wastewater could spread to the external environment. Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are widely used in livestock and poultry for the treatment of bacterial infection. However, resistance to FQs has increased markedly. Results: In this study, swine feces and wastewater were sampled from 21 swine farms of seven provinces in China to investigate the prevalence of FQ resistance, including plasmid-mediated fluoroquinolone resistance (PMQR) genes and the occurrence of target mutations. All isolates showed moderate rate of resistance to norfloxacin (43.0%), ciprofloxacin (47.6%), ofloxacin (47.0%) and levofloxacin (38.8%). The percentage of strains resistant to the four FQs antimicrobials was positively correlated with the danofloxacin (DANO) MIC. Among the 74 FQ-resistant isolates, 39 (52.70%) had mutations in gyrA (S83L and D87 to N, Y, G, or H), 21 (28.38%) had mutations in parC (S80I and E84K), 2 (2.70%) had mutations in parE (I355T and L416F), 26 (35.14%) had mutations in marR (D67N and G103S), 1 (1.35%) had mutations in acrR (V29G). While, no mutation was found in gyrB. There were 7 (9.46%) strains carried the qnrS gene, 29 (39.19%) strains carried the oqxAB gene, and 9 (12.16%) strains carried the aac (6′)-Ib-cr gene. In addition, the conjugation assays showed that qnrS, oqxAB and aac (6′)-Ib-cr could be successfully transferred to E. coli J53 from 4 (57.1%), 20 (69.0%) and 5 (55.6%) donor strains, respectively. There were no qnrA, qnrB, qnrC, qnrD and qepA genes detected. Conclusion: The present study showed that DANO-resistant E. coli strains isolated from swine farms had significant cross-resistance to other four FQs antimicrobials. Further study revealed that the resistance mechanisms of swine-derived E. coli to FQs may be attributable to the occurrence of chromosomal mutations (gyrA, parC, parE, marR and acrR genes double-site or single-site mutation) and the presence of PMQR genes (qnrS, oqxAB and aac (6′)-Ib-cr). To the best of our knowledge, one novel mutation marR-D67N was found to be associated with FQ resistance, two mutations parE-L416F and acrR-V29G have never been reported in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of interfacial coatings in gas transport dynamics in foam coarsening is often difficult to quantify. The complexity of foam coarsening measurements or gas transport measurements between bubbles requires assumptions about the liquid thin film thickness profile in order to explore the effects of interfacial coatings on gas transport. It should be possible to independently quantify the effects from changes in film thickness and interfacial permeability by using both atomic force microscopy and optical microscopy to obtain time snapshots of this dynamic process. Further, it is expected that the surfactant and polymer interfacial coatings will affect the mass transfer differently. We measure the mass transfer between the same nitrogen microbubbles pairs in an aqueous solution using two methods simultaneously. First, we quantify the bubble volume changes with time via microscopy and second, we use Atomic Force Microscopy to measure the film thickness and mass transfer resistances using a model for the gas transport. Modelling of the interface deformation, surface forces and mass transfer across the thin film agrees with independent measurements of changes in bubble size. We demonstrate that an anionic surfactant does not provide a barrier to mass transfer, but does enhance mass transfer above the critical micelle concentration. In contrast, a polymer monolayer at the interface does restrict mass transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]