OBJECTIVE：To determine the clinical effect,treatment times,and rheoencephalogram changes in vertebral artery type cervical spondylosis patients treated with innovative Tuina manipulations.METHODS：One ...hundred and twenty six cervical spondylosis patients（vertebral artery type） were randomly divided into test and control groups.Patients in the test group were treated with innovative Tuina manipulations,while those in the control group were treated with the routine Tuina manipulations according to the textbook of Chinese Massage for Acupuncture and Moxibustion majors.The clinical effects,treatment times,clinical symptoms,and cerebral blood flow were measured.RESULTS：The response to the treatment was 100% in the test group and 88.71% in the control group.Patients in the test group required（7 ± 4） treatments before recovery,while those in the control group required（15 ± 7） treatments before recovery（P〈0.05）.The clinical symptoms exhibited greater improvement in the test group compared to the control group（P〈0.05）.There were no differences in cerebral blood flow between the two groups.CONCLUSION：Both innovative Tuina manipulations and routine Tuina manipulations produced satisfactory therapeutic results in vertebral artery type cervical spondylosis patients.However,the innovative manipulation was more effective in improving the functional symptoms,although there were no changes in the cerebral blood flow.
Small RNAs have important functions. However, small RNAs in primate oocytes remain unexplored. Herein, we develop CAS-seq, a single-cell small RNA sequencing method, and profile the small RNAs in ...human oocytes and embryos. We discover a class of ~20-nt small RNAs that are predominantly expressed in human and monkey oocytes, but not in mouse oocytes. They are specifically associated with HIWI3 (PIWIL3), whereas significantly shorter than the commonly known PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), designated as oocyte short piRNAs (os-piRNAs). Notably, the os-piRNAs in human oocytes lack 2'-O-methylation at the 3' end, a hallmark of the classic piRNAs. In addition, the os-piRNAs have a strong 1U/10 A bias and are enriched on the antisense strands of recently evolved transposable elements (TEs), indicating the potential function of silencing TEs by cleavage. Therefore, our study has identified an oocyte-specific piRNA family with distinct features and provides valuable resources for studying small RNAs in primate oocytes.
•Various mixtures based on siloxanes used in the DORC system are proposed.•Thermo-economic analysis is conducted to explore mixtures’ application potential.•Cycle performances of D4/R123 (0.3/0.7) ...and MD2M/R123 (0.35/0.65) are superior.
Siloxanes are usually used in the high temperature organic Rankine cycle (ORC) for engine waste heat recovery, but their flammability limits the practical application. Besides, blending siloxanes with retardants often brings a great temperature glide, causing the large condensation heat and the reduction in net output power. In view of this, the zeotropic mixtures based on siloxanes used in a dual-loop organic Rankine cycle (DORC) system are proposed in this paper. Three kinds of binary zeotropic mixtures consisting of R123 and various siloxanes (octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane ‘D4’, octamethyltrisiloxane ‘MDM’, decamethyltetrasiloxane ‘MD2M’), represented by D4/R123, MDM/R123 and MD2M/R123, are selected as the working fluid of the high temperature (HT) cycle. Meanwhile, R123 is always used in the low temperature (LT) cycle. The net output power and utilization of heat source are considered as the evaluation indexes to select the optimal mixture ratios for further analysis. Based on the thermodynamic and economic model, net output power, thermal efficiency, exergy efficiency, exergy destruction and electricity production cost (EPC) of the DORC system using the selected mixtures have been investigated under different operating parameters. According to the results, the DORC based on D4/R123 (0.3/0.7) shows the best thermodynamic performance with the largest net power of 21.66kW and the highest thermal efficiency of 22.84%. It also has the largest exergy efficiency of 48.6% and the smallest total exergy destruction of 19.64kW. The DORC using MD2M/R123 (0.35/0.65) represents the most economic system with the smallest EPC of 0.603 $/kWh. Besides, the irreversibility in the internal heat exchanger, turbine and evaporator of HT cycle contributes most to the total exergy destruction which can serve as the parameter to be optimized in the further study.
Purpose
To study if the transfer of morphological grade-CC blastocyst is effective and safe.
Methods
This retrospective study included 2585 frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles with grade-BB ...blastocysts and 102 FET cycles with grade-CC blastocysts during the period from January 2006 to December 2017. Pregnancy and neonatal outcomes of couples in two groups were analyzed before and after propensity score matching.
