Summary Objective To investigate the efficacy of different electrical stimulation (ES) therapies in pain relief of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Method Electronic databases including ...MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Library were searched through for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing any ES therapies with control interventions (sham or blank) or with each other. Bayesian network meta-analysis was used to combine both the direct and indirect evidence on treatment effectiveness. Results 27 trials and six kinds of ES therapies, including high-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (h-TENS), low-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (l-TENS), neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), interferential current (IFC), pulsed electrical stimulation (PES), and noninvasive interactive neurostimulation (NIN), were included. IFC is the only significantly effective treatment in terms of both pain intensity and change pain score at last follow-up time point when compared with the control group. Meanwhile, IFC showed the greatest probability of being the best option among the six treatment methods in pain relief. These estimates barely changed in sensitivity analysis. However, the evidence of heterogeneity and the limitation in sample size of some studies could be a potential threat to the validity of results. Conclusion IFC seems to be the most promising pain relief treatment for the management of knee OA. However, evidence was limited due to the heterogeneity and small number of included trials. Although the recommendation level of the other ES therapies is either uncertain (h-TENS) or not appropriate (l-TENS, NMES, PES and NIN) for pain relief, it is likely that none of the interventions is dangerous. Level of evidence LevelⅡ, systematic review and network meta-analysis of RCTs.
The influence of cationic substitutions on the ease with which oxygen loss occurs from lithium-rich layered oxide cathodes during first charge has been studied with three series of samples: ...LiLi0.33Mn0.67−x Ti x O2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.67), LiLi0.2Mn0.54−x Ti x Ni0.13Co0.13O2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.27), and LiLi0.2Mn0.60−x Ti x Ni0.20O2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.40). The lattice parameters and cell volume increase monotonically with the substitution of a larger Ti4+ for Mn4+, indicating the formation of solid solutions. It is found that substitution of Ti4+ for Mn4+ decreases the degree of oxygen loss and consequently the charge and discharge capacity values, while substitution of Co3+ for (Mn0.5 4+Ni0.5 2+) increases the oxygen loss and consequently the charge and discharge capacity values. While the former is attributed to a stronger binding of oxygen to Ti and a decrease in the metal−oxygen covalence due to a larger charge transfer gap between the Ti3+/4+ 3d and O2− 2p bands, the latter is attributed to a weaker binding of oxygen to Co and an increase in the metal−oxygen covalence due to an overlap of the Co3+/4+ t2g band with the top of the O2− 2p band.
Summary Background To investigate the efficacy of continuous and pulsed ultrasound (US) in the management of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Design This systematic review and network meta-analysis covered ...12 trials in total. Electronic databases including MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Library were searched through to identify randomized controlled trials comparing the two modes of US with control interventions (sham or blank) or with each other. Bayesian network meta-analysis was used to integrate both the direct and indirect evidences on treatment effectiveness. Results Pulsed US (PUS) is more effective in both pain relief and function improvement when compared with the control group; but for continuous US (CUS), there is only a significant difference in pain relief in comparison with the control group. In addition, no matter in terms of pain intensity or function at the last follow-up time point, PUS always exhibited a greater probability of being the preferred mode. However, the evidence of heterogeneity and the limitation in sample size of some studies could be a potential threat to the validity of results. Conclusions Our findings indicated that PUS, with a greater probability of being the preferred mode, is more effective in both pain relief and function improvement when compared with the control group. However, CUS could only be considered as a pain relief treatment in the management of knee OA. The findings also confirmed that none of these modes is dangerous. Level of evidence Level II, systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Ovarian cancer is a lethal malignancy that has not seen a major therapeutic advance in over 30 years. We demonstrate that ovarian cancer exhibits a targetable alteration in iron metabolism. ...Ferroportin (FPN), the iron efflux pump, is decreased, and transferrin receptor (TFR1), the iron importer, is increased in tumor tissue from patients with high grade but not low grade serous ovarian cancer. A similar profile of decreased FPN and increased TFR1 is observed in a genetic model of ovarian cancer tumor-initiating cells (TICs). The net result of these changes is an accumulation of excess intracellular iron and an augmented dependence on iron for proliferation. A forced reduction in intracellular iron reduces the proliferation of ovarian cancer TICs in vitro, and inhibits both tumor growth and intraperitoneal dissemination of tumor cells in vivo. Mechanistic studies demonstrate that iron increases metastatic spread by facilitating invasion through expression of matrix metalloproteases and synthesis of interleukin 6 (IL-6). We show that the iron dependence of ovarian cancer TICs renders them exquisitely sensitive in vivo to agents that induce iron-dependent cell death (ferroptosis) as well as iron chelators, and thus creates a metabolic vulnerability that can be exploited therapeutically.
