The minimal widths of three bounded subsets of the unit sphere associated to a unit vector in a normed linear space are studied,and three related geometric constants are introduced.New characterizations of inner produ...The minimal widths of three bounded subsets of the unit sphere associated to a unit vector in a normed linear space are studied,and three related geometric constants are introduced.New characterizations of inner product spaces are also presented.From the perspective of minimal width,strongε-symmetry of Birkhoff orthogonality is introduced,and its relation toε-symmetry of Birkhoff orthogonality is shown.Unlike most of the existing parameters of the underlying space,these new constants are full dimensional in nature.展开更多
BACKGROUND Red blood cell distribution width(RDW)is associated with the development and progression of various diseases.AIM To explore the association between pretreatment RDW and short-term outcomes after laparoscopi...BACKGROUND Red blood cell distribution width(RDW)is associated with the development and progression of various diseases.AIM To explore the association between pretreatment RDW and short-term outcomes after laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy(LPD).METHODS A total of 804 consecutive patients who underwent LPD at our hospital between March 2017 and November 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.Correlations between pretreatment RDW and clinicopathological characteristics and short-term outcomes were investigated.RESULTS Patients with higher pretreatment RDW were older,had higher Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group scores and were associated with poorer short-term outcomes than those with normal RDW.High pretreatment RDW was an independent risk factor for postoperative complications(POCs)(hazard ratio=2.973,95%confidence interval:2.032-4.350,P<0.001)and severe POCs of grade IIIa or higher(hazard ratio=3.138,95%confidence interval:2.042-4.824,P<0.001)based on the Clavien-Dino classification system.Subgroup analysis showed that high pretreatment RDW was an independent risk factor for Clavien-Dino classi-fication grade IIIb or higher POCs,a comprehensive complication index score≥26.2,severe postoperative pancreatic fistula,severe bile leakage and severe hemorrhage.High pretreatment RDW was positively associated with the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and was negatively associated with albumin and the prognostic nutritional index.CONCLUSION Pretreatment RDW was a special parameter for patients who underwent LPD.It was associated with malnutrition,severe inflammatory status and poorer short-term outcomes.RDW could be a surrogate marker for nutritional and inflammatory status in identifying patients who were at high risk of developing POCs after LPD.展开更多
To cater the need for real-time crack monitoring of infrastructural facilities,a CNN-regression model is proposed to directly estimate the crack properties from patches.RGB crack images and their corresponding masks o...To cater the need for real-time crack monitoring of infrastructural facilities,a CNN-regression model is proposed to directly estimate the crack properties from patches.RGB crack images and their corresponding masks obtained from a public dataset are cropped into patches of 256 square pixels that are classified with a pre-trained deep convolution neural network,the true positives are segmented,and crack properties are extracted using two different methods.The first method is primarily based on active contour models and level-set segmentation and the second method consists of the domain adaptation of a mathematical morphology-based method known as FIL-FINDER.A statistical test has been performed for the comparison of the stated methods and a database prepared with the more suitable method.An advanced convolution neural network-based multi-output regression model has been proposed which was trained with the prepared database and validated with the held-out dataset for the prediction of crack-length,crack-width,and width-uncertainty directly from input image patches.The pro-posed model has been tested on crack patches collected from different locations.Huber loss has been used to ensure the robustness of the proposed model selected from a set of 288 different variations of it.Additionally,an ablation study has been conducted on the top 3 models that demonstrated the influence of each network component on the pre-diction results.Finally,the best performing model HHc-X among the top 3 has been proposed that predicted crack properties which are in close agreement to the ground truths in the test data.展开更多
