Land surface albedo (LSA), one of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) environmental data records (EDRs), is a fundamental component for linking the land surface and the climate ...system by regulating shortwave energy exchange between the land and the atmosphere. Currently, the improved bright pixel sub-algorithm (BPSA) is a unique algorithm employed by VIIRS to routinely generate LSA EDR from VIIRS top-of-atmosphere (TOA) observations. As a product validation procedure, LSA EDR reached validated (V1 stage) maturity in December 2014. This study summarizes recent progress in algorithm refinement, and presents comprehensive validation and evaluation results of VIIRS LSA by using extensive field measurements, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) albedo product, and Landsat-retrieved albedo maps. Results indicate that: (1) by testing the updated desert-specific look-up-table (LUT) that uses a stricter standard to select the training data specific for desert aerosol type in our local environment, it is found that the VIIRS LSA retrieval accuracy is improved over a desert surface and the absolute root mean square error (RMSE) is reduced from 0.036 to 0.023, suggesting the potential of the updated desert LUT to the improve the VIIRS LSA product accuracy; (2) LSA retrieval on snow-covered surfaces is more accurate if the newly developed snow-specific LUT (RMSE = 0.082) replaces the generic LUT (RMSE = 0.093) that is employed in the current operational LSA EDR production; (3) VIIRS LSA is also comparable to high-resolution Landsat albedo retrieval (RMSE < 0.04), although Landsat albedo has a slightly higher accuracy, probably owing to higher spatial resolution with less impacts of mixed pixel; (4) VIIRS LSA retrievals agree well with the MODIS albedo product over various land surface types, with overall RMSE of lower than 0.05 and the overall bias as low as 0.025, demonstrating the comparable data quality between VIIRS and the MODIS LSA product.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
The phase diagram of nonhydrated NaxCoO2 has been determined by changing the Na content x using a series of chemical reactions. As x increases from 0.3, the ground state goes from a paramagnetic ...metal to a charge-ordered insulator (at x=1/2), then to a "Curie-Weiss metal" (around 0.70), and finally to a weak-moment magnetically ordered state (x>0.75). The unusual properties of the state at 1/2 (including particle-hole symmetry at low T and enhanced thermal conductivity) are described. The strong coupling between the Na ions and the holes is emphasized.
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CMK, CTK, FMFMET, IJS, NUK, PNG, UM
To conduct an updated systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for threatened miscarriage.
Electronic databases were searched from inception to ...30 June 2022. Study Eligibility Criteria: Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assessed the efficacy and safety of CHM or combined CHM and Western medicine (CHM-WM) and compared with other treatments for threatened miscarriage were included for analysis.
Three review authors independently evaluated included studies, assessed the risk of bias and extracted data for meta-analysis (continuation of pregnancy after 28 gestational weeks, continuation of pregnancy after treatment, preterm birth, adverse maternal outcomes, neonatal death, TCM syndrome severity, β-hCG levels after treatment), sensitivity analysis (β-hCG level) and subgroup analysis (TCM syndrome severity, β-hCG level). The risk ratio and 95% confidence interval were calculated by RevMan. Certainty of the evidence was assessed according to GRADE.
Overall, 57 RCTs involving 5,881 patients met the inclusion criteria. Compared with WM alone, CHM alone showed significant higher incidence of continuation of pregnancy after 28 gestational weeks (Risk Ratio (RR) 1.11; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.21; n = 1; moderate quality of evidence), continuation of pregnancy after treatment (RR 1.30; 95% CI 1.21 to 1.38; n = 10; moderate quality of evidence), higher β-hCG level (Standardized Mean Difference (SMD) 6.88; 95% CI 1.74 to 12.03; n = 4) and lower Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome severity (SMD -2.94; 95% CI -4.27 to -1.61; n = 2). Compared with WM alone, combined CHM-WM showed significant higher incidence of continuation of pregnancy after 28 gestational weeks (RR 1.21; 95% CI 1.16 to 1.27; n = 15; moderate quality of evidence), continuation of pregnancy after treatment (RR 1.19; 95% CI 1.16 to 1.23; n = 41; moderate quality of evidence), higher β-hCG level (SMD 2.27; 95% CI 1.72 to 2.83; n = 37) and lower TCM syndrome severity (SMD -1.74; 95% CI -2.21 to -1.27; n = 15). No significant differences in reducing the adverse maternal outcomes and neonatal death were found in combined CHM-WM compared with WM alone (RR 0.97; 95% CI 0.62 to 1.52; n = 8; RR 0.39; 95% CI 0.12 to 1.21; n = 2).
Current evidence supported CHM could be a potential treatment for threatened miscarriage. However, results should be interpreted with caution considering the low to moderate quality of the available evidence.
https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2022-6-0107/, identifier INPLASY20220107.
Abstract
Problem background
Early detection of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) may provide patients with benefits against harmful health and financial impacts. The use of non-contrast computed tomography ...images for early detect of the infarct remains controversial.
Materials & methods
Here, we used the UCATR algorithm to extract the pixel values of the infarct and the corresponding contralateral healthy area as the control surface in each NCCT slice for the whole brain. Magnetic resonance imaging results were used to verify both areas. We found significant pathological changes in the infarct compared with the corresponding contralateral healthy area in each NCCT slice.