Results
Pregnancy outcomes showed no significant difference in the rates of biochemical pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, multiple gestation, gestational age (
P
> 0.05). However, the rates of intrauterine implantation, clinical pregnancy, and live birth were significantly lower in the grade-CC blastocyst transfer group than those in the grade-BB blastocyst transfer group (18.9% vs 46.0%, 21.6% vs 51.3%, 16.7% vs 41.4%, all
P
< 0.001, respectively) before and after propensity score matching. The assessment of neonatal outcomes showed no statistically significant differences in the birth weight, low birth weight, early-neonatal death, and birth defect, etc., similar results were also observed in the two matched cohorts.
Conclusion
Morphologically grade-CC blastocysts should be transferred rather than discarded, resulting in acceptable pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, which is beneficial to infertile patients suffering from repeated poor-quality embryos.
Ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) is a common complication in the treatment of respiratory diseases with high morbidity and mortality. ETS-domain containing protein (Elk1) and Matrix ...metalloproteinase (MMP) 9 are involved in VILI, but the roles have not been fully elucidated. This study examined the mechanisms of the activation of MMP-9 and Elk1 regulating barrier function in VILI in vitro and in vivo.
For the in vitro study, Mouse lung epithelial cells (MLE-12) were pre-treated with Elk1 siRNA or MMP-9 siRNA for 48 h prior to cyclic stretch at 20% for 4 h. For the in vivo study, C57BL/6 mice were pre-treated with Elk1 siRNA or MMP-9 siRNA for 72 h prior to 4 h of mechanical ventilation. The expressions of Elk1, MMP-9, Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1), E-cadherin, and occludin were measured by Western blotting. The intracellular distribution of E-cadherin and occludin was shown by immunofluorescence. The degree of pulmonary edema and lung injury were evaluated by Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, lung injury scores, Wet/Dry (W/D) weight ratio, total cell counts, and Evans blue dye.
20% cyclic stretch and high tidal volume increases the expressions of Elk1, MMP-9, and TIMP-1, increases the ratio of MMP-9/TIMP-1, decreases the E-cadherin and occludin level. Elk1 siRNA or MMP-9 siRNA reverses the degradations of E-cadherin, occludin, and the ratio of MMP-9/TIMP-1 caused by cyclic stretch. Elk1 siRNA decreases the MMP-9 level with or not 20% cyclic stretch and high tidal volume.
The results demonstrate mechanical stretch damages the tight junctions and aggravates the permeability in VILI, Elk1 plays an important role in affecting the tight junctions and permeability by regulating the balance of MMP-9 and TIMP-1, thus indicating the therapeutic potential of Elk1 to treat VILI.
A detection technique of digital image forgery based on local descriptor of multi-resolution Weber was proposed on the basis of Weber’s Law pertinent to deficiencies such as low accuracy, weak ...adaptability and simplicity of current detection algorithm of digital image forgery. WLD feature was extracted from chrominance channel of images, and more characteristic quantities could be extracted compared with single resolution through introduction of multi-resolution; meanwhile, WLD histogram could be formed under different resolutions in directions of differential excitation and gradient through optimization of WLD parameters; then classification could be conducted with SVM. Experimental data indicates: WLD of multi-resolution has better detection result compared with single resolution, and WLD of multi-resolution has better detection performance in detection of splicing forgery images and copying–moving forgery images. Forgery detection experiment in many image data bases indicates: WLD of multi-resolution has better detection result compared with single resolution, and WLD of multi-resolution has better detection performance in detection of splicing forgery images and copying–moving forgery images.
•Detection technique of digital image is presented.•Histogram WLD is used with its optimised parameters.•Results shows that it has a better detection.
Based on relevant data from 2014 to 2018, we constructed a spatial network of haze pollution in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region by using a modified gravity model, explored the network structure ...characteristics and influencing factors of urban agglomeration with the SNA and the QAP method, and discussed the population mobility effect brought by haze pollution. The results showed that the PRD region has spatial correlation in terms of haze pollution. Guangzhou was in the central position of the spatial network, yet Shenzhen and Foshan played a connecting role in the network. Economic development, urbanization, and environmental protection had significant positive impacts on the haze pollution spatial network. The results of the double-threshold regression showed that the city’s status in the haze pollution network represented by centrality had a positive impact on population mobility.
