Objective The aim of this study was to assess quality of results of elderly patients with coronary disease after medical or revascularisation therapy. Methods In this study, we enrolled 103 patients aged 75 years or o...Objective The aim of this study was to assess quality of results of elderly patients with coronary disease after medical or revascularisation therapy. Methods In this study, we enrolled 103 patients aged 75 years or older with chronic angina in which 47 patients were assigned coronary angiography and revascularisation and 56 patients with optimised medical therapy. The primary endpoint was quality of life after 6 months, as assessed by questionnaire and the presence of major adverse cardiac events (death, non fatal myocardial infarction, or hospital admission for acute coronary syndrome with or without the need for revascularisation). Results After 6 months follow up, angina severity decreased and measures of quality of life increased in both treatment groups( P <0.05 ); however, these improvements were significantly greater after revascularisation( P <0.01 ). Major adverse cardiac events occurred in 30 ( 53.6% ) of patients in the medical group and 9 ( 19.1% ) in the invasive group ( P <0.01 ).Conclusions Patients aged 75 years or older with angina benefit more from revascularisation than from optimised medical therapy in terms of symptom relief and quality of life. Therefore, these patients should be offered invasive assessment despite their high risk profile followed by revascularisation if feasible.展开更多
Background With an aggravated social ageing level, the number of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is gradually increasing, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is considered to be an early form of Alzheimer&#...Background With an aggravated social ageing level, the number of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is gradually increasing, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is considered to be an early form of Alzheimer's disease. How to distinguish diseases in the early stage for the purposes of early diagnosis and treatment is an important topic. Aims The purpose of our study was to investigate the differences in brain cortical thickness and surface area among elderly patients with AD, elderly patients with amnestic MCI (aMCI) and normal controls (NC). Methods 20 AD patients, 21 aMCIs and 25 NC were recruited in the study. FreeSurfer software was used to calculate cortical thickness and surface area among groups. Results The patients with AD had less cortical thickness both in the left and right hemisphere in 17 of the 36 brain regions examined than the patients with aMCI or NC. The patients with AD also had smaller cerebral surface area both in the left and right hemisphere in 3 of the 36 brain regions examined than the patients with aMCI or NC. Compared with the NC, the patients with aMCI only had slight atrophy in the inferior parietal lobe of the left hemisphere, and no significant difference was found. Conclusion AD, as well as aMCI (to a lesser extent), is associated with reduced cortical thickness and surface area in a few brain regions associated with cognitive impairment. These results suggest that cortical thickness and surface area could be used for early detection of AD.展开更多
Ischemic heart disease(IHD) is known as the leading cause of death in both genders. Moreover, significant sex differences were found in cardiac structure, function, pathophysiology, presentation, treatment, and outcom...Ischemic heart disease(IHD) is known as the leading cause of death in both genders. Moreover, significant sex differences were found in cardiac structure, function, pathophysiology, presentation, treatment, and outcome of IHD. The presence of unique risk factors such as exposure to menarche and pregnancy, more anemia, hypertension, and autoimmune disorders in women have recently received attention. Ischemic symptoms are more indefinite and vague in women compared to men as well as a delay in diagnosis, treatment, and worse outcomes compared to men. Women usually receive less evidence-based treatment and intervention, with less concern on preventive health care. Clinical trials primarily recruit male patients and women are underrepresented. Without any correct diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, these problems are accumulated and continue up to older age. Accordingly, with the belief of longer life in women and the increased prevalence of IHD with aging, it will become an important public health problem and concern in the future. This narrative review aimed to provide an overview of some of the differences between the two genders in terms of IHD with paying more attention to practical points.展开更多
Compared to the dubbing, the version of subtitling has many defects, including the faults purely in language translation and the inaccuracy in the cultural images. As a media of cultural communication, the translator ...Compared to the dubbing, the version of subtitling has many defects, including the faults purely in language translation and the inaccuracy in the cultural images. As a media of cultural communication, the translator of the subtitling has to pay enough attention to the art of language, and has to take strategies centering on the audience, promoting the cultural communication and reducing the cultural differences.展开更多
In recent years,interest in the larvae of black soldier fly(BSF)(Hermetia illucens)as a sustainable protein resource for livestock feed has increased considerably.However,knowledge on the nutritional and physiological...In recent years,interest in the larvae of black soldier fly(BSF)(Hermetia illucens)as a sustainable protein resource for livestock feed has increased considerably.However,knowledge on the nutritional and physiological aspects of this insect,especially compared to other conventional farmed animals is scarce.This review presents a critical comparison of data on the growth potential and efficiency of the BSF larvae(BSFL)compared to conventional monogastric livestock species.Advantages of BSFL over other monogastric livestock species includes their high growth rate and their ability to convert low-grade organic waste into high-quality protein and fat-rich biomass suitable for use in animal feed.Calculations using literature data suggest that BSFL are more efficient than broilers,pigs and fish in terms of conversion of substrate protein into body mass,but less efficient than broilers and fish in utilization of substrate gross energy to gain body mass.BSFL growth efficiency varies greatly depending on the nutrient quality of their dietary substrates.This might be associated with the function of their gastrointestinal tract,including the activity of digestive enzymes,the substrate particle characteristics,and their intestinal microbial community.The conceived advantage of BSFL having an environmental footprint better than conventional livestock is only true if BSFL is produced on low-grade organic waste and its protein would directly be used for human consumption.Therefore,their potential role as a new species to better close nutrient cycles in agro-ecological systems needs to be reconsidered,and we conclude that BSFL is a complementary livestock species efficiently utilizing organic waste that cannot be utilized by other livestock.In addition,we provide comparative insight into morpho-functional aspects of the gut,characterization of digestive enzymes,gut microbiota and fiber digestion.Finally,current knowledge on the nutritional utilization and requirements of BSFL in terms of macro-and micronutrients is reviewed and found to be rather limited.In addition,the research methods to determine nutritional requirements of conventional livestock are not applicable for BSFL.Thus,there is a great need for research on the nutrient requirements of BSFL.展开更多