Intracranial aneurysm(IA)is a prevalent cerebrovascular disease associated with high mortality and disability rates upon rupture.The hemodynamics of IA,which are significantly influenced by geometric parameters,direct...Intracranial aneurysm(IA)is a prevalent cerebrovascular disease associated with high mortality and disability rates upon rupture.The hemodynamics of IA,which are significantly influenced by geometric parameters,directly impact its rupture.This study focuses on investigating the transient flow characteristics in saccular IA models fabricated using a water droplet-based method,specifically examining the influence of neck widths.Particle image velocimetry technique and numerical simulation were employed to investigate the dynamic evolution of flow structures within three IA models.The results reveal that neck width(W)has a substantial effect on flow characteristics in the neck region,subsequently impacting the deep flow inside the sac.Three distinct patterns were observed during flow evolution inside the sac:for W=2 mm,two vortices occur and then disappear with relatively low average flow velocity;for W=4 mm,enhanced effects of a high-speed jet result in periodic pulsatile flow velocity distribution while maintaining stable vortex core position;for W=6 mm,significant changes in flow velocity occur due to size expansion and intensity increase of vortices.These findings demonstrate that neck widths play a complex role in influencing transient flow characteristics within IAs.Overall,this research contributes to further understanding transient flow behaviors in IAs.展开更多
BACKGROUND Post-hepatectomy liver failure(PHLF)after liver resection is one of the main complications causing postoperative death in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).It is crucial to help clinicians identif...BACKGROUND Post-hepatectomy liver failure(PHLF)after liver resection is one of the main complications causing postoperative death in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).It is crucial to help clinicians identify potential high-risk PHLF patients as early as possible through preoperative evaluation.AIM To identify risk factors for PHLF and develop a prediction model.METHODS This study included 248 patients with HCC at The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University between January 2014 and December 2023;these patients were divided into a training group(n=164)and a validation group(n=84)via random sampling.The independent variables for the occurrence of PHLF were identified by univariate and multivariate analyses and visualized as nomograms.Ultimately,comparisons were made with traditional models via receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves,calibration curves,and decision curve analysis(DCA).RESULTS In this study,portal vein width[odds ratio(OR)=1.603,95%CI:1.288-1.994,P≤0.001],the preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)(OR=1.495,95%CI:1.126-1.984,P=0.005),and the albumin-bilirubin(ALBI)score(OR=8.868,95%CI:2.144-36.678,P=0.003)were independent risk factors for PHLF.A nomogram prediction model was developed using these factors.ROC and DCA analyses revealed that the predictive efficacy and clinical value of this model were better than those of traditional models.CONCLUSION A new Nomogram model for predicting PHLF in HCC patients was successfully established based on portal vein width,the NLR,and the ALBI score,which outperforms the traditional model.展开更多
Accurate prediction of strip width is a key factor related to the quality of hot rolling manufacture.Firstly,based on strip width formation mechanism model within strip rolling process,an improved width mechanism calc...Accurate prediction of strip width is a key factor related to the quality of hot rolling manufacture.Firstly,based on strip width formation mechanism model within strip rolling process,an improved width mechanism calculation model is delineated for the optimization of process parameters via the particle swarm optimization algorithm.Subsequently,a hybrid strip width prediction model is proposed by effectively combining the respective advantages of the improved mechanism model and the data-driven model.In acknowledgment of prerequisite for positive error in strip width prediction,an adaptive width error compensation algorithm is proposed.Finally,comparative simulation experiments are designed on the actual rolling dataset after completing data cleaning and feature engineering.The experimental results show that the hybrid prediction model proposed has superior precision and robustness compared with the improved mechanism model and the other eight common data-driven models and satisfies the needs of practical applications.Moreover,the hybrid model can realize the complementary advantages of the mechanism model and the data-driven model,effectively alleviating the problems of difficult to improve the accuracy of the mechanism model and poor interpretability of the data-driven model,which bears significant practical implications for the research of strip width control.展开更多
