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To examine the psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the Moorong Self-Efficacy Scale (MSES-C) among stroke survivors. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 160 stroke survivors recruited from the three neurology departments in China. Reliability, concurrent validity, and construct validity of the scale were determined. The MSES-C whole scale showed good internal consistency with a Cronbach's α of 0.953. There was a moderate to a strong positive correlation between the MSES-C and Chinese version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale (r = 0.695, p < 0.000), a strong positive correlation between the MSES-C and Chinese version of the stroke specific self-efficacy scale (r = 0.801, p < 0.000), positive correlations between the MSES-C and Chinese versions of the Modified Barthel Index (r = 0.695, p < 0.000), and a negative correlation between the MSES-C and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (r = –0.511, p < 0.000). Known-group validity was also supported. The MSES-C is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing self-efficacy in Chinese stroke survivors. The Chinese version of the Moorong Self-Efficacy Scale demonstrated good internal consistency and showed satisfactory concurrent and construct validity among stroke survivors. The Moorong Self-Efficacy Scale can be used to assess stroke recovery among the Chinese population in clinical and research settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology can achieve high-precision and high-efficiency molding of complex and irregularly shaped ceramic components. However, silicon nitride ceramics have high light absorption and large refractive index, leading to poor slurry curable performance and difficulty in molding. This study concentrates on the particle gradation of silicon nitride powder, investigating how varying proportions affect slurry rheology properties, curing properties, and the performance of the sintered body. When the ratio of fine/coarse powder was 7:3, the silicon nitride slurry with a solid content of 45 vol% had a viscosity of 5.4 Pa·s at a shear rate of 30 s−1, a solidification thickness of 42 μm (288 mJ/cm2). The sintered body obtained the flexural strength of 679 MPa, with increases of 26.92% compared to the single coarse powder sample. Additionally, a complex shaped silicon nitride impeller suitable for high-temperature melt transport was successfully fabricated using DLP technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR‐T) cell therapy has emerged as a potent treatment for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, demonstrating significant clinical efficacy. Despite these advances, treatment‐related toxicities, particularly infections, pose a significant challenge to patient safety. Methods: This review synthesizes current knowledge on the mechanisms underlying post‐CAR‐T therapy infections, focusing on the interplay between immune dysfunction, host factors, and treatment‐induced toxicity. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the temporal and individual variability in infection characteristics and the confounding clinical presentation of cytokine release syndrome. Results: The review identifies that patients receiving CAR‐T cells are at increased risk of concurrent infections due to the heterogeneity in infection characteristics across different time periods, individuals, and patient groups. It highlights the diagnostic and therapeutic complexities introduced by the overlapping symptoms of infection and cytokine release syndrome. Conclusion: To enhance the infection control post‐CAR‐T therapy, this review proposes preventive strategies tailored to the early and long‐term management of patients. It underscores the need for a nuanced understanding of infection mechanisms and the importance of personalized prevention plans to improve clinical outcomes in multiple myeloma treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop a highly efficient and fully automated method that measures retinal vessel caliber using digital retinal photographs and evaluate the association between retinal vessel caliber and hypertension. The subjects of this study were from two sources in Beijing, China, a hypertension case-control study from Tongren Hospital (Tongren study) and a community-based atherosclerosis cohort from Peking University First Hospital (Shougang study). Retinal vessel segmentation and arteriovenous classification were achieved simultaneously by a customized deep learning model. Two experienced ophthalmologists evaluated whether retinal vessels were correctly segmented and classified. The ratio of incorrectly segmented and classified retinal vessels was used to measure the accuracy of the model's recognition. Central retinal artery equivalents, central retinal vein equivalents and arteriolar-to-venular diameter ratio were computed to analyze the association between retinal vessel caliber and the risk of hypertension. The association was then compared to that derived from the widely used semi-automated software (Integrative Vessel Analysis). The deep learning model achieved an arterial recognition error rate of 1.26%, a vein recognition error rate of 0.79%, and a total error rate of 1.03%. Central retinal artery equivalents and arteriolar-to-venular diameter ratio measured by both Integrative Vessel Analysis and deep learning methods were inversely associated with the odds of hypertension in both Tongren and Shougang studies. The comparisons of areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves from the proposed deep learning method and Integrative Vessel Analysis were all not significantly different (p >.05). The proposed deep learning method showed a comparable diagnostic value to Integrative Vessel Analysis software. Compared with semi-automatic software, our deep learning model has significant advantage in efficiency and can be applied to population screening and risk evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are one of the most challenging and prevalent refractory wounds associated with diabetes mellitus. It is characterized with long courses, high recurrence and disability rates. Hydrogel-based wound dressings have been demonstrated an effective and promising strategy for treating diabetic wounds. However, the complexity of the pathogenesis and microenvironment in diabetic wounds have restricted both the experts in functional hydrogels and clinicians. The former had no inspiration for clinical demands in the design process, and the latter was confused about clinical use because they knew little about the tremendous potential of the functional hydrogels. Here, important targets for DFUs treatment were listed, and effective products underlying the molecular pathogenesis were suggested for the designer. Then, the application of hydrogels into DFUs were classified in accordance with their functional targets and active ingredients. Hence, it is very convenient for clinicians to make a perfect option for different wounds. Finally, research gaps and future prospects for wound-healing hydrogels were presented. We envision that this review can inspire creativity and innovation in the development of hydrogel-based wound dressings for diabetic foot ulcer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is reported that earthquakes are accompanied by electromagnetic (EM) anomalies. These anomalies are thought to be caused by earthquakes but their generation mechanism is still unclear. The piezoelectric effect has been proposed as a possible mechanism, particularly in quartz‐rich rocks. However, the EM responses to earthquakes due to such an effect have not been well understood. In this article, we study the EM signals generated by an earthquake source due to the piezoelectric effect. We develop a semi‐analytical method to simulate the EM responses to earthquake sources in a 3‐D layered model and conduct numerical simulations to investigate the characteristics of the EM fields. The results show that the piezoelectric effect in quartz‐rich rocks could be the responsible mechanism for the EM signals recorded during the earthquake. Two kinds of EM signals can be generated by the earthquake, namely, the early EM wave arriving before the seismic waves and the coseismic EM field accompanying the seismic waves. For an Mw 6.1 earthquake, the coseismic electric field is ∼0.1 μV/m and the magnetic field can only reach ∼10−5 nT. We also study the sensitivity of the coseismic EM fields to the rock conductivity. The results indicate that the coseismic EM fields are mainly affected by the conductivity of the shallow layer where the receiver is located, and if the top layer is thin, they are also affected by the conductivity of the deeper layer due to the contribution of the evanescent EM wave created at the interface. Plain Language Summary: When a quartz‐rich rock is under stress, the positive and negative charge centers of quartz crystals are shifted, resulting in a polarization, which manifests macroscopically as the EM radiation. Such a phenomenon is known as the piezoelectric effect. It is a plausible mechanism for the generation of the earthquake‐associated electromagnetic (EM) anomaly. In this paper, we propose a simple method to simulate the EM disturbances generated by an earthquake source arising from the piezoelectric effect. We also conduct numerical