We report the genetic linkage map of Jian carp(C yprinus carpio var. Jian). An F1 population comprising 94 Jian carp individuals was mapped using 254 microsatellite markers. The genetic map spanned 1 381.592 c M and c...We report the genetic linkage map of Jian carp(C yprinus carpio var. Jian). An F1 population comprising 94 Jian carp individuals was mapped using 254 microsatellite markers. The genetic map spanned 1 381.592 c M and comprised 44 linkage groups,with an average marker distance of 6.58 c M. We identified eight quantitative trait loci(QTLs) for body weight(BW) in seven linkage groups,explaining 12.6% to 17.3% of the phenotypic variance. Comparative mapping was performed between Jian carp and mirror carp( Cyprinus carpio L.),which both have 50 chromosomes. One hundred and ninety-eight Jian carp marker loci were found in common with the mirror carp map,with 186(93.94%) showing synteny. All 44 Jian carp linkage groups could be one-to-one aligned to the 44 mirror carp linkage groups,mostly sharing two or more common loci. Three QTLs for BW in Jian carp were conserved in mirror carp. QTL comparison suggested that the QTL confidence interval in mirror carp was more precise than the homologous interval in Jian carp,which was contained within the QTL interval in Jian carp. The syntenic relationship and consensus QTLs between the two varieties provide a foundation for genomic research and genetic breeding in common carp.展开更多
The transparent open box(TOB)learning network algorithm offers an alternative approach to the lack of transparency provided by most machine-learning algorithms.It provides the exact calculations and relationships amon...The transparent open box(TOB)learning network algorithm offers an alternative approach to the lack of transparency provided by most machine-learning algorithms.It provides the exact calculations and relationships among the underlying input variables of the datasets to which it is applied.It also has the capability to achieve credible and auditable levels of prediction accuracy to complex,non-linear datasets,typical of those encountered in the oil and gas sector,highlighting the potential for underfitting and overfitting.The algorithm is applied here to predict bubble-point pressure from a published PVT dataset of 166 data records involving four easy-tomeasure variables(reservoir temperature,gas-oil ratio,oil gravity,gas density relative to air)with uneven,and in parts,sparse data coverage.The TOB network demonstrates high-prediction accuracy for this complex system,although it predictions applied to the full dataset are outperformed by an artificial neural network(ANN).However,the performance of the TOB algorithm reveals the risk of overfitting in the sparse areas of the dataset and achieves a prediction performance that matches the ANN algorithm where the underlying data population is adequate.The high levels of transparency and its inhibitions to overfitting enable the TOB learning network to provide complementary information about the underlying dataset to that provided by traditional machine learning algorithms.This makes them suitable for application in parallel with neural-network algorithms,to overcome their black-box tendencies,and for benchmarking the prediction performance of other machine learning algorithms.展开更多
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of proportional assist ventilation (PAV) on tolerance and breathlessness in ventilated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to describe the patient-ventilator interact...OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of proportional assist ventilation (PAV) on tolerance and breathlessness in ventilated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to describe the patient-ventilator interaction, hemodynamic state, breathing pattern and work of breath during PAV and pressure support ventilation (PSV). METHODS: Ten intubated COPD patients on weaning from mechanical ventilation were studied. Elastance and resistance were measured by both the inspiratory-hold technique during a brief period of volume control ventilation and runaway technique during PAV. Each assistance level of PAV (80%, 60% and 40%) and PSV was selected randomly. Patients' response, hemodynamics, blood gas and lung mechanics were monitored. RESULTS: Tidal volume and respiratory rate didn't change in a consistent manner as the level of assist was decreased (P > 0.05). With the level of assist increasing, peak inspiratory pressure was increasing significantly (P展开更多
Finger millet(Eleusine coracana Gaertn.),a nutritionally rich and drought-resilient C4 cereal,possesses exceptional grain storage longevity(up to 50 years).Here,we report a high-quality genome assembly of the allotetr...Finger millet(Eleusine coracana Gaertn.),a nutritionally rich and drought-resilient C4 cereal,possesses exceptional grain storage longevity(up to 50 years).Here,we report a high-quality genome assembly of the allotetraploid cultivar C142,revealing extensive structural rearrangements between its two subgenomes(subA and subB),which are associated with asymmetric gene expression and subgenome dominance favoring subA.SubB diverged from subA and E.indica approximately 6.8 million years ago.Subsequently,two whole-genome duplication events shaped the current genome architecture,contributing to gene redundancy and adaptive potential.Notably,expansion of stress-related gene families,such as aldo-keto reductases,suggests a role in oxidative stress response and drought adaptation.Using genome-wide association studies,we identify several candidate genes associated with key agronomic traits.Among them,EcMDHAR,encoding monodehydroascorbate reductase,plays a critical role in enhancing drought tolerance.Different EcMDHAR haplotypes exhibit distinct expression profiles,supporting their functional relevance in drought adaptation.This genomic resource not only advances our understanding of polyploid genome evolution in millets,but also provides a foundation for genome-assisted improvement of drought resistance and nutritional quality in finger millet.展开更多
The capacity of the central nervous system for structural plasticity and regeneration is commonly believed to show a decreasing progression from“small and simple”brains to the larger,more complex brains of mammals.H...The capacity of the central nervous system for structural plasticity and regeneration is commonly believed to show a decreasing progression from“small and simple”brains to the larger,more complex brains of mammals.However,recent findings revealed that some forms of neural plasticity can show a reverse trend.Although plasticity is a well-preserved,transversal feature across the animal world,a variety of cell populations and mechanisms seem to have evolved to enable structural modifications to take place in widely different brains,likely as adaptations to selective pressures.Increasing evidence now indicates that a trade-off has occurred between regenerative(mostly stem cell–driven)plasticity and developmental(mostly juvenile)remodeling,with the latter primarily aimed not at brain repair but rather at“sculpting”the neural circuits based on experience.In particular,an evolutionary trade-off has occurred between neurogenic processes intended to support the possibility of recruiting new neurons throughout life and the different ways of obtaining new neurons,and between the different brain locations in which plasticity occurs.This review first briefly surveys the different types of