This study investigates the mechanism of a financial spatial structure and economic agglomeration on carbon emission intensity by combining a reconstructed financial spatial structure indicator that ...integrates spatiality, industrial affiliation, and competition with a theoretical model of financial spatial structure and economic agglomeration impacts on carbon emission intensity under increasing returns to scale assumption. We employ a dynamic spatial Durbin panel model with data from provinces in China during 2005–2017 to validate the theoretical mechanism. The results indicate that both short- and long-term financial spatial structures can mitigate carbon emission intensity, thereby demonstrating spatial and temporal lock-in effects. However, economic agglomeration and energy intensity promote carbon emission intensity with only temporal lock-in effects. Moreover, the financial spatial structure tends to have a smaller but more far-ranging, long-term impact. The analysis implies that promoting financial spatial restructuring through strategic credit allocation, industrial linkage, and competition and mitigating economic agglomeration are crucial to expedite the process of “carbon peak and neutrality.”
•Reconstruct financial indicators on spatiality, industry linkage, and competition.•Improve output density function from Hicks Neutrality, input, and output sides.•Propose a new theoretical model on drivers of CO2 intensity.•Financial spatial structure mitigates CO2 intensity with a deeper long-term impact.•Economic agglomeration raises CO2 intensity and is crucial to CO2 reduction.
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•A stable hierarchical Li+/e- conducting shell is constructed on the surface of nano-Si.•Li2SiO3/C shell is self-sacrificially formed via reaction of native oxide layer and Li ...salts.•As-obtained sample shows high capacity and good cycling stability.
The inevitable surface oxidation of nano-Si inhibits its practical application as anode for lithium ion battery. Here, a hierarchical electronic/ionic conducting shell is smartly constructed by self-sacrificing reaction of native oxide layer on Si nanoparticles with lithium species. The morphological observation shows that Si nanoparticles are wrapped by lithium ionic conductor Li2SiO3 and amorphous carbon as the interlayer and outer layer, respectively. Such hierarchical structure not only provides a tight bond between Si and coating layer, but also improves the interfacial stability and conductivity of Si nanoparticles. Theoretical calculations demonstrate that the adsorption of Li2SiO3 on Si (111) and the adsorption of C on Si/Li2SiO3 are exothermic and spontaneous, and that the electron transfer and ionic conductivity at the surface of Si/Li2SiO3/C composite is enhanced. As a result, the as-prepared Si/Li2SiO3/C sample exhibits outstanding cycle stability and rate capability. By optimizing the lithium sources and thickness of native oxide layer, the resulted material exhibits 2106 mAh g−1 at 200 mA g−1, remains 1583 mA g−1 at 3000 mA g−1, and maintains 70.2% of capacity retention after 200 cycles. This work provides a robust strategy to promote the practical applications of Si nanoparticles as anode for lithium ion batteries.
Developing high‐efficiency artificial biocatalysts for scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) is critical for treating inflammation diseases and promoting tissue regeneration. By mimicking the ...active sites in catalase, here, a Pt‐clusters‐equipped antioxidase‐like biocatalysts (Pt─CN) with superior catalytic abilities for stem cell protection and periodontitis treatment are reported. Owing to the excellent effects of multiple Pt clusters, Pt─CN yields exceptional catalytic ROS‐scavenging activities for multiple types of ROS. In vitro studies show that Pt─CN can effectively protect stem cell survival, adhesion, and differentiation in a high ROS levels microenvironment. Additionally, Pt─CN can reduce the M1/M2 ratio of macrophages when stimulated by lipopolysaccharide. In vivo treatment of mouse periodontitis further confirms the protection against bone loss and reduction in the inflammatory response. This study provides a basis for the application of biocatalysts with Pt catalytic center in macrophage polarization, stem cell protection, and periodontitis treatment, thus offering a new strategy for the design of high‐performance artificial biocatalysts.
Pt‐clusters‐equipped antioxidase‐like biocatalysts (Pt─CN) are constructed for ROS elimination. The ultrafast ROS‐elimination activity is systematically disclosed, thus providing efficient rescue ability for the spreading, adhesion, and differentiation ability of hMSCs in high ROS level microenvironment and regulating the fate of macrophage polarization, finally promoting bone regeneration in treating periodontitis in vivo.
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