BACKGROUND As red blood cell distribution width(RDW)and albumin have been shown to be independent predictors of mortality from various diseases,this study aimed to investigate the effect of the RDW to albumin ratio(RA...BACKGROUND As red blood cell distribution width(RDW)and albumin have been shown to be independent predictors of mortality from various diseases,this study aimed to investigate the effect of the RDW to albumin ratio(RA)as an independent predictor of the prognosis of patients admitted to the coronary care unit(CCU).AIM To use the RDW and albumin level to predict the prognosis of patients in the CCU.METHODS Data were obtained from the Medical Information Mart Intensive Care III database.The primary outcome was 365-day all-cause mortality,whereas the secondary outcomes were 30-and 90-day all-cause mortality,hospital length of stay(LOS),and CCU LOS.Cox proportional hazards regression model,propen-sity score matching,and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were used.RESULTS The hazard ratio(95%confidence interval)of the upper tertile(RA>4.66)was 1.62(1.29 to 2.03)when compared with the reference(RA<3.84)in 365-day all-cause mortality.This trend persisted after adjusting for demographic and clinical variables in the propensity score-matching analysis.Similar trends were observed for the secondary outcomes of hospital and CCU LOS.Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed by combining the RA and sequential organ failure assessment(SOFA)scores,and the C-statistic was higher than that of the SOFA scores(0.733 vs 0.702,P<0.001).CONCLUSION RA is an independent prognostic factor in patients admitted to the CCU.RA combined with the SOFA score can improve the predictive ability of the SOFA score.However,our results should be verified in future prospective studies.展开更多
BACKGROUND The hemoglobin-to-red cell distribution width ratio(HRR)is a recently intro-duced,easily accessible marker that provides insights into inflammation and the tumor vascular microenvironment.It has been sugges...BACKGROUND The hemoglobin-to-red cell distribution width ratio(HRR)is a recently intro-duced,easily accessible marker that provides insights into inflammation and the tumor vascular microenvironment.It has been suggested to have prognostic value for overall survival in various types of cancer,including urothelial carcinoma,lung cancer,and hepatocellular carcinoma.It has not yet been sufficiently invest-igated in colorectal cancers(CRC).AIM To investigate the prognostic significance of the HRR and other inflammation-based hematological markers in patients with metastatic CRC.Additionally,the study evaluated the impact of surgical interventions,particularly metastasectomy,and multiple clinical and laboratory parameters on overall survival.By iden-tifying low-cost,accessible prognostic indicators,this research seeks to support clinicians in optimizing treatment strategies and risk stratification for patients with CRC.METHODS In this retrospective study,patients diagnosed with CRC between January 2020 and December 2024 were analyzed.The impact of HRR in conjunction with inflammatory markers and a total of 22 different clinical and laboratory para-meters on overall survival were evaluated using univariate Cox regression and a multivariate model.Survival curves were visualized using Kaplan-Meier analysis.RESULTS A total of 155 patients with CRC were included in the study.The median age was 60 years,and 61.9%presented with de novo metastasis.In the receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve analysis performed to determine the optimal cutoff,the values were found to be 6.10 for carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)(P=0.036),18.85 for platelet-to-red cell distribution width ratio(P=0.028),and 10.87 for platelet distribution width-to-lymphocyte ratio(P=0.028).For neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio,systemic immune-inflammation index(SII),platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR),monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio,HRR,and carbohydrate antigen 19-9,an optimal cutoff could not be determined using the receiver operating characteristic-area under the curve analysis.Therefore,the median values were adopted as the cutoffs(3.09,835.96,177.50,0.380,0.824,and 21.6,respectively).Univariate analysis identified male gender(P=0.045),being under 65 years of age(P=0.001),history of metastas-ectomy(P=0.001),low serum CEA level(P=0.010),low PLR(P=0.024),low SII(P=0.010),and high HRR(P=0.025)as favorable prognostic factors for overall survival.In the multivariate model,being under 65 years of age[hazard ratio(HR)=1.59,95%confidence interval(CI):1.06-2.39,P=0.025],metastasectomy(HR=0.49,95%CI:0.29-0.85,P=0.011),CEA(HR=1.51,95%CI:1.0-2.28,P=0.048),and PLR(HR=1.63,95%CI:1.09-2.44,P=0.018)emerged as independent prognostic factors for overall survival,whereas gender,SII,and HRR did not retain statistical significance.CONCLUSION In conclusion,low HRR alone was a prognostic indicator.However,when modelled with other inflammatory and clinical parameters,it did not provide a sufficiently strong marker feature.展开更多