plasticity and the complexity of their possible outcomes and then focuses on recent findings showing that the mammalian brain has a stem cell–independent integration of new neurons into pre-existing(mature)neural circuits.This process is still largely unknown but involves neuronal cells that have been blocked in arrested maturation since their embryonic origin(also termed“immature”or“dormant”neurons).These cells can then restart maturation throughout the animal's lifespan to become functional neurons in brain regions,such as the cerebral cortex and amygdala,that are relevant to high-order cognition and emotions.Unlike stem cell–driven postnatal/adult neurogenesis,which significantly decreases from small-brained,short-living species to large-brained ones,immature neurons are particularly abundant in large-brained,long-living mammals,including humans.The immature neural cell populations hosted in these complex brains are an interesting example of an“enlarged road”in the phylogenetic trend of plastic potential decreases commonly observed in the animal world.The topic of dormant neurons that covary with brain size and gyrencephaly represents a prospective turning point in the field of neuroplasticity,with important translational outcomes.These cells can represent a reservoir of undifferentiated neurons,potentially granting plasticity within the high-order circuits subserving the most sophisticated cognitive skills that are important in the growing brains of young,healthy individuals and are frequently affected by debilitating neurodevelopmental and degenerative disorders.展开更多
China ranked first worldwide in the production and export of electric bicycles.As an emerging market for electric bicycles,Malaysia holds significant potential for trade collabor ation with China in this sector.This s...China ranked first worldwide in the production and export of electric bicycles.As an emerging market for electric bicycles,Malaysia holds significant potential for trade collabor ation with China in this sector.This study presents a compar ative analysis of the national electric bicycle standards in China and Malaysia,offering technical insights from a standardization perspective.These insights aim to support Chinese enterprises in strategically positioning their technologies in the Malaysian market.The findings reveal significant differences in technical parameters,safety requirements,and testing methods,highlighting the need for tailored product adapt ation.展开更多
Trentepohliales is a completely terrestrial order within Ulvophyceae(the core Chlorophyta),and its closely related lineages are mainly marine macroalgae(green seaweeds).Despite the considerable interest in their biote...Trentepohliales is a completely terrestrial order within Ulvophyceae(the core Chlorophyta),and its closely related lineages are mainly marine macroalgae(green seaweeds).Despite the considerable interest in their biotechnological potential,little is known about their adaptations to challenging terrestrial habitats.Here,we assemble the high-quality reference genome of Trentepohlia odorata.This alga shows duplications of key genes associated with lipid metabolism and carotenoid synthesis,potentially facilitating intracellular accumulation of lipid droplets and carotenoids.We further reveal positive selection and expansion of gene families involved in vesicle trafficking and cell division regulation in T.odorata compared with other algae(cleavage furrow-mediated cell division)in Ulvophyceae,providing a genetic foundation for the evolution of phragmoplast-mediated cell division.The combined C_(4)-like and biophysical CO_(2)-concentrating mechanisms(CCMs)of T.odorata enable adaptation to fluctuating CO_(2) environments,and support efficient photosynthesis under CO_(2)-limited conditions.Adaptive strategies of T.odorata to terrestrial stressors,such as drought,intense light,and UV-B radiation,include horizontally acquired genes involved in cell wall synthesis and remodeling,homeostasis of aldehydes,and expanded genes associated with reactive oxygen species(ROS),DNA repair,and photoprotection.Our study provides a valuable genomic resource for studying aerial algae and improves understanding of plant terrestrialization.展开更多
In clinical diagnosis,conventional X-ray absorption-contrast computed tomography(XACT)technology cannot effectively differentiate diseased tissues from the healthy ones.X-ray phase-contrast CT(XPCT)and dual-energy CT(...In clinical diagnosis,conventional X-ray absorption-contrast computed tomography(XACT)technology cannot effectively differentiate diseased tissues from the healthy ones.X-ray phase-contrast CT(XPCT)and dual-energy CT(DECT),emerging X-ray imaging technologies with superior diagnostic capabilities,address this issue through different principles.While both XPCT and DECT have advantages and disadvantages in medical applications,their systematic comparison is lacking.Using GEANT4 and MATLAB,in this study,we established an X-ray phase-contrast imaging(XPCI)model based on single-mask and single-shot edge illumination for fast XPCT imaging,comparing it with DECT on soft-tissue phantom.XACT served as a reference for comparison.The study introduces an evaluation system using statistical measures including absolute error,mean absolute error,structure similarity index measure,peak signal-to-noise ratio,and contrast-to-noise ratio.Results show XPCT images are superior to DECT.The XPCI model can be improved on existing medical CT for widespread medical application.展开更多
In contemporary computer vision,convolutional neural networks(CNNs)and vision transformers(ViTs)represent the two primary architectural paradigms for image recognition.While both approaches have been widely adopted in...In contemporary computer vision,convolutional neural networks(CNNs)and vision transformers(ViTs)represent the two primary architectural paradigms for image recognition.While both approaches have been widely adopted in medical imaging applications,they operate based on fundamentally different computational principles.This report attempts to provide brief application notes on ViTs and CNNs,particularly focusing on scenarios that guide the selection of one architecture over the other in practical medical implementations.Generally,CNNs rely on convolutional kernels,localized receptive fields,and weight sharing,enabling efficient hierarchical feature extraction.These properties contribute to strong performance in detecting spatially constrained patterns such as textures,edges,and anatomical boundaries,while maintaining relatively low computational requirements.ViTs,on the other hand,decompose images into smaller segments referred to as tokens and employ self-attention mechanisms to model relationships across the entire image.This global modeling capability allows ViTs to capture long-range dependencies that may be difficult for convolution-based architectures to learn.However,ViTs typically achieve optimal performance when trained on extremely large datasets or when supported by extensive pretraining,as their reduced inductive bias requires greater data exposure to learn robust representations.This report briefly examines the architectural structure,underlying mathematical foundations,and relative performance characteristics of CNNs and ViTs,drawing upon recent findings from contemporary research.Emphasis is placed on understanding how differences in data availability,computational resources,and task requirements influence model effectiveness across medical imaging domains.Most importantly,the report serves as a concise application guide for practitioners seeking informed implementation decisions between these two influential deep learning frameworks.展开更多