simulations to study the properties of the EM fields. The results show that earthquakes can produce two kinds of EM signals. One signal propagates with the speed of the EM wave in the rocks and it arrives earlier than the seismic waves. The other is the coseismic EM field that appears simultaneously with the seismic waves. Such a coseismic signal is restricted to inside of the area disturbed by the seismic wave. Based on the sensitivity analysis, we find that the coseismic EM signal is sensitive not only to the conductivity of shallow rocks, but also to that of the deep rocks. The results also indicate that the electric signals produced by the piezoelectric effect during an earthquake are observable. Key Points: A method is presented to simulate the seismo‐electromagnetic fields due to the piezoelectric effect in quartz‐rich strataAn earthquake source can generate an early electromagnetic (EM) wave and coseismic EM fields due to the piezoelectric effectNumerical results show that the piezoelectric effect is an effective mechanism to produce observable electric signals [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low‐carbon martensitic steel is the key material of automobile lightweight. Unfortunately, the strategies for increasing the material strength, such as processing to create line defects (dislocations), tend to decrease the ductility. Herein, a strategy to circumvent this problem in an inexpensive, microalloy low‐carbon (0.32%) martensitic steel by regulating the accelerated cooling stop temperature after hot rolling is developed. Steel with fine austenite grains embedded in a highly dislocated martensite matrix is developed by cold rolling followed by saltwater quenching and low‐temperature tempering. This deformed process produces dislocation hardening, but retains high ductility both through the glide of intensive mobile dislocations. The proposed strategy provides a pathway for the development of high‐strength, high‐ductility materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of the present study was to compare the predictive accuracy of PD‐L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC), tissue or blood tumor mutation burden (tTMB, bTMB), gene expression profile (GEP), driver gene mutation, and combined biomarkers for immunotherapy response of advanced non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: In part 1, clinical trials involved with predictive biomarker exploration for immunotherapy in advanced NSCLC were included. The area under the curve (AUC) of the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC), sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio and predictive value of the biomarkers were evaluated. In part 2, public datasets of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)‐treated NSCLC involved with biomarkers were curated (N = 871). Odds ratio (OR) of the positive versus negative biomarker group for objective response rate (ORR) was measured. Results: In part 1, the AUC of combined biomarkers (0.75) was higher than PD‐L1 (0.64), tTMB (0.64), bTMB (0.68), GEP (0.67), and driver gene mutation (0.51). Combined biomarkers also had higher specificity, positive likelihood ratio and positive predictive value than single biomarkers. In part 2, the OR of combined biomarkers of PD‐L1 plus TMB (PD‐L1 cutoff 1%, 0.14; cutoff 50% 0.13) was lower than that of PD‐L1 (cutoff 1%, 0.33; cutoff 50% 0.24), tTMB (0.28), bTMB (0.48), EGFR mutation (0.17) and KRAS mutation (0.47), for distinguishing ORR of patients after immunotherapy. Furthermore, positive PD‐L1, tTMB‐high, wild‐type EGFR, and positive PD‐L1 plus TMB were associated with prolonged progression‐free survival (PFS). Conclusion: Combined biomarkers have superior predictive accuracy than single biomarkers for immunotherapy response of NSCLC. Further investigation is warranted to select optimal biomarkers for various clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical self‐assembly has been recently employed in the construction of anion‐coordination‐driven gel materials. However, the post‐assembly modification strategy, which may be a highly efficient strategy to realize the functionalization of discrete ‘aniono’ supramolecular architectures, has not been employed yet. Herein we report the first example of anion‐coordination‐driven gel material cross‐linked by well‐defined ‘aniono’ triple helicate through post‐assembly polymerization. The obtained gel shows self‐healing property and excellent compatibility with various surfaces, including glass, rubber, leaf, PP, and metal. The viscoelastic gel constructed through the post‐assembly modification strategy enriches the method to construct the anion‐coordination‐driven smart materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metalized plastic current collectors (MPCCs) have shown potential in improving the energy density and safety of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). However, the poor mechanical strength, weak interfacial adhesion force, and surface metal corrosion have impeded the practical application of MPCCs. Here, an innovative engineering of MPCCs is proposed by incorporating halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) as fillers into polyimide (PI) polymer layer, which is further coated with two thin copper (Cu) layers. Because of the strong bonding between HNTs surface and the PI precursor, HNTs improve the mechanical strength of PI‐HNTs composite film, reinforce the interfacial adhesion force between the PI‐HNTs film and the coated Cu layer, and suppress the Cu corrosion by electrolyte. The prepared MPCCs exhibit a low mass density and only account about one‐fifth of the density of commercial Cu CCs. Furthermore, the PI‐HNTs‐Cu composite demonstrates significantly enhanced interfacial adhesion force doubled to 4 N cm−1 along with prolonged stability under electrolyte immersion and electrochemical reaction conditions, and delivers a high fracture strength of 125 MPa. LIBs assembled with MPCCs deliver a twice higher discharge capacity compared to battery with Cu CCs and reach a long‐term cycle capacity retention as high as 92.9% at 0.5 C after 500 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional thin films, being fabricated by incorporating discrete supramolecular architectures, have potential applications in research areas such as sensing, energy storage, catalysis, and optoelectronics. Here, we have determined that an anion‐coordinated triple helicate can be solution‐processed into a functional thin film by incorporation into a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) matrix. The thin films fabricated by the incorporation of the anion‐coordinated triple helicate show multiple optical properties, such as fluorescence, CD, and CPL. In addition, the film has the ability to recognize choline and choline derivatives in a water system. The successful recognition of Ch+ by the film represents the first example of utilizing 'aniono'‐supramolecular architectures for biomolecule detection in aqueous solution and opens up a new route for designing biocompatible functional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional thin films, being fabricated by incorporating discrete supramolecular architectures, have potential applications in research areas such as sensing, energy storage, catalysis, and optoelectronics. Here, we have determined that an anion‐coordinated triple helicate can be solution‐processed into a functional thin film by incorporation into a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) matrix. The thin films fabricated by the incorporation of the anion‐coordinated triple helicate show multiple optical properties, such as fluorescence, CD, and CPL. In addition, the film has the ability to recognize choline and choline derivatives in a water system. The successful recognition of Ch+ by the film represents the first example of utilizing 'aniono'‐supramolecular architectures for biomolecule detection in aqueous solution and opens up a new route for designing biocompatible functional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spleen is essential for lymphocyte proliferation, which is associated to sepsis prognosis. Adenosine 2A receptor (A2AR) blocking promotes lymphocyte proliferation in sepsis, however the mechanism is uncertain. Our sepsis cecum ligation perforation model showed that blocking A2AR increased survival and CD4+ cell numbers in a spleen‐dependent mechanism. The sequencing of the transcriptome of the spleen indicated alterations in the expression of genes involved in the control of lymphocyte proliferation by inhibiting A2AR, including a reduction in the expression of PD‐L1. Flow cytometry analysis of PD‐L1 expression intensity in splenic cell subpopulations revealed that the Treg cell subpopulation was the strongest PD‐L1‐expressing cell population, and Treg PD‐L1 expression decreased after blocking A2AR. In vitro activation of A2AR was able to upregulate PD‐L1 expression of Treg and boost Treg capacity to limit lymphocyte proliferation, while blockage of PD‐L1 partly reduced A2AR‐activated Treg's ability to inhibit lymphocyte proliferation. In addition, blocking CREB phosphorylation significantly inhibited A2AR‐induced PD‐L1 expression. According to the findings of our research, inhibiting A2AR improves the prognosis of sepsis by lowering the level of PD‐L1 expression by Treg in the spleen and reducing the inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-quality waveguide structure in the Dy 3 + -doped Y3Al5O 1 2 transparent ceramic is of significance for the application of integrated micro-light elements. However, there have been no reports on the preparation of optical waveguides by ion implantation in the Dy 3 + -doped Y3Al5O 1 2 transparent ceramic. The work reports on the formation of optical planar waveguides by using the proton implantation in the Dy 3 + -doped Y3Al5O 1 2 transparent ceramic. The acceleration energy and the dose of the protons are 400 keV and 8 × 1 0 1 6 ions/cm2, respectively. The structure of the fabricated waveguide is captured with the high-res/mag images by a metallurgical microscope. The dark-mode spectrum and the refractive index distribution are gained by the prism coupling system and the RCM software, respectively. The measurement and simulation of the near-field intensity distribution indicate the propagation of light field in the waveguide. The results are of potential to the compact devices in the photonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a Sc(OTf)3-catalyzed (3+2) annulation of 2-indolylmethanols with propargylic alcohols is reported. The reaction proceeds via a Friedel–Crafts-type allenylation/5-exo-annulation cascade. In the reaction, 2-indolylmethanol is used as a three-carbon synthon, and propargyl alcohol is used as a two-carbon synthon. This method provides a direct and high-yield pathway for synthetically useful cyclopenta[b]indoles. In general, the method features easily accessible substrates with broad scope and generality, the formation of multiple bonds with high efficiency, and easy scale-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Regulation of redox homeostasis could reduce osteoarthritis severity and limit disease progression, while glycyrrhizin (GL) shows great antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory capacity. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of GL on oxidative stress and the potential regulatory mechanism in rat temporomandibular joint (TMJ) chondrocytes under oxidative stress, and investigate the effect of GL in the rat temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) model. Methods: Rat TMJ chondrocytes were cultured in oxidative stress with different doses of GL. The effect of glycyrrhizin on the nuclear factor‐erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) in oxidative stress was evaluated by western blot and immunofluorescence staining. A rat model of TMJOA was treated with GL. Micro‐computed tomography, histological and immunohistochemical analysis were used to assess the pathological change of TMJOA. Results: The expression of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1), and peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6) were decreased, and intracellular Nrf2 signaling pathway was activated in chondrocytes in oxidative stress. GL upregulates the expression of antioxidants, especially PRDX6, as well as increases Nrf2 expression and nuclear translocation in rat condylar chondrocytes. Administration of GL attenuates condylar bone destruction, cartilage degeneration, and synovitis in rats TMJOA. Meanwhile, GL alleviated oxidative stress and enhanced the antioxidant capacity of TMJOA cartilage. Conclusion: This study suggested that GL alleviates rat TMJOA by regulating oxidative stress in condylar cartilage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and intervertebral disk degeneration (IVDD) using a two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis. Summary-level data from the Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) were used. Instrumental variables (IVs) for IVDD were selected from the large-scale Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) (20,001 cases and 164,682 controls). Bone mineral density (BMD) at five different sites (heel (n = 426,824), total body (TB) (n = 56,284), forearm (FA) (n = 8143), femoral neck (FN) (n = 32,735), and lumbar spine (LS) (n = 28,498)) was used as a phenotype for OP. Bidirectional causality between IVDD and BMD was assessed using inverse variance weighting (IVW) and other methods. Related sensitivity analyses were performed. Myopia was also analyzed as a negative control result to ensure the validity of IVs. Heel bone mineral density (heel BMD), total body bone mineral density (TB-BMD), femoral neck bone mineral density (FN-BMD), and lumbar spine bone mineral density (LS-BMD) have a direct causal relationship on intervertebral disk degeneration (IVDD) [heel BMD-related analysis: beta = 0.06, p = 0.03; TB-BMD-related analysis: beta = 0.18, p = 8.72E-08; FN-BMD-related analysis: beta = 0.15, p = 4.89E-03; LS-BMD-related analysis: beta = 0.16, p = 1.43E-04]. There was no evidence of a significant causal effect of IVDD on BMD. In conclusion, our study found a significant positive causal effect of lower BMD on IVDD, and we identified significant causal effects of heel, TB-, FN-, and LS-BMD on IVDD, but there was no evidence of a significant causal effect of IVDD on BMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of age on outcomes after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPK) among type II diabetes (T2DM) recipients remains inconclusive. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between the age at time of transplantation and mortality, graft loss and metabolic profiles of T2DM SPK recipients. A retrospective cohort consisting of T2MD SPK recipients in a single transplant center was established. The baseline clinical characteristics and outcomes were collected and analyzed based on the age groups divided by 55-year-old. Time-to-event data analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier method, and competing risk method was adopted to calculate the cumulative incidence of graft loss. A mixed regression model was applied to compare metabolic outcomes including glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and higher estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). 103 T2DM SPK recipients were included, of which 35 were > = 55 years old and 68 were < 55 years old. Baseline characteristics were comparable between age groups. The results indicated that comparable 5-year survival outcomes between groups with functioning grafts perioperatively. Additionally, no relationship of age with graft loss, complications and metabolic outcomes was detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogeographic congruence among co‐distributed taxa is regarded as an inherent inference to vicariance events. Nonetheless, incongruent patterns of contemporary lineage divergence among taxa indicated that species differ in their response to common past events. To investigate the role of past events, ecological traits and lineage diversification time in shaping the contemporary phylogeographic patterns, comparative analyses were conducted for Tibetan stone loaches in the Himalayas using three gene markers and two ecological traits (depth of caudal peduncle in their length and presence/absence of posterior chamber of the air bladder). By a thorough sampling in two flanks of the Himalayas, the authors detected that phylogenetic breaks were spatially discordant and divergences of populations were also temporally asynchronous in co‐distributed loaches. Estimated divergence time using fossil‐calibrated node dating indicated that the Tibetan stone loaches colonised into the south flank of the Himalayas until the Pleistocene. The demographic expansions were also disconcerted between populations in north and south flanks, or east and west Himalayas. Ongoing gene flows between populations in north and south sides implied that the Himalayas do not strictly impede dispersal of cold‐adapted species. The results highlight that the quaternary climatic oscillation, in conjunction with ecological traits and lineage diversification time, shaped contemporary phylogenetic patterns of stone loaches in the Himalayas and provide new insights into the biodiversity and composition of species in the Himalayas and surrounding region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory is constructing the world's largest liquid scintillator detector, with a 20 kt target mass and approximately 700 m of overburden. The total underground space of civil construction is around 300,000 m 3 , with the main hall comprising about 120,000 m 3 , making it the largest experimental hall in the world. Maintaining a low radon concentration in the underground air is crucial for both human health and the accuracy of experiments involving rare decay detection, such as neutrino and dark matter experiments. To ensure human health and the integrity of neutrino physics experiments, the nominal radon concentration in the main hall must be kept below 200 Bq/m 3 with a maximum value below 400 Bq/m 3 . Introduction of fresh air from above ground can significantly lower radon concentration. A benchmark experiment conducted in the refuge room near the main hall revealed that the radon emanating from underground water is a significant source of radon in the underground air. The total underground ventilation rate is approximately 160,000 m 3 /h of fresh air with about 30 Bq/m 3 222 Rn from the bottom of the vertical tunnel after the installation of powerful fans. Of this, 55,000 m 3 /h is used for ventilation in the main hall. As a result of these measures, the radon concentration inside the main hall has decreased from 1600 Bq/m 3 to below 200 Bq/m 3 under stable working conditions, with exceptions during rare adverse weather events or fan failures. The employed strategies to control radon concentration in the underground air are described in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The timing of tracheostomy for critically ill patients on mechanical ventilation (MV) is a topic of controversy. Our objective was to determine the most suitable timing for tracheostomy in patients undergoing MV. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting and participants: One thousand eight hundred eighty-four hospitalisations received tracheostomy from January 2011 to December 2020 in a Chinese tertiary hospital. Methods: Tracheostomy timing was divided into three groups: early tracheostomy (ET), intermediate tracheostomy (IMT), and late tracheostomy (LT), based on the duration from tracheal intubation to tracheostomy. We established two criteria to classify the timing of tracheostomy for data analysis: Criteria I (ET ≤ 5 days, 5 days < IMT ≤ 10 days, LT > 10 days) and Criteria II (ET ≤ 7 days, 7 days < IMT ≤ 14 days, LT > 14 days). Parameters such as length of ICU stay, length of hospital stay, and duration of MV were used to evaluate outcomes. Additionally, the outcomes were categorized as good prognosis, poor prognosis, and death based on the manner of hospital discharge. Student's t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis test, Chi-square test, and Fisher's exact test were employed as appropriate to assess differences in demographic data and individual characteristics among the ET, IMT, and LT groups. Univariate Cox regression model and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model were utilized to determine whether delaying tracheostomy would increase the risk of death. Results: In both of two criterion, patients with delayed tracheostomies had longer hospital stays (p < 0.001), ICU stays (p < 0.001), total time receiving MV (p < 0.001), time receiving MV before tracheostomy (p < 0.001), time receiving MV after tracheostomy (p < 0.001), and sedation durations. Similar results were also found in sub-population diagnosed as trauma, neurogenic or digestive disorders. Multinomial Logistic regression identified LT was independently associated with poor prognosis, whereas ET conferred no clinical benefits compared with IMT. Conclusions: In a mixed ICU population, delayed tracheostomy prolonged ICU and hospital stays, sedation durations, and time receiving MV. Multinomial logistic regression analysis identified delayed tracheostomies as independently correlated with worse outcomes. Trial registration: ChiCTR2100043905. Registered 05 March 2021.http://www.chictr.org.cn/listbycreater.aspx [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: In this study, different proportions of soybean flour and gluten flour were used as partial replacements for wheat flour for the fermentation of Pixian Douban‐Meju (PXDB). The aim was to study the effects of soybean flour/gluten flour on the quality improvement of PXDB. RESULTS: In comparison with the control group (CT) (0% substitution of wheat flour), substitution of wheat flower with 12.5% soybean flour (the H2 group), 7.5% gluten flour (G2), and 10% gluten flour (G3) improved the amino acid nitrogen content by 3.8%, 5.6%, and 9.4% respectively. The mixtures of wheat flour and gluten flour (G2 or G3) increased the organic acid and free amino acid content. The results of two‐dimensional gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC × GC–MS) showed that the amount of key aroma substances increased about sixfold in comparison with the CT group (194.61 g.kg−1), achieving 1283.67, 1113.883, and 1160.19 g.kg−1 in the H2, G2, and G3 groups, respectively. There were also more aldehydes and pyrazines in all the substitution groups. Quantitative descriptive analysis indicated that the G3 sample presented the best organoleptic quality with a reddish‐brown color and a more mellow aroma than the control sample. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the fermentation of G3 resulted in higher quality PXDB‐meju, showing that partial substitution of wheat flour with gluten improved the quality of PXDB. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Phenolic endocrine‐disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are widespread and easily ingested through the food chain. They pose a serious threat to human health. Magnetic solid‐phase extraction (MSPE) is an effective sample pre‐treatment technology to determine traces of phenolic EDCs. RESULTS: Magnetic covalent organic framework (COF) (Fe3O4@COF) nanospheres were prepared and characterized. The efficient and selective extraction of phenolic EDCs relies on a large specific surface and the inherent porosity of COFs and hydrogen bonding, π–π, and hydrophobic interactions between COF shells and phenolic EDCs. Under optimal conditions, the proposed magnetic solid‐phase extraction‐high‐performance liquid chromatography–ultra violet (MSPE‐HPLC‐UV) based on the metallic covalent organic framework method for phenolic EDCs shows good linearities (0.002–6 μg mL−1), with R2 of 0.995 or higher, and low limits of detection (6–1.200 ng mL−1). CONCLUSION: Magnetic covalent organic frameworks (Fe3O4@COFs) with good MSPE performance for phenolic EDCs were synthesized by the solvothermal method. The magnetic covalent organic framework‐based MSPE‐HPLC‐UV method was applied successfully to determine phenolic EDCs in beverage and water samples with satisfactory recoveries (90.200%–123%) and relative standard deviations (2.100%–12.100%). © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosgene is a highly concealed and highly toxic gas that seriously threatens human health and public security. Therefore, the detection of phosgene is of great significance to world security. Herein, a new type of fluorescent probe based on 2-(2-aminophenyl) imidazo [1,5-a] pyridine is reported for the rapid detection of phosgene. The probe itself only emits a faint green fluorescence, while phosgene allows it to produce a strong blue fluorescence. During the recognition process, phosgene interacts simultaneously with both amino site and imidazole moiety in the probe molecule, resulting in a four-ring-fused rigid structure with high fluorescence quantum yield. The probe not only has the characteristics of high efficiency, high sensitivity (detection limit 2.68 nM), and high selectivity, but also has remarkable spectral changes. Finally, a portable test strip is used to detect phosgene in the gas phase, and the fluorescent color change of the test strip can be easily observed. The most exciting thing is that the portable test strip with the probe PMPY-NH2 can produce a strong fluorescence response to 1 ppm of phosgene, which is far lower than the level of phosgene that seriously threatens to human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is prone to metastasize to the brain, which is difficult for surgery and leads to poor prognosis due to poor chemotherapy efficacy. OBJECTIVE: Our aim is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for brain multi-metastases. METHODS: In the retrospective study, a total of 51 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain multi-metastases (3–5 metastases) receiving SBRT in the local hospital between 2016 and 2019 were enrolled for analyzing the efficacy and safety of SBRT. The primary endpoints included 1-year local control rate, radiotherapy toxicity, overall survival and progression-free survival. RESULTS: The median follow-up for the enrolled patients was 21 months, and the 1-year and 2-year OS rates were 82.4% and 45.1%, respectively. Demographic analysis showed no significant differences between SBRT alone and combination with whole brain radiotherapy in clinical characteristics including age, gender and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status. The 1-year local control rate was 77.3% (17/22) for SBRT alone, which was comparable to 79.3% (23/29) of combined radiotherapy. Cox proportional hazard regression demonstrated that the prognostic benefit of combining WBRT was not significantly superior to SBRT alone (HR = 0.851, P = 0.263). Their radiotherapy toxicity rate was lower in SBRT alone group (13.6%, vs. 44.8% for combination; P = 0.017). CONCLUSION: The current research suggested that SBRT alone could effectively relieve tumor burden and improve the prognosis and quality of life for NSCLC patients with brain multi-metastases, which should be validated in further prospective clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are no standards for evaluating skin photoaging. Dermoscopy is a non‐invasive detection method that might be useful for evaluating photoaging. Objective: To assess the correlation between the dermoscopic evaluation of photoaging and clinical and pathological evaluations. Methods: The age, clinical evaluation (Fitzpatrick classification, Glogau Photoaging Classification, and Chung's standardized image ruler), histopathology (Masson staining and MMP‐1 immunohistochemistry), and dermoscopy (Hu's and Isik's) of 40 donor skin samples were analyzed statistically, and Spearman rank correlation analysis was performed. Results: There was a robust correlation between the total Hu scores and Isik dermoscopy. The correlation of dermoscopy with histopathology was higher than that of clinical evaluation