A self-pulsed Tm:GdScO_(3)laser was experimentally demonstrated by using a compact linear resonant cavity.When the pump power was 19.6 W,an average output power of 1771 m W was achieved from the self-pulsed Tm:GdScO_(...A self-pulsed Tm:GdScO_(3)laser was experimentally demonstrated by using a compact linear resonant cavity.When the pump power was 19.6 W,an average output power of 1771 m W was achieved from the self-pulsed Tm:GdScO_(3)laser with a pulse width of 158.1 ns and a pulse repetition frequency of 112.8 kHz,corresponding to an optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 9.0%.Moreover,a single pulse energy of 15.7μJ and a pulse peak power of 99.3 W were acquired from the self-pulsed Tm:GdScO_(3)laser.This is,as we know,the first time that the self-pulsed laser output at 2-μm waveband range was obtained by utilizing a Tm:GdScO_(3)crystal so far.展开更多
AIM:To assess and compare the utility of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR),platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR),systemic inflammation index(SII),and red blood cell distribution width(RDW)as potential biomarkers to pred...AIM:To assess and compare the utility of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR),platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR),systemic inflammation index(SII),and red blood cell distribution width(RDW)as potential biomarkers to predict the severity of diabetic retinopathy(DR)in the United States population.METHODS:The observational study enlisted patients diagnosed with DR from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(NHANES)database,spanning the period from 2005 to 2008.The severity of DR was defined according to Early Treatment for Diabetic Retinopathy Study(ETDRs).The effect of NLR,PLR,SII,and RDW on proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR)were explored using multivariable logistic regression analysis model.Subgroup analysis and restricted cubic splines(RCS)were conducted to assess the robustness of the correlations across subgroups and to explore nonlinear relationships between four indices and PDR.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)analysis was employed for the purpose of assessing and evaluating the predictive efficacy of NLR,PLR,SII,and RDW in determining the severity of DR.RESULTS:After adjusting for other confounders(age,gender,race,body mass index,diabetes duration,and HbA1c)in multivariable analysis,a unit increase of PLR×0.1,SII×0.01,and RDW would raise the risk for PDR by 15.6%,22.2%,and 33%,respectively.Particularly,there was a 2.208-fold greater risk of PDR in individuals with an elevated NLR(OR=2.208,95%CI,1.348-3.617,P<0.001).RCS analyses showed positive relationships of four indices and PDR after segmented regression based on their own turning points.The results of ROC analysis revealed that PLR+RDW[area under the curve(AUC)=0.772,95%CI:0.669-0.874]had the best predictive value for PDR,compared with NLR+PLR+SII(AUC=0.697,95%CI:0.570-0.825)or RDW alone(AUC=0.736,95%CI:0.646-0.826).CONCLUSION:The combination of RDW and NLR demonstrates a promising ability to predict the severity of DR across the United States population,and it could be promisingly used in clinics for monitoring the progress of DR.展开更多
The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between inter canine width (ICW) and inter alar width (IAW), inter commissural width (ICoW), and inter canthal distance (ICaD) in Bantu population. Materials and...The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between inter canine width (ICW) and inter alar width (IAW), inter commissural width (ICoW), and inter canthal distance (ICaD) in Bantu population. Materials and Methods: It was a pilot study included all participants who were aged at least 18 years, without a history of orthodontics treatment from Prosthodontics Department, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Kinshasa. The Ethics committee of the National Center of Research for Dental Sciences in DR Congo approved the study protocol (CNRSB 1504.218). The participants medical records were obtained from the interview and dental examination. Nature of the study