Industrial waste salts are commonly used to make value-added snow-melting agents to ensure traffic safety in northern China during winter and spring after snowfall.However,heavy metals in industrial waste salts may po...Industrial waste salts are commonly used to make value-added snow-melting agents to ensure traffic safety in northern China during winter and spring after snowfall.However,heavy metals in industrial waste salts may pose certain environmental risks.Snow-melting agents and snow samples were collected and analyzed from highways,arterial roads,footbridges,and other locations in Beijing after the snowstorm in December 2023.It was found that the main component of snow-melting agents was sodium chloride with high concentrations of Cu,Mn,and Zn,which are not regulated in the current policies,despite the recent promotion of environmentally friendly snow-melting agents.The Pb,Zn and Cr contents of some snow samples exceeded the limitation value of surface water quality standards,potentially affecting the soil and water environment near roadsides,although the snow-melting agents comply with relevant standards,which indicates the policy gap in the management of recycled industrial salts.We reviewed and analyzed the relevant standards for snow-melting agents and industrial waste salts proposed nationally and internationally over the past 30 years.Through comparative analysis,we proposed relevant policy recommendations to the existing quality standards of snow-melting agents and the management regulations of industrial waste salts,and the formulation of corresponding usage strategies,aimed at reducing the potential environmental release of heavy metals from the use of snow-melting agents,thereby promoting more sustainable green urban development and environmentally sound waste management.展开更多
This study integrates explicit input enhancement into comparative continuation writing,defined as a task in which learners produce a continuation by comparing their own expression with an input text,aligning with its ...This study integrates explicit input enhancement into comparative continuation writing,defined as a task in which learners produce a continuation by comparing their own expression with an input text,aligning with its discourse structure and linguistic features,while developing their own ideas.It aims to examine whether English as a Foreign Language(EFL)learners in China exhibit differences in discourse competence and writing performance when completing comparative continuation writing combined with different input enhancement techniques,and whether the alignment effect occurs at the discourse level.Sixty first-year Chinese senior middle school students were divided into four groups:three groups engaged in comparative continuation writing with varying input enhancement,achieved by combining different techniques,while a control group performed a designated-topic writing task.The results revealed that three comparative continuation writing groups outperformed the designated-topic writing group in discourse competence,particularly in the use of temporal connectives.However,differences and some inconsistencies were observed among the comparative continuation writing groups across individual indices.The study highlights effective ways to incorporate comparative continuation writing into English instruction and demonstrates how explicit input enhancement can complement the task,simultaneously activating the alignment effect proposed by the xu-argument and enhancing discourse competence in writing.展开更多
CR Dhan 310(CRD310),a biofortified rice variety,contains a significantly higher level of grain protein compared with its recurrent parent Naveen(NV),as well as most adapted high-yielding rice varieties in India.Althou...CR Dhan 310(CRD310),a biofortified rice variety,contains a significantly higher level of grain protein compared with its recurrent parent Naveen(NV),as well as most adapted high-yielding rice varieties in India.Although a limited investigation depicted that CRD310 contained higher levels of glutelin and some essential amino acids,detailed biochemical,molecular,and cellular mechanisms remain to be studied.As one of the means to identify the proteins and understand the underlying mechanism of higher proteins accumulation in grains of CRD310,the comparative proteomics was undertaken on grains of CRD310 and NV at the yellow ripening stage.展开更多
Background:Home accessibility modifi cations are crucial for promoting independent living and quality of life among persons with disabilities.While developed countries have established comprehensive policy frameworks,...Background:Home accessibility modifi cations are crucial for promoting independent living and quality of life among persons with disabilities.While developed countries have established comprehensive policy frameworks,developing nations like China face unique challenges in program design and implementation.Objective:This study conducts a systematic comparative analysis of home accessibility modification policies across China,Japan,Germany,and Sweden,identifying key policy dimensions and proposing evidence-based recommendations for strengthening China’s policy framework.Methods:We employed a multi-dimensional analytical framework examining legislative foundations,eligibility criteria,funding mechanisms,and service delivery models.Data were collected from primary legislation,governmental regulations,official statistics,and peer-reviewed literature.Results:Significant cross-national variations exist in policy approaches.Japan and Germany utilize social insurance models with standardized assessments,Sweden adopts a universal rights-based approach,while China employs a targeted assistance model focused on economically disadvantaged households.China completed 1.28 million household renovations during its 14th Five-Year Plan,demonstrating strong implementation capacity;future policy refi nement could draw on international experience to strengthen assessment standardization,broaden eff ective coverage,and improve the sustainability of fi nancing.Conclusions:China can benefi t from international experience in developing standardized assessment protocols,diversifying funding mechanisms,and establishing professional service delivery systems,while acknowledging contextual constraints unique to developing country settings.展开更多
文摘Objective The aim of this study was to assess quality of results of elderly patients with coronary disease after medical or revascularisation therapy. Methods In this study, we enrolled 103 patients aged 75 years or older with chronic angina in which 47 patients were assigned coronary angiography and revascularisation and 56 patients with optimised medical therapy. The primary endpoint was quality of life after 6 months, as assessed by questionnaire and the presence of major adverse cardiac events (death, non fatal myocardial infarction, or hospital admission for acute coronary syndrome with or without the need for revascularisation). Results After 6 months follow up, angina severity decreased and measures of quality of life increased in both treatment groups( P <0.05 ); however, these improvements were significantly greater after revascularisation( P <0.01 ). Major adverse cardiac events occurred in 30 ( 53.6% ) of patients in the medical group and 9 ( 19.1% ) in the invasive group ( P <0.01 ).Conclusions Patients aged 75 years or older with angina benefit more from revascularisation than from optimised medical therapy in terms of symptom relief and quality of life. Therefore, these patients should be offered invasive assessment despite their high risk profile followed by revascularisation if feasible.