methods. There is a strong correlation between telangiectases and lentigo. Xerosis, superficial wrinkle, diffuse erythema, telangiectases, and reticular pigmentation were significantly correlated with the three clinical evaluation methods. Superficial wrinkles were correlated with Masson, MMP‐1, various clinical indicators, and other dermoscopic items. Conclusion: There is a good correlation between dermoscopy and clinical and histopathological examination. Dermoscopy might help evaluate skin photoaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gene therapy has been adapted for improving malignant tumor treatment. However, pharmacotherapies targeting cancer remain limited and are generally inapplicable for rare disease patients. Oleanolic acid (OA) is a plant‐derived triterpenoid that is frequently used in Chinese medicine as a safe but slow‐acting treatment for many disorders. Here, the congruent pharmacological activities of OA and CRISPR‐dCas9 in targeting AURKA or KDM1A and improving disease‐specific prognosis and used a synthetic‐biology‐inspired design principle to engineer a therapeutic gene circuit that enables a concerted action of both drugs are utilized. In particular, the OA‐triggered CRISPR‐dCas9 transcriptional repression system rapidly and simultaneously attenuated lung and thyroid cancer. Collectively, this work shows that rationally engineered synthetic gene circuits are capable of treating multifactorial diseases in a synergistic manner by multiplexing the targeting efficiencies of single therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a fully discrete mixed finite element (MFE) scheme is designed to solve the multi-term time-fractional reaction–diffusion equations with variable coefficients by using the well-known L 1 formula and the Raviart–Thomas MFE space. The existence and uniqueness of the discrete solution is proved by using the matrix theory, and the unconditional stability is also discussed in detail. By introducing the mixed elliptic projection, the error estimates for the unknown variable u in the discrete L ∞ (L 2 (Ω)) norm and for the auxiliary variable λ in the discrete L ∞ ((L 2 (Ω)) 2) and L ∞ (H (div , Ω)) norms are obtained. Finally, three numerical examples are given to demonstrate the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mental disorders are among the top causes of disease burden worldwide. Existing evidence regarding the repurposing of antihypertensives for mental disorders treatment is conflicting and cannot establish causation. Methods: We used Mendelian randomization to assess the effects of angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), beta blockers (BBs), and calcium channel blockers (CCBs) on risk of bipolar disorder (BD), major depression disorder (MDD), and schizophrenia (SCZ). We used published genetic variants which are in antihypertensive drugs target genes and correspond to systolic blood pressure (SBP) in Europeans and East Asians, and applied them to summary statistics of BD (cases = 41,917; controls = 371,549 in Europeans), MDD (cases = 170,756; controls = 329,443 in Europeans and cases = 15,771; controls = 178,777 in East Asians), and SCZ (cases = 53,386; controls = 77,258 in Europeans and cases = 22,778; controls = 35,362 in East Asians) from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. We used inverse variance weighting with MR-Egger, weighted median, weighted mode, and Mendelian Randomization Pleiotropy RESidual Sum and Outlier. We performed gene-specific analysis and utilized various methods to address potential pleiotropy. Results: After multiple testing correction, genetically proxied ACEIs were associated with an increased risk of SCZ in Europeans (odds ratio (OR) per 5 mmHg lower in SBP 2.10, 95% CI 1.54 to 2.87) and East Asians (OR per 5 mmHg lower in SBP 2.51, 95% CI 1.38 to 4.58). Genetically proxied BBs were not associated with any mental disorders in both populations. Genetically proxied CCBs showed no benefits on mental disorders. Conclusions: Antihypertensive drugs have no protection for mental disorders but potential harm. Their long-term use among hypertensive patients with, or with high susceptibility to, psychiatric illness needs careful evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe-NiOOH-O V -600 nanoarrays with abundant oxygen vacancy supported on nickel foam (NF) is constructed by hydrothermal method and electrochemical activation strategy assisted by precipitation/dissolution equilibrium of FeS in electrolyte. [Display omitted] • Electrochemical activation promote dynamic reaction process of iron and sulfur ions on NiOOH surface. • The leaching of S during OER can promote the formation of oxygen vacancies in NiOOH. • The reconstruction process of NiOOH after continuous CV scanning are analyzed. • The precipitation/dissolution equilibrium of FeS maintains the trace amount of Fe and S ions in electrolyte. The poor conductivities and instabilities of accessible nickel oxyhydroxides hinder their use as oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts. Herein, we constructed Fe-NiOOH-O V -600, an Fe-doped nickel oxide hydroxide with abundant oxygen vacancies supported on nickel foam (NF), using a hydrothermal method and an electrochemical activation strategy involving 600 cycles of cyclic voltammetry, assisted by the precipitation/dissolution equilibrium of ferrous sulfide (FeS) in the electrolyte. This two-step method endows the catalyst with abundant Fe-containing active sites while maintaining the ordered structure of nickel oxide hydroxide (NiOOH). Characterization and density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that synergy between trace amounts of the Fe dopant and the oxygen vacancies not only promotes the generation of reconstructed active layers but also optimizes the electronic structure and adsorption capacity of the active sites. Consequently, the as-prepared Fe-NiOOH-O V -600 delivered large current densities of 100 and 1000 mA cm−2 for the OER at overpotentials of only 253 and 333 mV in 1 mol/L KOH. Moreover, the catalyst is stable for at least 100 h at 500 mA cm−2. This work provides insight into the design of efficient transition-metal-based electrocatalysts for the OER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To effectively enhance the safety, stability, and economic operation capability of DC microgrids, an optimized control strategy for DC microgrid hybrid energy storage system (HESS)(The abbreviation table is shown in Table 2) based on model predictive control theory is proposed. Based on the characteristics of supercapacitors and batteries, system safety requirements, and various constraints, a predictive model for a hybrid energy storage DC microgrid is established. By defining its optimization indicators, designing an energy optimization management strategy, and transforming it into a quadratic programming problem for solution, the reasonable scheduling of power in the DC microgrid has been achieved. In addition, a power control method was proposed for the system without constraints. The simulation experiment results show that at the initial sampling time, the system operates normally, and the MPC algorithm allocates two types of energy storage devices to discharge to meet the net load demand, without absorbing electricity from the external network. At the 30th sampling point, the net load increases, and the MPC controller obtains the optimal solution of the control problem based on the known net load prediction data at the previous sampling time. It outputs the operating reference values of each output unit at the next time. Starting from the 100th to 199th sampling points, SOCUC falls below the lower limit of the safety interval, and the system enters situation 4 mode. The external network output assists the battery in working. At the 131st sampling point, the net load decreases, the system enters Situation 3 mode, and the battery operates independently. Until the 179th point, SOCB was also below the lower limit of its safety interval, and the system entered situation 5 mode, completely maintaining system power balance by external network power. Starting from point 201, the net load becomes negative, and the system charges the HESS according to instructions and stops the external power grid energy transmission. Conclusion: The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed optimization management strategy have been verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis B virus (HBV)has a high, chronic infection rate in Asian populations, but only few studies have analyzed the effect of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) or Cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation in patients exposed to HBV after haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT). This study aimed to assess the clinical outcomes of these patients. We conducted a retrospective research including 61 patients exposed to HBV after undergoing haplo-HSCT. The patients were classified into two groups: the CMV reactivation group and no CMV reactivation group. The results were compared between the two groups using the K-W test for continuous variables, Pearson's chi-square test for categorical variables, Kaplan–Meier curves to estimate overall survival (OS) and leukemia-free survival (LFS), and a Cox proportional hazards model to analyze multivariable influences. The 3-year cumulative HBV reactivation