A comparative investigation on springback prediction of aluminum stampings has been completed using an industry-type "shotgun" die as the benchmark case. 5xxx aluminum alloy at a thickness of 1.5 mm ...was used for the shotgun die tryout. After stamping tryout, the formed panel was scanned to capture its sprung geometry. The studied aluminum alloy was characterized by means of uniaxial tensile test and hydraulic bulge test to determine the material isotropic hardening behavior and planar anisotropy. In order to determine the material kinematic hardening behavior, the exclusive Yoshida model fitting test was conducted in tension-compression (T-C) and compression-tension (C-T) loading modes with the one-cycle and three-cycle loading schemes. The shotgun benchmark case was simulated using FEA software LS-DYNA®. By comparing the simulation results with the tryout measurements, the accuracy of springback prediction was examined to evaluate the influence of material modeling, loading mode and loading cycle in the Yoshida model fitting test. Based on the current benchmark study, the best practice in springback prediction and compensation of aluminum stampings and in conducting the Yoshida model fitting test of aluminum alloys were summarized for industrial applications.
Light-absorbing components of atmospheric aerosols have gained particular attention in recent years due to their climatic and environmental effects. Based on two-year measurements of aerosol ...absorption at seven wavelengths, aerosol absorption properties and black carbon (BC) were investigated in the North China Plain (NCP), one of the most densely populated and polluted regions in the world. Aerosol absorption was stronger in fall and the heating season (from November to March) than in spring and summer at all seven wavelengths. Similar spectral dependence of aerosol absorption was observed in non-heating seasons despite substantially strong absorption in fall. With an average absorption Angström exponent (α) of 1.36 in non-heating seasons, freshly emitted BC from local fossil fuel burning was thought to be the major component of light-absorbing aerosols. In the heating season, strong ultraviolet absorption led to an average α of 1.81, clearly indicating the importance of non-BC light-absorbing components, which were possibly from coal burning for domestic heating and aging processes on a regional scale. Diurnally, the variation of BC mass concentrations experienced a double-peak pattern with a higher level at night throughout the year. However, the diurnal cycle of α in the heating season was distinctly different from that in non-heating seasons. α peaked in the late afternoon in non-heating seasons with concomitantly observed low valley in BC mass concentrations. In contrast, α peaked around the midnight in the heating season and lowered down during the daytime. The relationship of aerosol absorption and winds in non-heating seasons also differed from that in the heating season. BC mass concentrations declined while α increased with increasing wind speed in non-heating seasons, which suggested elevated non-BC light absorbers in transported aged aerosols. No apparent dependence of α on wind speed was found in the heating season, probably due to well mixed regional pollution. Pollution episodes were mostly encountered under low winds and had a low level of α, implying aerosol absorption should be largely attributed to freshly emitted BC from local sources under such conditions. Extensive field campaigns and long-term chemical and optical measurements of light-absorbing aerosols are needed in the future to further advance our understanding on optical properties of light-absorbing aerosols and their radiative forcing in this region.
•Two-year spectral aerosol absorptive properties in the NCP were investigated.•Differences of aerosol absorption in heating and non-heating seasons were found.•The importance of non-BC light-absorbers in the heating season was highlighted.
This paper describes a novel real‐time end‐to‐end system for facial expression transformation, without the need of any driving source. Its core idea is to directly generate desired and ...photo‐realistic facial expressions on top of input monocular RGB video. Specifically, an unpaired learning framework is developed to learn the mapping between any two facial expressions in the facial blendshape space. Then, it automatically transforms the source expression in an input video clip to a specified target expression through the combination of automated 3D face construction, the learned bi‐directional expression mapping and automated lip correction. It can be applied to new users without additional training. Its effectiveness is demonstrated through many experiments on faces from live and online video, with different identities, ages, speeches and expressions.
This paper describes a novel real‐time end‐to‐end system for facial expression transformation, without the need of any driving source. Its core idea is to directly generate desired and photo‐realistic facial expressions on top of input monocular RGB video. Specifically, an unpaired learning framework is developed to learn the mapping between any two facial expressions in the facial blendshape space. Then, it automatically transforms the source expression in an input video clip to a specified target expression through the combination of automated 3D face construction, the learned bi‐directional expression mapping and automated lip correction. It can be applied to new users without additional training. Its effectiveness is demonstrated through many experiments on faces from live and online video, with different identities, ages, speeches and expressions.