基金Collaborative Innovation Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine TM201728National Nature Science Foundation of China 81571298+2 种基金Shanghai health system excellent talent training program (excellent subject leader) project 2017BR054Shanghai Municipal Education Commission-Gaofeng Clinical Medicine Grant Support 20172029Shanghai Pujiang Program 17PJD038.
文摘Background With an aggravated social ageing level, the number of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is gradually increasing, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is considered to be an early form of Alzheimer's disease. How to distinguish diseases in the early stage for the purposes of early diagnosis and treatment is an important topic. Aims The purpose of our study was to investigate the differences in brain cortical thickness and surface area among elderly patients with AD, elderly patients with amnestic MCI (aMCI) and normal controls (NC). Methods 20 AD patients, 21 aMCIs and 25 NC were recruited in the study. FreeSurfer software was used to calculate cortical thickness and surface area among groups. Results The patients with AD had less cortical thickness both in the left and right hemisphere in 17 of the 36 brain regions examined than the patients with aMCI or NC. The patients with AD also had smaller cerebral surface area both in the left and right hemisphere in 3 of the 36 brain regions examined than the patients with aMCI or NC. Compared with the NC, the patients with aMCI only had slight atrophy in the inferior parietal lobe of the left hemisphere, and no significant difference was found. Conclusion AD, as well as aMCI (to a lesser extent), is associated with reduced cortical thickness and surface area in a few brain regions associated with cognitive impairment. These results suggest that cortical thickness and surface area could be used for early detection of AD.
文摘Ischemic heart disease(IHD) is known as the leading cause of death in both genders. Moreover, significant sex differences were found in cardiac structure, function, pathophysiology, presentation, treatment, and outcome of IHD. The presence of unique risk factors such as exposure to menarche and pregnancy, more anemia, hypertension, and autoimmune disorders in women have recently received attention. Ischemic symptoms are more indefinite and vague in women compared to men as well as a delay in diagnosis, treatment, and worse outcomes compared to men. Women usually receive less evidence-based treatment and intervention, with less concern on preventive health care. Clinical trials primarily recruit male patients and women are underrepresented. Without any correct diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, these problems are accumulated and continue up to older age. Accordingly, with the belief of longer life in women and the increased prevalence of IHD with aging, it will become an important public health problem and concern in the future. This narrative review aimed to provide an overview of some of the differences between the two genders in terms of IHD with paying more attention to practical points.
文摘Compared to the dubbing, the version of subtitling has many defects, including the faults purely in language translation and the inaccuracy in the cultural images. As a media of cultural communication, the translator of the subtitling has to pay enough attention to the art of language, and has to take strategies centering on the audience, promoting the cultural communication and reducing the cultural differences.
基金funded by the institutional budget of FBN Dummerstorfpartly supported by the Leibniz ScienceCampus Phosphorus Research Rostock.
文摘In recent years,interest in the larvae of black soldier fly(BSF)(Hermetia illucens)as a sustainable protein resource for livestock feed has increased considerably.However,knowledge on the nutritional and physiological aspects of this insect,especially compared to other conventional farmed animals is scarce.This review presents a critical comparison of data on the growth potential and efficiency of the BSF larvae(BSFL)compared to conventional monogastric livestock species.Advantages of BSFL over other monogastric livestock species includes their high growth rate and their ability to convert low-grade organic waste into high-quality protein and fat-rich biomass suitable for use in animal feed.Calculations using literature data suggest that BSFL are more efficient than broilers,pigs and fish in terms of conversion of substrate protein into body mass,but less efficient than broilers and fish in utilization of substrate gross energy to gain body mass.BSFL growth efficiency varies greatly depending on the nutrient quality of their dietary substrates.This might be associated with the function of their gastrointestinal tract,including the activity of digestive enzymes,the substrate particle characteristics,and their intestinal microbial community.The conceived advantage of BSFL having an environmental footprint better than conventional livestock is only true if BSFL is produced on low-grade organic waste and its protein would directly be used for human consumption.Therefore,their potential role as a new species to better close nutrient cycles in agro-ecological systems needs to be reconsidered,and we conclude that BSFL is a complementary livestock species efficiently utilizing organic waste that cannot be utilized by other livestock.In addition,we provide comparative insight into morpho-functional aspects of the gut,characterization of digestive enzymes,gut microbiota and fiber digestion.Finally,current knowledge on the nutritional utilization and requirements of BSFL in terms of macro-and micronutrients is reviewed and found to be rather limited.In addition,the research methods to determine nutritional requirements of conventional livestock are not applicable for BSFL.Thus,there is a great need for research on the nutrient requirements of BSFL.