was explained with participant information sheet, and an informed consent of all participants was obtained. The inclusion criteria were no missing maxillary and mandibular teeth, no diastema, and no anterior restorations, 18 years old before enrollment in the study. The exclusion criteria were inability to meet the above requirements, pregnancy, and refusal to participate in the study. The inter-canine width (ICW), inter alar width (IAW), inter canthal distance (ICaD) and inter-commissural width (ICoW) of each participant were measured with a digital Vernier caliper (Mitutoyo, UK Ltd.,) (0.01 mm) three times and the average value was recorded. The inter canthal distance (ICaD) was measured without applying pressure by bringing the recording parts of the caliper just in contact with the medial angle. The inter alar width (IAW) was marked with a fine marked pencil on the widest outer surface of the alae of the nose on either side or width. Those two points were measured without applying pressure by bringing the recording parts of the caliper just in contact with the outer surface. The participant was told to stop breathing shortly to avoid any change in shape of the nose. The inter-commissural width (ICoW) was determined by measuring the maxillary lip vermilion from commissure to commissure without the application of pressure on the tissue in the relaxed state. The inter-canine width (ICW) was measured indirectly using a dental floss. A dental floss was marked on one end prior to placement in the mouth. Using that point as reference, the dental floss was circumference along the curvature of the anterior dentition such that it passed along the contact point of all the teeth. The distal end of the canine teeth on both sides was then marked on the floss while it was stretched in the patients mouth. Floss was marked on both sides with the marker pencil. The distance between the two proximal contact points was measured and recorded. Data, analysis and validation were performed by the SPSS software (version 22.0, IBM SPSS Statistics, Chicago, IL, USA). Unpaired t-test was used, of Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used to test for comparability between socio-demographic characteristics dental measurements. Pearsons correlation coefficients test was calculated to determine the relationship between facial and dental parameters. Significance was set at P 0.01. Results: Of 314 participants enrolled, 202 were included. The age ranged from 18 to 68 years, with a mean age of 40.62 12.99 years. Although the Pearsons correlation coefficients were negative. Ninety-three participants (46%) were men and one hundred and nine (54%) were women. The overall mean age was 40.62 12.99 years. Facial and dental measurements were greater in women than men with significant differences for ICW (p = 0.04). However, no significant difference was seen between men and women for IAW, ICaD and ICoW (p = 0.44, p = 0.23, p = 0.31 respectively). The correlation including Pearsons correlation coefficient and P-values for all participants is not demonstrated. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, the results suggest that IAW, ICaD and ICoW cannot be used as a preliminary method for determining the width of the maxillary for anterior teeth for edentulous patients.展开更多
BACKGROUND For compensated advanced chronic liver disease(cACLD)patients,the first decompensation represents a dramatically worsening prognostic event.Based on the first decompensation event(DE),the transition to deco...BACKGROUND For compensated advanced chronic liver disease(cACLD)patients,the first decompensation represents a dramatically worsening prognostic event.Based on the first decompensation event(DE),the transition to decompensated advanced chronic liver disease(dACLD)can occur through two modalities referred to as acute decompensation(AD)and non-AD(NAD),respectively.Clinically Significant Portal Hypertension(CSPH)is considered the strongest predictor of decompensation in these patients.However,due to its invasiveness and costs,CSPH is almost never evaluated in clinical practice.Therefore,recognizing noninvasively predicting tools still have more appeal across healthcare systems.The red cell distribution width to platelet ratio(RPR)has been reported to be an indicator of hepatic fibrosis in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease(MASLD).However,its predictive role for the decompensation has never been explored.AIM In this observational study,we investigated the clinical usage of RPR in predicting DEs in MASLD-related cACLD patients.METHODS Fourty controls and 150 MASLD-cACLD patients were consecutively enrolled and followed up(FUP)semiannually for 3 years.At baseline,biochemical,clinical,and Liver Stiffness