rate was 8.2%. The median duration of HBV reactivation was 16 months (16–22 months) after haplo-HSCT. The CMV reactivation group had a higher cumulative incidence of HBV reactivation than the group without CMV reactivation. The EBV reactivation was substantially higher in the CMV reactivation group compared to that in the no CMV reactivation group (37.0% vs.5.9% respectively; P = 0.002). Furthermore, EBV reactivation was a risk factor for 1-year LFS and 1-year OS. Based on our data, EBV reactivation was related to worse outcomes in patients exposed to HBV after haplo-HSCT, whereas CMV reactivation was not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loop tiling and fusion are two essential transformations in optimizing compilers to enhance the data locality of programs. Existing heuristics either perform loop tiling and fusion in a particular order, missing some of their profitable compositions, or execute ad-hoc implementations for domain-specific applications, calling for a generalized and systematic solution in optimizing compilers. In this article, we present a so-called basteln (an abbreviation for backward slicing of tiled loop nests) strategy in polyhedral compilation to better model the interplay between loop tiling and fusion. The basteln strategy first groups loop nests by preserving their parallelism/tilability and next performs rectangular/parallelogram tiling to the output groups that produce data consumed outside the considered program fragment. The memory footprints required by each tile are then computed, from which the upward exposed data are extracted to determine the tile shapes of the remaining fusion groups. Such a tiling mechanism can construct complex tile shapes imposed by the dependences between these groups, which are further merged by a post-tiling fusion algorithm for enhancing data locality without losing the parallelism/tilability of the output groups. The basteln strategy also takes into account the amount of redundant computations and the fusion of independent groups, exhibiting a general applicability. We integrate the basteln strategy into two optimizing compilers, with one a general-purpose optimizer and the other a domain-specific compiler for deploying deep learning models. The experiments are conducted on CPU, GPU, and a deep learning accelerator to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach for a wide class of application domains, including deep learning, image processing, sparse matrix computation, and linear algebra. In particular, the basteln strategy achieves a mean speedup of 1.8× over cuBLAS/cuDNN and 1.1× over TVM on GPU when used to optimize deep learning models; it also outperforms PPCG and TVM by 11% and 20%, respectively, when generating code for the deep learning accelerator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on relative deprivation theory, we explored the mechanism for the influence of coworker knowledge hiding on employee job crafting and the moderating role of supervisor developmental feedback from the perspective of status competition. Thus, we tested the tripartite interpersonal interactions among knowledge-hiding individuals, knowledge-seeking employees, and supervisors. We conducted a two-wave time-lagged study on 354 employees who worked for Chinese owned and operated companies in China. We found that there was an inverted U-shaped relationship between coworker knowledge hiding and employee job crafting, in which an employee's sense of relative deprivation played a mediating role. Furthermore, supervisor developmental feedback negatively moderated the relationship between coworker knowledge hiding and an employee's sense of relative deprivation. To increase the level of employee job crafting, managers should pay attention to the degree of employee's sense of relative deprivation and attempt to moderate that by providing supervisor developmental feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the optimal parameters of spectral CT for preferably visualizing the periprosthetic vasculature and metal artifact reduction (MAR) in total hip arthroplasty (THA). Methods: A total of 34 THA of 30 patients were retrospectively included. Image reconstructions included conventional image (CI), CI combined with MAR (CIMAR), and virtual monoenergetic images (VMI) combined with MAR (VMIMAR) at 50–120 keV. The attenuation and standard deviation of the vessel and artifact, and the width of artifact were measured. Qualitative scoring was evaluated including the vascular contour, the extent of artifact, and overall diagnostic evaluation. Results: The attenuation, noise of the vessel and artifact, and the width of artifact decreased as the energy level increased (p < 0.001). The downtrend was relatively flat at 80–120 keV, and the vascular attenuation dropped to 200 HU at 90 keV. The qualitative rating of vascular contour was significantly higher at CIMAR (3.47) and VMIMAR 60–80 keV (2.82–3.65) compared with CI (2.03) (p ≤ 0.029), and the highest score occurred at 70 and 80 keV (3.65 and 3.56). The score of the extent of artifact was higher at VMIMAR 80 keV than CIMAR (3.53 VS 3.12, p = 0.003). The score of the overall diagnostic evaluation was higher at VMIMAR 70 and 80 keV (3.32 and 3.53, respectively) than CIMAR (3.12) (p ≤ 0.035). Conclusion: Eighty kiloelectron volts on VMIMAR, providing satisfactorily reduced metal artifacts and improved vascular visualization, can be an optimal recommended parameter of spectrum CT for the assessment of periprosthetic vasculature in THA patients. Critical relevance statement: The metal artifact is gradually reducing with increasing energy level; however, the vascular visualization is worsening. The vascular visualization is terrible above 100 keV, while the vessel is disturbed by artifacts below 70 keV. The best performance is found at 80 keV. Key points: • VMIMAR can provide both reduced metal artifacts and improved vascular visualization. • Eighty kiloelectron volts on VMIMAR performs best in vascular visualization of total hip arthroplasty patients. • Energy spectrum CT is recommended for routine use in patients with total hip arthroplasty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the corrosion resistance of 6061 Al in electric vehicle battery packs, a composite coating of nano-SiO2/Micro-Arc oxidation (MAO) ceramic structure was prepared on its surface. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization curves (PDP) were used to evaluate the corrosion resistance of the specimens after 7 days immersion in a 3.5% NaCl solution. The corrosion resistance of the prefabricated coatings was measured via local electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (LEIS). Confocal microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the microstructure and phase composition of the specimens. An energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) was used to detect the elemental composition of the surface of the specimen. The results showed that the specimen with nano-SiO2/MAO composite coating had the least amount of micropores and superior corrosion resistance. The global electrochemical impedance of nano-SiO2/MAO composite coating was 1.1 times higher than that of the MAO coating and 8.4 times higher than that of the 6061 Al. When the coating was defective, the local electrochemical impedance of the nano-SiO2/MAO composite coating was still two times higher than that of the MAO coating. In the presence of scratches, the nano-SiO2/MAO composite coating still showed high corrosion resistance. The collapse corrosion mechanism of the nano-SiO2/MAO composite coating was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective· To analyze the clinical characteristics and prognostic risk factors of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and evaluate the prognostic effects of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and rituximab maintenance therapy on DLBCL patients. Methods · The clinical data of 160 patients with DLBCL who were first diagnosed by pathology and immunotyping were collected from the Department of Hematology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from January 2015 to January 2020, and the risk factors affecting the efficacy and prognosis of patients were analyzed. Moreover, the clinical characteristics of patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL and the effect of salvage ASCT on overall survival (OS) were assessed. For those high-risk patients who achieved complete remission (CR) in the interim assessment, the impact of ASCT and rituximab maintenance therapy on survival outcomes was further assessed. Results · Patients with initial age of treatment >60 years (P=0.005), International Prognostic Index (IPI) 3-5 scores (P=0.032), low albumin level (P=0.001) and anemia (P=0.007) had poor efficacy. Multivariate analysis showed that the initial age of treatment >60 years (HR=2.788, 95%CI 1.575 -4.936, P=0.000), non-GCB subtype (HR=2.230, 95%CI 1.150 -4.324, P=0.018), elevated lactate dehydrogenase level (HR=2.064, 95%CI 1.006-4.234, P=0.048) and low albumin level (HR=2.052, 95% CI 1.169-3.602, P=0.012) were the independent risk factors for progression-free survival (PFS). The initial age of treatment >60 years (HR=2.269, 95% CI 1.060-4.860, P=0.035) and IPI scores of 3 to 5 (HR=2.557, 95%CI 1.132 - 5.778, P=0.024) were independent factors affecting OS. For patients with relapsed/ refractory DLBCL, salvage