基金Supported by the Special Scientific Research Funds for Central Non-Profit Institutes,Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences(No.2014A05CG01)the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China(No.2011AA100402-5)the China Ministry of Agriculture "948" Program(No.2011-G12)
文摘We report the genetic linkage map of Jian carp(C yprinus carpio var. Jian). An F1 population comprising 94 Jian carp individuals was mapped using 254 microsatellite markers. The genetic map spanned 1 381.592 c M and comprised 44 linkage groups,with an average marker distance of 6.58 c M. We identified eight quantitative trait loci(QTLs) for body weight(BW) in seven linkage groups,explaining 12.6% to 17.3% of the phenotypic variance. Comparative mapping was performed between Jian carp and mirror carp( Cyprinus carpio L.),which both have 50 chromosomes. One hundred and ninety-eight Jian carp marker loci were found in common with the mirror carp map,with 186(93.94%) showing synteny. All 44 Jian carp linkage groups could be one-to-one aligned to the 44 mirror carp linkage groups,mostly sharing two or more common loci. Three QTLs for BW in Jian carp were conserved in mirror carp. QTL comparison suggested that the QTL confidence interval in mirror carp was more precise than the homologous interval in Jian carp,which was contained within the QTL interval in Jian carp. The syntenic relationship and consensus QTLs between the two varieties provide a foundation for genomic research and genetic breeding in common carp.
文摘The transparent open box(TOB)learning network algorithm offers an alternative approach to the lack of transparency provided by most machine-learning algorithms.It provides the exact calculations and relationships among the underlying input variables of the datasets to which it is applied.It also has the capability to achieve credible and auditable levels of prediction accuracy to complex,non-linear datasets,typical of those encountered in the oil and gas sector,highlighting the potential for underfitting and overfitting.The algorithm is applied here to predict bubble-point pressure from a published PVT dataset of 166 data records involving four easy-tomeasure variables(reservoir temperature,gas-oil ratio,oil gravity,gas density relative to air)with uneven,and in parts,sparse data coverage.The TOB network demonstrates high-prediction accuracy for this complex system,although it predictions applied to the full dataset are outperformed by an artificial neural network(ANN).However,the performance of the TOB algorithm reveals the risk of overfitting in the sparse areas of the dataset and achieves a prediction performance that matches the ANN algorithm where the underlying data population is adequate.The high levels of transparency and its inhibitions to overfitting enable the TOB learning network to provide complementary information about the underlying dataset to that provided by traditional machine learning algorithms.This makes them suitable for application in parallel with neural-network algorithms,to overcome their black-box tendencies,and for benchmarking the prediction performance of other machine learning algorithms.
文摘OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of proportional assist ventilation (PAV) on tolerance and breathlessness in ventilated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to describe the patient-ventilator interaction, hemodynamic state, breathing pattern and work of breath during PAV and pressure support ventilation (PSV). METHODS: Ten intubated COPD patients on weaning from mechanical ventilation were studied. Elastance and resistance were measured by both the inspiratory-hold technique during a brief period of volume control ventilation and runaway technique during PAV. Each assistance level of PAV (80%, 60% and 40%) and PSV was selected randomly. Patients' response, hemodynamics, blood gas and lung mechanics were monitored. RESULTS: Tidal volume and respiratory rate didn't change in a consistent manner as the level of assist was decreased (P > 0.05). With the level of assist increasing, peak inspiratory pressure was increasing significantly (P
基金supported by the National Crop Germplasm Resources Center(NCGRC-2024-056)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32301813).
文摘Finger millet(Eleusine coracana Gaertn.),a nutritionally rich and drought-resilient C4 cereal,possesses exceptional grain storage longevity(up to 50 years).Here,we report a high-quality genome assembly of the allotetraploid cultivar C142,revealing extensive structural rearrangements between its two subgenomes(subA and subB),which are associated with asymmetric gene expression and subgenome dominance favoring subA.SubB diverged from subA and E.indica approximately 6.8 million years ago.Subsequently,two whole-genome duplication events shaped the current genome architecture,contributing to gene redundancy and adaptive potential.Notably,expansion of stress-related gene families,such as aldo-keto reductases,suggests a role in oxidative stress response and drought adaptation.Using genome-wide association studies,we identify several candidate genes associated with key agronomic traits.Among them,EcMDHAR,encoding monodehydroascorbate reductase,plays a critical role in enhancing drought tolerance.Different EcMDHAR haplotypes exhibit distinct expression profiles,supporting their functional relevance in drought adaptation.This genomic resource not only advances our understanding of polyploid genome evolution in millets,but also provides a foundation for genome-assisted improvement of drought resistance and nutritional quality in finger millet.
