AbstractIn the past two decades, meshfree methods have emerged into a new class of computational methods with considerable success. In addition, a significant amount of progress has been made in ...addressing the major shortcomings that were present in these methods at the early stages of their development. For instance, essential boundary conditions are almost trivial to enforce by employing the techniques now available, and the need for high order quadrature has been circumvented with the development of advanced techniques, essentially eliminating the previously existing bottleneck of computational expense in meshfree methods. Given the proper treatment, nodal integration can be made accurate and free of spatial instability, making it possible to eliminate the need for a mesh entirely. Meshfree collocation methods have also undergone significant development, which also offer a truly meshfree solution. This paper gives an overview of many classes of meshfree methods and their applications, and several advances are described in detail.
The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) represents a viable alternative to help close the anthropogenic carbon cycle and convert intermittent electricity from renewable energy sources to ...chemical energy in the form of value-added chemicals. The development of economic catalysts possessing high faradaic efficiency (FE) and mass activity (MA) toward CO2RR is critical in accelerating CO2 utilization technology. Herein, an elaborate Au–Cu catalyst where an alloyed AuCu shell caps on a Cu core (Cu@AuCu) is developed and evaluated for CO2-to-CO electrochemical conversion. Specific roles of Cu and Au for CO2RR are revealed in the alloyed core–shell structure, respectively, and a compositional-dependent volcano-plot is disclosed for the Cu@AuCu catalysts toward selective CO production. As a result, the Au2–Cu8 alloyed core–shell catalyst (only 17% Au content) achieves an FECO value as high as 94% and an MACO of 439 mA/mgAu at −0.8 V (vs RHE), superior to the values for pure Au, reflecting its high noble metal utilization efficiency.
Passenger profiling plays a vital part of commercial aviation security, but classical methods become very inefficient in handling the rapidly increasing amounts of electronic records. This paper ...proposes a deep learning approach to passenger profiling. The center of our approach is a Pythagorean fuzzy deep Boltzmann machine (PFDBM), whose parameters are expressed by Pythagorean fuzzy numbers such that each neuron can learn how a feature affects the production of the correct output from both the positive and negative sides. We propose a hybrid algorithm combining a gradient-based method and an evolutionary algorithm for training the PFDBM. Based on the novel learning model, we develop a deep neural network (DNN) for classifying normal passengers and potential attackers, and further develop an integrated DNN for identifying group attackers whose individual features are insufficient to reveal the abnormality. Experiments on data sets from Air China show that our approach provides much higher learning ability and classification accuracy than existing profilers. It is expected that the fuzzy deep learning approach can be adapted for a variety of complex pattern analysis tasks.
The paper focuses on the improved process of metal recovery from lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) cathode waste materials by using hydrometallurgical methods. ...In the acid leaching step, the essential effects of acidity concentration, H2O2 concentration, leaching time, liquid-solid mass ratio, and reaction temperature with the leaching percentage were investigated in detail. The cathode material was leached with 2M H2SO4 and 10 vol. % H2O2 at 70 °C and 300 rpm using a liquid-solid mass ratio of 30 mL/g. In order to complete the recovery process, this paper designs the proper separation process to recover valuable metals. The leach liquor in the recovery process uses Cyanex 272 to first extract Co and Mn to the organic phase. Secondly, Co and Mn are separated by using D2EHPA, and a high purity of Co is obtained. Thirdly, Ni is selectively precipitated by using DMG, and Ni is completely formed as a solid complex. Finally, in the chemical precipitation process, the remaining Li in the leach liquor is recovered as Li2CO3 precipitated by saturated Na2CO3, and Co, Mn, and Ni are recovered as hydroxides by NaOH. This hydrometallurgical process may provide an effective separation and recovery of valuable metals from LIBs waste cathode materials.
Dementia is a common neurological disease that substantially affects public health. A previous study revealed that dementia occurs when the body's immune system attacks the cells of the brain, ...indicating that dementia may be similar to autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs). In the current retrospective cohort study, we focused on middle-aged ARD patients (45 years or older) to investigate the association between ARDs in middle-aged people and dementia by using a nationwide population-based database in Taiwan.
Our study analyzed the medical data of the Taiwanese population from 2001 to 2012, with a follow-up period extending until the end of 2011. We identified middle-aged patients with ARDs by using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. We selected a comparison cohort from the general population that was randomly frequency-matched by age (in 5-year increments), sex, and index year and further analyzed the dementia risk by using a Cox regression model that considers sex, age, and comorbidities.