ASCT was found to significantly improve the prognosis of these patients and was a protective factor for the death event of patients (P=0.030). For patients in the high-risk group who achieved CR in the interim evaluation after chemotherapy, there were no deaths in patients on maintenance therapy with consolidation ASCT and rituximab to the end point of follow-up; however, it did not prolong the OS of the patients (P>0.05). Conclusion · In patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL, salvage ASCT can significantly prolong the OS, whereas in the high-risk patients of DLBCL, consolidation ASCT and rituximab maintenance therapy can't prolong the OS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypothermia is an effective method of reducing brain injury caused by a variety of neurological insults. It is aimed to elucidate whether a change in the expression of PERK‐mediated pathway proteins is an indicator of the neuroprotective effect of mild hypothermia after cerebral ischaemia/reperfusion. Methods: One hundred and ninety‐two male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three groups: a sham group, a cerebral normothermic ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) group and a cerebral hypothermic I/R group. A cerebral ischaemia model was established by ligating the bilateral common carotid artery for 15 min. Mice in the hypothermia group stayed in a cage that was set at 33°C, sprayed with a spray of 70% ethanol, and blown with two high‐speed fans. The state of neurons was assessed on micropreparations stained with haematoxylin–eosin and TUNEL. The expressions of GRP78, p‐perk, p‐eif2α, ATF4 and CHOP were measured by western blot analysis 6, 12, 24 and 72 h after reperfusion. Results: The number of surviving cells was significantly higher in the hypothermia group than in the group without hypothermia (p <.05). The GRP78 expression in the hypothermia group was statistically higher (p <.05) than in the ischaemia/reperfusion group. Optical densities of p‐perk, p‐eif2α and ATF4 in hippocampus CA1 neurons ischaemia were statistically significantly lower in the hypothermia group than in the ischaemia/reperfusion group (p <.05). The CHOP expression in the hypothermia group was statistically lower (p <.05) than in the ischaemia/reperfusion group. Conclusion: Mild hypothermia for 6 h promoted moderate neuroprotection by mediating the expression of GRP78, p‐PERK, p‐eIF2α, ATF4 and CHOP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that fire-induced spalling usually occurs to high-strength and ultra-high performance concretes. However, experiments have shown that thermal spalling can also occur to normal strength concrete (NSC) and the high moisture content is conducive to the occurrence of spalling of specimens and structures of NSC. In view of the fact that the spalling analysis of NSC is still lacking and the spalling mechanism of NSC is still not well understood, in this paper, the thermo-chemo-hydro-mechanical behavior of a NSC cube specimen with 90% moisture content exposed to fire is numerically studied at a mesoscale based on the experiment reported in the literature. By analyzing the nonlinear mechanical effects of the vapor pressure and the thermal stress, the spalling mechanism is investigated. It is concluded that, instead of explosive spalling, surface spalling induced by the vapor pressure occurs to the specimen. This conclusion is also confirmed by a strain energy analysis. Furthermore, with the energy analysis, the feature of non-explosive spalling of NSC under fire heating is also explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Increased glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels were found in cerebrovascular disease patients. The pathogenesis of depression after ischemic stroke remains largely unknown. Here, we aim to determine whether GFAP concentrations were associated with post-stroke depression (PSD) at 3 months.Methods: From March 2022 to September 2022, patients with first-ever ischemic stroke were prospectively recruited. GFAP concentrations were detected within 24 h using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The PSD was defined as a Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 24-Item score ≥ 8.Results: A total of 206 subjects with ischemic stroke (mean age: 63.6 years; 49.0% female) were enrolled. During the 90-day follow-up, 57 participants (27.7%) were observed in PSD. The median serum GFAP concentrations were 0.67 ng/mL. After adjustment for the covariates, higher increased GFAP levels were associated with increased risk of PSD (odds ratio [OR], 7.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.29– 15.44; P < 0.001). Also, the multivariate-adjusted OR of PSD associated with the fourth quartile of GFAP was 10.89 (95% CI, 3.53– 33.60; P < 0.001) compared with the first quartile. Furthermore, the restricted cubic spline confirmed a linear association between GFAP and the risk of PSD (P for linearity < 0.001).Conclusion: Our results indicated that increased circulating GFAP concentrations were significantly correlated with the risk of PSD at 3 months. Measuring the GFAP levels after ischemic stroke may add some values for the risk stratifying of PSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The roles of circRNA and N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) methylation in Crohn's disease (CD) have drawn much attention. Therefore, this investigation aimed to discover how the m6A modification of circRNAs contributes to CD progression. Methods: The study performed circRNA sequencing on colon samples from four CD patients and four normal controls (NCs) to screen for dysregulated circRNAs. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) was performed to validate the candidate circRNA expression and determine its correlation to CD‐associated inflammatory indicators. In vivo and in vitro investigations were conducted to examine the functions and pathways of circPRKAR1B in CD, besides investigating the m6A modification role in circRNA expression modulation. Results: The RNA‐seq revealed that hsa_circ_0008039 (circPRKAR1B) was the most significant upregulated circRNA and was identified as the candidate circRNA for further examinations. Relative circPRKAR1B expression was significantly upregulated in CD colon tissues and closely related to CD‐associated inflammatory indices. The circPRKAR1B expression and function were regulated by methyltransferase‐like 3 (METTL3)‐mediated m6A methylation. In vitro studies indicated that circPRKAR1B promoted pyroptosis mediated by NLRP3 inflammasome (NLRP3; nucleotide‐binding oligomerization domain, leucine‐rich repeat and pyrin domain‐containing 3) and impaired autophagy by interacting with the RNA‐binding protein (RBP) SPTBN1, (SPTBN1; spectrin beta, non‐erythrocytic 1). The in vivo investigations revealed the treatment effects of si‐circPRKAR1B and si‐METTL3 in colitis models of IL‐10‐deficient mice. Conclusion: Our study reveals that METTL3‐mediated m6A modification of circPRKAR1B promotes Crohn's colitis by aggravating NLRP3 inflammasome‐mediated pyroptosis via autophagy impairment in colonic epithelial cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior to dispatch from manufacturing facilities, seeders require rigorous performance evaluations for their seeding capabilities. Conventional manual inspection methods are notably less efficient. This study introduces a wheat seeding detection approach anchored in an enhanced YOLOv5s image-processing technique. Building upon the YOLOv5s framework, we integrated four CBAM attention mechanism modules into its model. Furthermore, the traditional upsampling technique in the neck layer was superseded by the CARAFE upsampling method. The augmented model achieved an mAP of 97.14%, illustrating its ability to elevate both the recognition precision and processing speed for wheat seeds while ensuring that the model remains lightweight. Leveraging this advanced model, we can effectively count and locate seed images, enabling the precise calculation and assessment of sowing uniformity, accuracy, and dispersion. We established a sowing test bench and conducted experiments to validate our model. The results showed that after the model was improved, the average accuracy of wheat recognition was above 97.55% under different sowing rates and travel speeds. This indicates that this method has high precision for the total number of seed particles. The sowing rate and sowing travel speed were consistent with manual measurements and did not significantly affect uniformity, accuracy, or dispersion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two‐photon‐excited photodynamic therapy (TPE‐PDT) has significant advantages over conventional photodynamic therapy (PDT). However, obtaining easily accessible TPE photosensitizers (PSs) with high efficiency remains a challenge. Herein, we demonstrate that emodin (Emo), a natural anthraquinone (NA) derivative, is a promising TPE PS with a large two‐photon absorption cross‐section (TPAC: 380.9 GM) and high singlet oxygen (1O2) quantum yield (31.9 %). When co‐assembled with human serum albumin (HSA), the formed Emo/HSA nanoparticles (E/H NPs) possess a giant TPAC (4.02×107 GM) and desirable 1O2 generation capability, thus showing outstanding TPE‐PDT properties against cancer cells. In vivo experiments reveal that E/H NPs exhibit improved retention time in tumors and