基金supported by Progetto Trapezio,Compagnia di San Paolo(67935-2021.2174),to LBFondazione CRT(Cassa di Risparmio di Torino,RF=2022.0618),to LBPRIN2022(grant 2022LB4X3N),to LB。
文摘The capacity of the central nervous system for structural plasticity and regeneration is commonly believed to show a decreasing progression from“small and simple”brains to the larger,more complex brains of mammals.However,recent findings revealed that some forms of neural plasticity can show a reverse trend.Although plasticity is a well-preserved,transversal feature across the animal world,a variety of cell populations and mechanisms seem to have evolved to enable structural modifications to take place in widely different brains,likely as adaptations to selective pressures.Increasing evidence now indicates that a trade-off has occurred between regenerative(mostly stem cell–driven)plasticity and developmental(mostly juvenile)remodeling,with the latter primarily aimed not at brain repair but rather at“sculpting”the neural circuits based on experience.In particular,an evolutionary trade-off has occurred between neurogenic processes intended to support the possibility of recruiting new neurons throughout life and the different ways of obtaining new neurons,and between the different brain locations in which plasticity occurs.This review first briefly surveys the different types of plasticity and the complexity of their possible outcomes and then focuses on recent findings showing that the mammalian brain has a stem cell–independent integration of new neurons into pre-existing(mature)neural circuits.This process is still largely unknown but involves neuronal cells that have been blocked in arrested maturation since their embryonic origin(also termed“immature”or“dormant”neurons).These cells can then restart maturation throughout the animal's lifespan to become functional neurons in brain regions,such as the cerebral cortex and amygdala,that are relevant to high-order cognition and emotions.Unlike stem cell–driven postnatal/adult neurogenesis,which significantly decreases from small-brained,short-living species to large-brained ones,immature neurons are particularly abundant in large-brained,long-living mammals,including humans.The immature neural cell populations hosted in these complex brains are an interesting example of an“enlarged road”in the phylogenetic trend of plastic potential decreases commonly observed in the animal world.The topic of dormant neurons that covary with brain size and gyrencephaly represents a prospective turning point in the field of neuroplasticity,with important translational outcomes.These cells can represent a reservoir of undifferentiated neurons,potentially granting plasticity within the high-order circuits subserving the most sophisticated cognitive skills that are important in the growing brains of young,healthy individuals and are frequently affected by debilitating neurodevelopmental and degenerative disorders.
文摘China ranked first worldwide in the production and export of electric bicycles.As an emerging market for electric bicycles,Malaysia holds significant potential for trade collabor ation with China in this sector.This study presents a compar ative analysis of the national electric bicycle standards in China and Malaysia,offering technical insights from a standardization perspective.These insights aim to support Chinese enterprises in strategically positioning their technologies in the Malaysian market.The findings reveal significant differences in technical parameters,safety requirements,and testing methods,highlighting the need for tailored product adapt ation.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(W2511024,32370228,32470232)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20250004)+3 种基金the Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production co-sponsored by Province and Ministry,the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions(PAPD)the fund of Taxonomy Scientist Program'of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS-TAX-24-038)the Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS(2023355)Postgraduate Research&Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province(KYCX24_1846).
文摘Trentepohliales is a completely terrestrial order within Ulvophyceae(the core Chlorophyta),and its closely related lineages are mainly marine macroalgae(green seaweeds).Despite the considerable interest in their biotechnological potential,little is known about their adaptations to challenging terrestrial habitats.Here,we assemble the high-quality reference genome of Trentepohlia odorata.This alga shows duplications of key genes associated with lipid metabolism and carotenoid synthesis,potentially facilitating intracellular accumulation of lipid droplets and carotenoids.We further reveal positive selection and expansion of gene families involved in vesicle trafficking and cell division regulation in T.odorata compared with other algae(cleavage furrow-mediated cell division)in Ulvophyceae,providing a genetic foundation for the evolution of phragmoplast-mediated cell division.The combined C_(4)-like and biophysical CO_(2)-concentrating mechanisms(CCMs)of T.odorata enable adaptation to fluctuating CO_(2) environments,and support efficient photosynthesis under CO_(2)-limited conditions.Adaptive strategies of T.odorata to terrestrial stressors,such as drought,intense light,and UV-B radiation,include horizontally acquired genes involved in cell wall synthesis and remodeling,homeostasis of aldehydes,and expanded genes associated with reactive oxygen species(ROS),DNA repair,and photoprotection.Our study provides a valuable genomic resource for studying aerial algae and improves understanding of plant terrestrialization.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.12105267)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.11975006)+2 种基金Major Special Program of Science and Technology of Gansu Province(No.1ZD8JA002)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.lzujbky-2020-pd02)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2019M653792)。
文摘In clinical diagnosis,conventional X-ray absorption-contrast computed tomography(XACT)technology cannot effectively differentiate diseased tissues from the healthy ones.X-ray phase-contrast CT(XPCT)and dual-energy CT(DECT),emerging X-ray imaging technologies with superior diagnostic capabilities,address this issue through different principles.While both XPCT and DECT have advantages and disadvantages in medical applications,their systematic comparison is lacking.Using GEANT4 and MATLAB,in this study,we established an X-ray phase-contrast imaging(XPCI)model based on single-mask and single-shot edge illumination for fast XPCT imaging,comparing it with DECT on soft-tissue phantom.XACT served as a reference for comparison.The study introduces an evaluation system using statistical measures including absolute error,mean absolute error,structure similarity index measure,peak signal-to-noise ratio,and contrast-to-noise ratio.Results show XPCT images are superior to DECT.The XPCI model can be improved on existing medical CT for widespread medical application.