Attained results
Our approach validated that NCCT can be used to detect the lesion area in the early stage of AIS.
Conclusions
With obvious advantages such as saving time and the ability to quantify the infarct volume, this approach could help more patients survive the fatal and irreversible pathological process of AIS and improve their quality of life after AIS treatment.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The expression of human SLFN11 was reported to sensitize cancer cells to DNA damaging agents. This study is to explore the epigenetic change and the function of SLFN11 in human colorectal cancer ...(CRC).
Six CRC cell lines and 128 primary CRC samples were used.
SLFN11 was methylated in 55.47% (71/128) of primary CRC. The expression of SLFN11 was regulated by promoter region methylation. Methylation of SLFN11 was significantly associated with age, poor 5-year overall survival and 5-year relapse-free survival (all p < 0.05). SLFN11 suppressed CRC cell growth both in vitro and in vivo and sensitized CRC cells to cisplatin.
SLFN11 is frequently methylated in human CRC, and the expression of SLFN11 is regulated by promoter region methylation. Methylation of SLFN11 reduced the sensitivity of CRC cells to cisplatin.
Posterior choroidal leiomyoma is a sporadic, rare benign tumor that is always confused with anaplastic melanoma. Here we report a case and provide a review. Most of the preoperative findings in our ...case were suggestive of malignant choroidal melanoma. However, the contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) suggested a benign hemangioma. In summary, the posterior choroidal leiomyomas were yellowish-white in color and most commonly located in the temporal quadrant of the fundus (11/15). They were more frequent in Asians (13/16), the prevalence was almost equal in males and females (9:7), with a mean age of 35y. Microscopically, the tumor typically showed spindle cell bundles and nonmitotic ovoid nuclei arranged in intersecting fascicles. Vitrectomy is now a popular treatment option and definitive diagnosis can be made after immunohistochemistry. Finally, some summarized features of this tumor differ from those previously described. These may help in the diagnosis of posterior choroidal leiomyoma and differentiation from malignant melanoma.
Maintenance of bone homeostasis against diseased microenvironments remains as a major challenge. Recently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been unravelled as potent microenvironmental modulators, ...the systemic infusion of which in cytotherapy can prevent or rescue extensive bone loss via anti-inflammation. However, MSCs also accept microenvironmental regulations; particularly, MSCs from bone marrow (BMMSCs) are prone to pathological microenvironmental factors of bone. In this study, we discovered that BMMSCs from osteoporotic donors of ovariectomized (OVX) mice lost their anti-inflammatory capability and failed to prevent bone loss when infused back into OVX recipients. Nevertheless, MSCs from adipose tissues (ADMSCs) preserved their anti-inflammatory capacity, despite diseased microenvironments of OVX donors, and continued to show protective effects on bone in OVX recipients. In the cellular level, the anti-inflammatory superiority of osteoporotic donor-derived ADMSCs over BMMSCs existed in their distinctive capability to induce T-cell apoptosis, which was molecularly attributed to retained expression levels of critical immunomodulatory genes. Furthermore, these functional discrepancies of BMMSCs and ADMSCs were due to differential stemness, energy metabolism and anti-oxidative defence system, underlying general disparity in their cellular states. Collectively, our findings optimize osteoporotic cytotherapy by using ADMSCs in resistance to and in modulation of diseased microenvironments.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Structure and function of therapeutic antibodies can be modulated by a variety of post-translational modifications (PTM). Tyrosine (Tyr) sulfation is a type of negatively charged PTM that occurs ...during protein trafficking through the Golgi. In this study, we discovered that an anti-interleukin (IL)-4 human IgG1, produced by transiently transfected HEK293 cells, contained a fraction of unusual negatively charged species. Interestingly, the isolated acidic species exhibited a two-fold higher affinity to IL-4 and a nearly four-fold higher potency compared to the main species. Mass spectrometry (MS) showed the isolated acidic species possessed an +80-Dalton from the expected mass, suggesting an occurrence of Tyr sulfation. Consistent with this hypothesis, we show the ability to control the acidic species during transient expression with the addition of Tyr sulfation inhibitor sodium chlorate or, conversely, enriched the acidic species from 30% to 92% of the total antibody protein when the IL-4 IgG was co-transfected with tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase genes. Further MS and mutagenesis analysis identified a Tyr residue at the light chain complementarity-determining region-1 (CDRL-1), which was sulfated specifically. These results together have demonstrated for the first time that Tyr sulfation at CDRL-1 could modulate antibody binding affinity and potency to a human immune cytokine.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
A novel partially depleted (PD) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) structure is realized by a modified process flow highlighting the improved radiation hardness. The key step to modifying the initial SOI ...wafers is neutron irradiation, followed by a standard post-irradiation laser annealing process that introduces localized traps with a deep level. The deep-level traps in the silicon film act as recombination centers that reduce the minority carrier lifetime effectively. A trap-rich layer is generated near the back interface after the wafer is exposed to neutron irradiation, followed by laser annealing to remove top defects. It is confirmed by simulation and experimental results that the body potential instability in PD devices, which may be introduced by high-electrical-field ionization and the single-event effect, has been efficiently suppressed.
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