can ablate tumors at an ultra‐low dosage (0.2 mg/kg) under an 800 nm femtosecond pulsed laser irradiation. This work is beneficial for the use of natural extracts NAs for high‐efficiency TPE‐PDT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two‐photon‐excited photodynamic therapy (TPE‐PDT) has significant advantages over conventional photodynamic therapy (PDT). However, obtaining easily accessible TPE photosensitizers (PSs) with high efficiency remains a challenge. Herein, we demonstrate that emodin (Emo), a natural anthraquinone (NA) derivative, is a promising TPE PS with a large two‐photon absorption cross‐section (TPAC: 380.9 GM) and high singlet oxygen (1O2) quantum yield (31.9 %). When co‐assembled with human serum albumin (HSA), the formed Emo/HSA nanoparticles (E/H NPs) possess a giant TPAC (4.02×107 GM) and desirable 1O2 generation capability, thus showing outstanding TPE‐PDT properties against cancer cells. In vivo experiments reveal that E/H NPs exhibit improved retention time in tumors and can ablate tumors at an ultra‐low dosage (0.2 mg/kg) under an 800 nm femtosecond pulsed laser irradiation. This work is beneficial for the use of natural extracts NAs for high‐efficiency TPE‐PDT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advancement of mobile internet technology has enabled companies to leverage social media for e-commerce, where some use personified images and language to communicate with consumers. This paper investigates how personified communication affects consumer behavior in social commerce and whether consumers are willing to accept this new form of communication. Specifically, the study explores consumers' willingness to accept personified communication in social commerce, considering the role of cognitive needs in regulating the internal mechanism. The paper proposes suggestions for enterprises to improve their social media communication and presents an improved model based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The model introduces perceived interaction as a new independent variable and adds cognitive needs as a regulatory variable, which is more suitable for social commerce. The study conducts a questionnaire survey online and analyzes the data using AMOS and SPSS. The results demonstrate that perceived usefulness and perceived interaction positively impact consumers' attitudes, which subsequently influences their willingness to purchase. Furthermore, cognitive needs as a regulatory variable significantly affect the path from perceived usefulness to attitude and purchase intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-granulation decision-theoretic rough set effectively combines Bayesian decision approaches with multi-granulation rough set theory, and provides an important theoretical framework for studying rough set. In this paper, we explore several extensional models of multi-granulation decision-theoretic rough sets under the normal distribution of the decision loss function. Using the 3σ rule of normal distribution, we transform the decision loss of the multi-granulation decision-theoretic rough set into a set of interval values. We construct the upper and lower approximations from the optimistic, weakly optimistic, pessimistic, weakly pessimistic, optimistic-pessimistic, weakly optimistic-pessimistic, pessimistic-optimistic, and weakly pessimistic-optimistic viewpoints, and provide the decision rules of the proposed rough set models. The work in this paper brings the decision behavior based on a multi-granulation decision-theoretic rough set closer to the actual situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endoscopic spine surgery has been established as a practical, minimally invasive technique for decompression in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. However, there remains a paucity of studies prospective cohort study comparing uniportal lumbar endoscopic unilateral laminotomy with bilateral decompression and unilateral biportal endoscopic unilateral laminotomy with bilateral decompression with open spinal decompression—both viable techniques with satisfactory clinical outcomes in the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis. Objective/aim: To compare the efficacy of UPE and BPE lumbar decompression surgery for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. Methods: A prospective registry of patients who had undergone spinal decompression for lumbar stenosis via UPE or BPE under a single fellowship trained spine surgeon was studied. Baseline characteristics, initial clinical presentation, and operative details including complications were recorded for all included patients. Clinical outcomes, such as visual analogue scale and Oswestry Disability Index, were recorded at preoperative, immediate postoperative, 2-week, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up periods. Results: A total of 62 patients underwent endoscopic decompression surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis (29 UPE, 33 BPE). No significant baseline differences were found between uniportal and biportal decompression, when comparing operative duration (130 vs. 140 min; p = 0.30), intraoperative blood loss (5.4 vs. 6mLs; p = 0.05), and length of hospital stay (23.6 vs. 20.3 h; p = 0.35). Two patients (7%) who underwent uniportal endoscopic decompression required conversion to open surgery due to inadequate decompression. Intraoperative complication rates were significantly higher in the UPE group (13.4% vs. 0%, p < 0.05). VAS score (leg & back) and ODI improved significantly (p < 0.001) in both endoscopic decompression groups across all follow-up time points, with no appreciable statistical differences between both groups. Conclusion: UPE has the same efficacy as BPE in the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis. While UPE surgery enjoys added aesthetic benefits of only one wound, BPE had potentially lower risks of intraoperative complication, inadequate decompression, and conversion to open surgery during early period of learning curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we report a rapid and efficient strategy by cyclic square wave voltammetry (CSWV), a novel voltammetric technique, to detect dopamine (DA) and epinephrine (EP) separately and simultaneously with an unmodified graphene-based integrated electrode. The CSWV method, with high sensitivity and capability of mechanistic study, is achieved by controlling an inexpensive modified open-source potentiostat (MOSP) that has a superior performance comparable to commercial benchtop electrochemical workstations. Based on the different intramolecular cyclization reaction rates of DA and EP depending on pH, the concentration of DA could be derived from the cathodic peak at +0.12 V, and the concentration of EP could be calculated from the negative cathodic peak at −0.26 V. The CSW voltammogram presented that the linear range of both DA and EP was 5–70 μM, with a detection limit of 2.14 μM and 1.94 μM (S/N = 3) at neutral pH, respectively. In addition, the cathodic currents of CSWV were 12.68 and 10.72 times higher than those of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and 1.53 and 1.24 times higher than those of cathodic square wave voltammetry (cSWV). The proposed method showed a strong anti-interference capability and can be applied to detect DA and EP in the real sample (calf serum sample), with a recovery rate in the range of 100.05–108.25%. The introduced electrochemical determination method can provide a promising application prospect for point-of-care testing (POCT) of neurotransmitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and practicability of Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) as a psychological intervention to reduce neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), fear of cancer recurrence, general distress, and improve quality of life in lung cancer survivors. Methods: Eighty lung cancer patients with FCRI severity subscale (≥13 points) were recruited and randomly assigned to CALM or usual care (UC). NLR was recorded before and after treatment. The Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory (FCRI), Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (QLQ-C30) and Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale (DASS-21) were used to evaluate patients at baseline (T0), immediately after treatment (T1), and at 2 (T2) and 4 (T3) months. Results: Compared with UC, NLR was significantly different before and after CALM intervention (z=-5.498; P=0.000). There were significant differences in the scores of QLQ, FCR and general distress before and after the T1, T2 and T3 interventions (F=220.30, F=315.20, F=290.10, respectively; P<0.001). NLR was negatively correlated with QOL both before (r=-0.763; P<0.0001) and after the intervention (r=-0.810, P<0.0001). FCR and general distress were negatively correlated with QOL in CALM (T0: r=-0.726, r=-0.776, respectively; P<0.0001; T1: r=-0.664, r=-0.647, respectively; P<0.0001; T2: r=-0.678, r=-0.695, respectively; P<0.0001; T3: r=-0.511, P = 0.0008; r=-0.650, P<0.0001). Conclusion: CALM intervention can effectively reduce the NLR, alleviate the recurrence fear and general distress and improve the quality of life in patients. This study suggests that CALM may be an effective psychological intervention for reducing symptoms associated with lung cancer survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]