文摘In contemporary computer vision,convolutional neural networks(CNNs)and vision transformers(ViTs)represent the two primary architectural paradigms for image recognition.While both approaches have been widely adopted in medical imaging applications,they operate based on fundamentally different computational principles.This report attempts to provide brief application notes on ViTs and CNNs,particularly focusing on scenarios that guide the selection of one architecture over the other in practical medical implementations.Generally,CNNs rely on convolutional kernels,localized receptive fields,and weight sharing,enabling efficient hierarchical feature extraction.These properties contribute to strong performance in detecting spatially constrained patterns such as textures,edges,and anatomical boundaries,while maintaining relatively low computational requirements.ViTs,on the other hand,decompose images into smaller segments referred to as tokens and employ self-attention mechanisms to model relationships across the entire image.This global modeling capability allows ViTs to capture long-range dependencies that may be difficult for convolution-based architectures to learn.However,ViTs typically achieve optimal performance when trained on extremely large datasets or when supported by extensive pretraining,as their reduced inductive bias requires greater data exposure to learn robust representations.This report briefly examines the architectural structure,underlying mathematical foundations,and relative performance characteristics of CNNs and ViTs,drawing upon recent findings from contemporary research.Emphasis is placed on understanding how differences in data availability,computational resources,and task requirements influence model effectiveness across medical imaging domains.Most importantly,the report serves as a concise application guide for practitioners seeking informed implementation decisions between these two influential deep learning frameworks.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.22176200)the Industrial Innovation Entrepreneurial Team Project of Ordos 2021.
文摘Industrial waste salts are commonly used to make value-added snow-melting agents to ensure traffic safety in northern China during winter and spring after snowfall.However,heavy metals in industrial waste salts may pose certain environmental risks.Snow-melting agents and snow samples were collected and analyzed from highways,arterial roads,footbridges,and other locations in Beijing after the snowstorm in December 2023.It was found that the main component of snow-melting agents was sodium chloride with high concentrations of Cu,Mn,and Zn,which are not regulated in the current policies,despite the recent promotion of environmentally friendly snow-melting agents.The Pb,Zn and Cr contents of some snow samples exceeded the limitation value of surface water quality standards,potentially affecting the soil and water environment near roadsides,although the snow-melting agents comply with relevant standards,which indicates the policy gap in the management of recycled industrial salts.We reviewed and analyzed the relevant standards for snow-melting agents and industrial waste salts proposed nationally and internationally over the past 30 years.Through comparative analysis,we proposed relevant policy recommendations to the existing quality standards of snow-melting agents and the management regulations of industrial waste salts,and the formulation of corresponding usage strategies,aimed at reducing the potential environmental release of heavy metals from the use of snow-melting agents,thereby promoting more sustainable green urban development and environmentally sound waste management.
文摘This study integrates explicit input enhancement into comparative continuation writing,defined as a task in which learners produce a continuation by comparing their own expression with an input text,aligning with its discourse structure and linguistic features,while developing their own ideas.It aims to examine whether English as a Foreign Language(EFL)learners in China exhibit differences in discourse competence and writing performance when completing comparative continuation writing combined with different input enhancement techniques,and whether the alignment effect occurs at the discourse level.Sixty first-year Chinese senior middle school students were divided into four groups:three groups engaged in comparative continuation writing with varying input enhancement,achieved by combining different techniques,while a control group performed a designated-topic writing task.The results revealed that three comparative continuation writing groups outperformed the designated-topic writing group in discourse competence,particularly in the use of temporal connectives.However,differences and some inconsistencies were observed among the comparative continuation writing groups across individual indices.The study highlights effective ways to incorporate comparative continuation writing into English instruction and demonstrates how explicit input enhancement can complement the task,simultaneously activating the alignment effect proposed by the xu-argument and enhancing discourse competence in writing.
基金supported by the director of Indian Council of Agricultural Research and International Rice Research Institute (ICAR-CRRI), Cuttack, Indiathe coordinator of the ICAR-sponsored project ‘C-reactive protein (CRP) in Biofortification in Selected Crops’, India
文摘CR Dhan 310(CRD310),a biofortified rice variety,contains a significantly higher level of grain protein compared with its recurrent parent Naveen(NV),as well as most adapted high-yielding rice varieties in India.Although a limited investigation depicted that CRD310 contained higher levels of glutelin and some essential amino acids,detailed biochemical,molecular,and cellular mechanisms remain to be studied.As one of the means to identify the proteins and understand the underlying mechanism of higher proteins accumulation in grains of CRD310,the comparative proteomics was undertaken on grains of CRD310 and NV at the yellow ripening stage.
基金funded by the China Disabled Persons’Federation under its 2024 research project(Grant No.2024CDPFAT-47)the Yancheng Social Science Foundation(Grant No.25skB252).
文摘Background:Home accessibility modifi cations are crucial for promoting independent living and quality of life among persons with disabilities.While developed countries have established comprehensive policy frameworks,developing nations like China face unique challenges in program design and implementation.Objective:This study conducts a systematic comparative analysis of home accessibility modification policies across China,Japan,Germany,and Sweden,identifying key policy dimensions and proposing evidence-based recommendations for strengthening China’s policy framework.Methods:We employed a multi-dimensional analytical framework examining legislative foundations,eligibility criteria,funding mechanisms,and service delivery models.Data were collected from primary legislation,governmental regulations,official statistics,and peer-reviewed literature.Results:Significant cross-national variations exist in policy approaches.Japan and Germany utilize social insurance models with standardized assessments,Sweden adopts a universal rights-based approach,while China employs a targeted assistance model focused on economically disadvantaged households.China completed 1.28 million household renovations during its 14th Five-Year Plan,demonstrating strong implementation capacity;future policy refi nement could draw on international experience to strengthen assessment standardization,broaden eff ective coverage,and improve the sustainability of fi nancing.Conclusions:China can benefi t from international experience in developing standardized assessment protocols,diversifying funding mechanisms,and establishing professional service delivery systems,while acknowledging contextual constraints unique to developing country settings.