The study enrolled 34,660 middle-aged ARD patients (77% female, mean age = 59.8 years) and 138,640 controls. The risk of developing dementia was 1.18 times higher for middle-aged patients with ARDs compared with patients without ARDs after adjustment for age, sex, and comorbidities. Among the patients with ARDs, the subgroups with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Sjögren syndrome (SS) were associated with a significantly higher dementia risk (adjusted hazard ratio HR 1.14, 95% confidence index CI 1.06-1.32; adjusted HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.86-1.34; adjusted HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.32-1.63, respectively). Furthermore, primary SS and secondary SS patients had the highest risks of dementia among all the ADR subgroups (adjusted HR 1.35, 95% CI 1.18-1.54; adjusted HR 1.67, 95% CI 1.43-1.95 respectively).
This nationwide retrospective cohort study demonstrated that dementia risk is significantly higher in middle-aged patients with ARDs compared with the general population.
Summary
Background
Post‐operative complications after anti‐tumour necrosis agent treatment for Crohn's disease (CD) have been analysed with conflicting results.
Aim
To assess the effects of ...pre‐operative anti‐tumour necrosis factor (TNF) therapy on post‐operative complications within 30 days post‐operatively in patients with CD undergoing abdominal surgery.
Methods
Systematic review with meta‐analysis was performed on articles found in MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform until September 2018.
Results
Twenty studies (7115 patients) were included. Without confounder adjustment, pre‐operative anti‐TNF therapy in patients with CD undergoing abdominal surgery was associated with increased rates of infectious complications (unadjusted odds ratio, OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.08‐2.06). After confounder adjustment, Pre‐operative anti‐TNF therapy was significantly associated with both increased rates of total and infectious complications (adjusted OR, 1.53 and 2.09; 95% CI, 1.11‐2.09 and 1.19‐3.65, respectively). After subgroup analyses, the association between anti‐TNF agents and total complications was significant in high incidence countries (adjusted OR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.43‐2.42) but not in low incidence countries (adjusted OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.48‐1.25).
Conclusions
Exposure to anti‐TNF agents is an independent risk factor for post‐operative infectious complications in patients with CD, especially in countries with a high incidence of Crohn's disease. We suggest postponing elective surgery or carefully monitoring these patients post‐operatively.
This study explored the effect of a moderate (90 g/d) low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) in type 2 diabetes patients over 18 months.
Ninety-two poorly controlled type 2 diabetes patients aged 20-80 years ...with HbA1c ≥7.5% (58 mmol/mol) in the previous three months were randomly assigned to a 90 g/d LCD r traditional diabetic diet (TDD). The primary outcomes were glycaemic control status and change in medication effect score (MES). The secondary outcomes were lipid profiles, small, dense low-density lipoprotein (sdLDL), serum creatinine, microalbuminuria and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT).
A total of 85 (92.4%) patients completed 18 months of the trial. At the end of the study, the LCD and TDD group consumed 88.0±29.9 g and 151.1±29.8 g of carbohydrates, respectively (p < 0.05). The 18-month mean change from baseline was statistically significant for the HbA1c (-1.6±0.3 vs. -1.0±0.3%), 2-h glucose (-94.4±20.8 vs. -18.7±25.7 mg/dl), MES (-0.42±0.32 vs. -0.05±0.24), weight (-2.8±1.8 vs. -0.7±0.7 kg), waist circumference (-5.7±2.7 vs. -1.9±1.4 cm), hip circumference (-6.1±1.8 vs. -2.9±1.7 cm) and blood pressure (-8.3±4.6/-5.0±3 vs. 1.6±0.5/2.5±1.6 mmHg) between the LCD and TDD groups (p<0.05). The 18-month mean change from baseline was not significantly different in lipid profiles, sdLDL, serum creatinine, microalbuminuria, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and carotid IMT between the groups.
A moderate (90 g/d) LCD showed better glycaemic control with decreasing MES, lowering blood pressure, decreasing weight, waist and hip circumference without adverse effects on lipid profiles, sdLDL, serum creatinine, microalbuminuria, ALT and carotid IMT than TDD for type 2 diabetic patients.
Halogen redox couples offer several advantages for energy storage such as low cost, high solubility in water, and high redox potential. However, the operational complexity of storing halogens at the ...oxidation state via liquid‐phase media hampers their widespread application in energy‐storage devices. Herein, an aqueous zinc–dual‐halogen battery system taking the advantages of redox flow batteries (inherent scalability) and intercalation chemistry (high capacity) is designed and fabricated. To enhance specific energy, the designed cell exploits both bromine and chlorine as the cathode redox couples that are present as halozinc complexes in a newly developed molten hydrate electrolyte, which is distinctive to the conventional zinc–bromine batteries. Benefiting from the reversible uptake of halogens at the graphite cathode, exclusive reliance on earth‐abundant elements, and membrane‐free and possible flow‐through configuration, the proposed battery can potentially realize high‐performance massive electric energy storage at a reasonable cost.