To assess the association between the timing of surgery relative to the development of Covid-19 and the risks of postoperative complications.
It is unknown whether patients who recovered from ...Covid-19 and then underwent a major elective operation have an increased risk of developing postoperative complications.
The risk of postoperative complications for patients with Covid-19 undergoing 18 major types of elective operations in the Covid-19 Research Database was evaluated using multivariable logistic regression. Patients were grouped by time of surgery relative to SARS-CoV-2 infection; that is, surgery performed: (1) before January 1, 2020 ("pre-Covid-19"), (2) 0 to 4 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infection ("peri-Covid-19"), (3) 4 to 8 weeks after infection ("early post-Covid-19"), and (4) ≥8 weeks after infection ("late post-Covid-19").
Of the 5479 patients who met study criteria, patients with peri-Covid-19 had an elevated risk of developing postoperative pneumonia adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 6.46; 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.06-10.27, respiratory failure (aOR, 3.36; 95% CI: 2.22-5.10), pulmonary embolism (aOR, 2.73; 95% CI: 1.35-5.53), and sepsis (aOR, 3.67; 95% CI: 2.18-6.16) when compared to pre-Covid-19 patients. Early post-Covid-19 patients had an increased risk of developing postoperative pneumonia when compared to pre-Covid-19 patients (aOR, 2.44; 95% CI: 1.20-4.96). Late post-Covid-19 patients did not have an increased risk of postoperative complications when compared to pre-Covid-19 patients.
Major, elective surgery 0 to 4 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications. Surgery performed 4 to 8 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infection is still associated with an increased risk of postoperative pneumonia, whereas surgery 8 weeks after Covid-19 diagnosis is not associated with increased complications.
Oxygen loss can lead to high-capacity Li2MnO3-based lithium-rich layered cathodes. Substitution of Mn with other transition metals (Ti and Co) significantly affects the amount of oxygen loss and ...capacity during the first charge/discharge cycle. An explanation of these results is provided with density functional theory (DFT+U) electronic structure calculations. Oxygen is found to bind more strongly to Ti and more weakly to Co. The influence of the substitution is attributed to changes of the band gap. Ti lifts the nonbonding band and increases the band gap of the compound, thus raising the energy required to redistribute the electrons released upon oxygen loss. Co lowers the nonbonding band and facilitates oxygen loss.
By using a database of 4,634 cold patches (high density and low electron temperature) and 4,700 hot patches (high density and high electron temperature) from Defense Meteorological Satellite Program ...F16 in 2005–2018 winter months (October–March), we present a statistical survey of the distributions of polar cap patches for different interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientations and ionospheric convection geometries. We investigate the dependence of cold and hot patches on local plasma transport and soft‐electron precipitation. Our results indicate that: in winter, (a) more cold and hot patches occur in the stronger anti‐sunward flow organized by different IMF orientations. (b) cold patches are frequent near the central polar cap, while hot patches are closer to the auroral oval. (c) enhanced anti‐sunward flow (E × B drift) mainly contributes to cold patch occurrence under Bz < 0, and soft‐electron precipitation contributes to hot patch occurrence both under southward and northward IMF.
Plain Language Summary
Polar cap patches are common phenomena in the polar ionosphere and consist of high‐density plasma. We use 4,634 cold patches and 4,700 hot patches observed by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program to investigate the distributions of polar cap patches for different interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientations and ionospheric convection geometries. We find that more cold and hot patches are distributed in areas of stronger anti‐sunward flow in winter. The hot patches are more frequent at lower magnetic latitudes, and located closer to the auroral oval than cold patches. Furthermore, in winter months, higher anti‐sunward flow velocity mainly contributes to a higher occurrence of cold patches under southward IMF, and stronger soft‐electron precipitation mainly contributes to a higher occurrence of hot patches both under southward and northward IMF.
Key Points
The spatial distributions of cold and hot patches respond well to the convection pattern for different interplanetary magnetic field orientations
The hot patches are more frequent at lower magnetic latitudes than cold patches, and located closer to the auroral oval
Enhanced anti‐sunward flow promotes cold patch occurrence under Bz < 0, and soft‐electron precipitation promotes hot patch occurrence
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