Measurement(LSM),Child-Pugh(CP),Model for End-Stage Liver Disease(MELD),aspartate aminotransferase/platelet count ratio index(APRI),Fibrosis-4(FIB-4),Albumin-Bilirubin(ALBI),ALBI-FIB-4,and RPR were collected.During FUP,DEs(timing and modaities)were recorded.CSPH was assessed at the baseline and on DE occurrence according to the available Clinical Practice Guidelines.RESULTS Of 150 MASLD-related cACLD patients,43(28.6%)progressed to dACLD at a median time of 28.9 months(29 NAD and 14 AD).Baseline RPR values were significantly higher in cACLD in comparison to controls,as well as MELD,CP,APRI,FIB-4,ALBI,ALBI-FIB-4,and LSM in dACLD-progressing compared to cACLD individuals[all P<0.0001,except for FIB-4(P:0.007)and ALBI(P:0.011)].Receiving operator curve analysis revealed RPR>0.472 and>0.894 as the best cut-offs in the prediction respectively of 3-year first DE,as well as its superiority compared to the other non-invasive tools examined.RPR(P:0.02)and the presence of baseline-CSPH(P:0.04)were significantly and independently associated with the DE.Patients presenting baseline-CSPH and RPR>0.472 showed higher risk of decompensation(P:0.0023).CONCLUSION Altogether these findings suggest the RPR as a valid and potentially applicable non-invasive tool in the prediction of timing and modalities of decompensation in MASLD-related cACLD patients.展开更多
BACKGROUND Previous studies have reported that low hematocrit levels indicate poor survival in patients with ovarian cancer and cervical cancer,the prognostic value of hematocrit for colorectal cancer(CRC)patients has...BACKGROUND Previous studies have reported that low hematocrit levels indicate poor survival in patients with ovarian cancer and cervical cancer,the prognostic value of hematocrit for colorectal cancer(CRC)patients has not been determined.The prognostic value of red blood cell distribution width(RDW)for CRC patients was controversial.AIM To investigate the impact of RDW and hematocrit on the short-term outcomes and long-term prognosis of CRC patients who underwent radical surgery.METHODS Patients who were diagnosed with CRC and underwent radical CRC resection between January 2011 and January 2020 at a single clinical center were included.The short-term outcomes,overall survival(OS)and disease-free survival(DFS)were compared among the different groups.Cox analysis was also conducted to identify independent risk factors for OS and DFS.RESULTS There were 4258 CRC patients who underwent radical surgery included in our study.A total of 1573 patients were in the lower RDW group and 2685 patients were in the higher RDW group.There were 2166 and 2092 patients in the higher hematocrit group and lower hematocrit group,respectively.Patients in the higher RDW group had more intraoperative blood loss(P<0.01)and more overall complications(P<0.01)than did those in the lower RDW group.Similarly,patients in the lower hematocrit group had more intraoperative blood loss(P=0.012),longer hospital stay(P=0.016)and overall complications(P<0.01)than did those in the higher hematocrit group.The higher RDW group had a worse OS and DFS than did the lower RDW group for tumor node metastasis(TNM)stage I(OS,P<0.05;DFS,P=0.001)and stage II(OS,P=0.004;DFS,P=0.01)than the lower RDW group;the lower hematocrit group had worse OS and DFS for TNM stage II(OS,P<0.05;DFS,P=0.001)and stage III(OS,P=0.001;DFS,P=0.001)than did the higher hematocrit group.Preoperative hematocrit was an independent risk factor for OS[P=0.017,hazard ratio(HR)=1.256,95%confidence interval(CI):1.041-1.515]and DFS(P=0.035,HR=1.194,95%CI:1.013-1.408).CONCLUSION A higher preoperative RDW and lower hematocrit were associated with more postoperative complications.However,only hematocrit was an independent risk factor for OS and DFS in CRC patients who underwent radical surgery,while RDW was not.展开更多
Tree-ring width(RW),density,elemental com-position,and stable carbon and oxygen isotope(δ^(13)C,δ^(18)O)are widely used as proxies to assess climate change,ecology,and environmental pollution;however,a specific pret...Tree-ring width(RW),density,elemental com-position,and stable carbon and oxygen isotope(δ^(13)C,δ^(18)O)are widely used as proxies to assess climate change,ecology,and environmental pollution;however,a specific pretreat-ment has been needed for each proxy.Here,we developed a method by which each proxy can be measured in the same sample.First,the sample is polished for ring width meas-urement.After obtaining the ring width data,the sample is cut to form a 1-mm-thick wood plate.The sample is then mounted in a vertical sample holder,and gradually scanned by an X-ray beam.Simultaneously,the count rates of the fluorescent photons of elements(for chemical characteriza-tion)and a radiographic grayscale image(for wood density)are obtained,i.e.the density and the element content are obtained.Then,cellulose is isolated from the 1-mm wood plate by removal of lignin,and hemicellulose.After producing this cellulose plate,cellulose subsamples are separated by knife under the microscope for inter-annual and intra-annual stable carbon and oxygen isotope(δ^(13)C,δ^(18)O)analysis.Based on this method,RW,density,elemental composition,δ^(13)C,and δ^(18)O can be measured from the same sample,which reduces sample amount and treatment time,and is helpful for multi-proxy comparison and combination research.展开更多