A new aqueous zinc‐based battery exploiting dual redox couples of Br0/Br− and Cl0/Cl− at a graphite cathode is presented. The battery achieves both a high average working voltage of 1.71 V and a remarkable capacity of 257 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1. This work provides an affordable, easily scalable, membrane‐free, and high‐performance energy‐storage system.
The timely diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is challenging. Although pathogen-derived circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has been detected in humans, the significance of Mycobacterium ...tuberculosis (MTB)-cfDNA detection in patients with PTB remains unclear. This study enrolled patients with PTB and persons with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) as the study and control groups, respectively, from 2018 to 2020. We measured interferon-gamma levels and calculated blood monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR). We conducted plasma cfDNA extraction, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and droplet digital PCR targeting the IS6110 gene of MTB. We calculated the sensitivity and specificity of using MTB-cfDNA to identify PTB and analyzed the factors associated with PTB diagnosis and MTB-cfDNA positivity. We enrolled 24 patients with PTB and 57 LTBI controls. The sensitivity of using MTB-cfDNA to identify PTB was 54.2%(13/24) in total and 46.2%(6/13) in smear-negative cases. Two LTBI controls (3.5%) tested positive for MTB-cfDNA, indicating a specificity of 96.5%(55/57). By using MTB-cfDNA positivity and an MLR greater than or equal to0.42 to identify PTB, sensitivity increased to 79.2%(19/24). Among patients with PTB, MTB-specific interferon-gamma levels were higher in MTB-cfDNA positive participants than in those who tested negative (7.0 ±2.7 vs 2.7±3.0 IU/mL, p<0.001). MTB-cfDNA levels declined after 2 months of anti-tuberculosis therapy (p<0.001). The sensitivity of using MTB-cfDNA to identify PTB in participants was 54.2%, which increased to 79.2% after incorporating an MLR greater than or equal to0.42 into the analysis. MTB-cfDNA positivity was associated with MTB-specific immune response, and MTB-cfDNA levels declined after treatment. The clinical value of MTB-cfDNA in PTB management necessitates further investigation.
This study evaluated the new bone formation potential of micro–macro biphasic calcium phosphate (MBCP) and Bio-Oss grafting materials with and without dental pulp-derived mesenchymal stem cells ...(DPSCs) and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in a rabbit calvarial bone defect model. The surface structure of the grafting materials was evaluated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The multipotent differentiation characteristics of the DPSCs and BMSCs were assessed. Four circular bone defects were created in the calvarium of 24 rabbits and randomly allocated to eight experimental groups: empty control, MBCP, MBCP+DPSCs, MBCP+BMSCs, Bio-Oss+DPSCs, Bio-Oss+BMSCs, and autogenous bone. A three-dimensional analysis of the new bone formation was performed using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and a histological study after 2, 4, and 8 weeks of healing. Homogenously porous structures were observed in both grafting materials. The BMSCs revealed higher osteogenic differentiation capacities, whereas the DPSCs exhibited higher colony-forming units. The micro-CT and histological analysis findings for the new bone formation were consistent. In general, the empty control showed the lowest bone regeneration capacity throughout the experimental period. By contrast, the percentage of new bone formation was the highest in the autogenous bone group after 2 (39.4% ± 4.7%) and 4 weeks (49.7% ± 1.5%) of healing (p < 0.05). MBCP and Bio-Oss could provide osteoconductive support and prevent the collapse of the defect space for new bone formation. In addition, more osteoblastic cells lining the surface of the newly formed bone and bone grafting materials were observed after incorporating the DPSCs and BMSCs. After 8 weeks of healing, the autogenous bone group (54.9% ± 6.1%) showed a higher percentage of new bone formation than the empty control (35.3% ± 0.5%), MBCP (38.3% ± 6.0%), MBCP+DPSC (39.8% ± 5.7%), Bio-Oss (41.3% ± 3.5%), and Bio-Oss+DPSC (42.1% ± 2.7%) groups. Nevertheless, the percentage of new bone formation did not significantly differ between the MBCP+BMSC (47.2% ± 8.3%) and Bio-Oss+BMSC (51.2% ± 9.9%) groups and the autogenous bone group. Our study results demonstrated that autogenous bone is the gold standard. Both the DPSCs and BMSCs enhanced the osteoconductive capacities of MBCP and Bio-Oss. In addition, the efficiency of the BMSCs combined with MBCP and Bio-Oss was comparable to that of the autogenous bone after 8 weeks of healing. These findings provide effective strategies for the improvement of biomaterials and MSC-based bone tissue regeneration.
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