Latewood width(LWW)indices of trees are considered a reliable proxy of summer precipitation in the Northern Hemisphere.However,the strong coupling and high correlation between earlywood width(EWW)and LWW indices often...Latewood width(LWW)indices of trees are considered a reliable proxy of summer precipitation in the Northern Hemisphere.However,the strong coupling and high correlation between earlywood width(EWW)and LWW indices often prevent registration of climate signals of the LWW index.In this study,328-year-long earlywood width and latewood width chronologies were developed from Chinese pine at two sites in the Hasi Mountains,north central China.The climate responses of these chronologies were analyzed and the LWW index used to derive sum-mer precipitation signals.Correlation analyses showed that LWW was particularly influenced by earlywood growth and recorded stronger climate signals of the previous year as EWW,rather than those of the current year with infrequent summer climate signals.However,after removing the effect of earlywood growth using a simple regression model,the adjusted LWW chronology(LWW_(adj))showed a strong relationship with July precipitation in dry years.This suggests that the LWW_(adj) chronology has the potential to be used to investigate long-term variability in summer precipitation in drought-limited regions.展开更多
Pod width influences pod size,shape,yield,and consumer preference in snap beans(Phaseolus vulgaris L.).In this study,we map Pv PW1,a quantitative trait locus associated with pod width in snap beans,through genotyping ...Pod width influences pod size,shape,yield,and consumer preference in snap beans(Phaseolus vulgaris L.).In this study,we map Pv PW1,a quantitative trait locus associated with pod width in snap beans,through genotyping and phenotyping of recombinant plants.We identify Phvul.006G072800,encoding theβ-1,3-glucanase 9 protein,as the causal gene for Pv PW1.The Pv PW1^(G3555)allele is found to positively regulate pod width,as revealed by an association analysis between pod width phenotype and the Pv PW1^(G3555C)genotype across 17 bi-parental F_(2)populations.In total,97.7%of the 133 wide pod accessions carry Pv PW1^(G3555),while 82.1%of the 78 narrow pod accessions carry Pv PW1C3555,indicating strong selection pressure on Pv PW1 during common bean breeding.Re-sequencing data from 59 common bean cultivars identify an 8-bp deletion in the intron linked to Pv PW1C3555,leading to the development of the In Del marker of Pv M436.Genotyping 317 common bean accessions with Pv M436 demonstrated that accessions with Pv M436^(247)and Pv M436^(227)alleles have wider pods compared to those with Pv M436^(219)allele,establishing Pv M436 as a reliable marker for molecular breeding in snap beans.These findings highlight Pv PW1 as a critical gene regulating pod width and underscore the utility of Pv M436 in marker-assisted selection for snap bean breeding.展开更多
This work presents a novel radio frequency(RF)narrowband Si micro-electro-mechanical systems(MEMS)filter based on capacitively transduced slotted width extensional mode(WEM)resonators.The flexibility of the plate lead...This work presents a novel radio frequency(RF)narrowband Si micro-electro-mechanical systems(MEMS)filter based on capacitively transduced slotted width extensional mode(WEM)resonators.The flexibility of the plate leads to multiple modes near the target frequency.The high Q-factor resonators of around 100000 enable narrow bandwidth filters with small size and simplified design.The 1-wavelength and 2-wavelength WEMs were first developed as a pair of coupled modes to form a passband.To reduce bandwidth,two plates are coupled with aλ-length coupling beam.The 79.69 MHz coupled plate filter(CPF)achieved a narrow bandwidth of 8.8 kHz,corresponding to a tiny 0.011%.The CPF exhibits an impressive 34.84 dB stopband rejection and 7.82 dB insertion loss with near-zero passband ripple.In summary,the RF MEMS filter presented in this work shows promising potential for application in RF transceiver front-ends.展开更多
The size and shape of rice grains influence their yield and commercial value.We investigated the role of OsDA1,a rice homolog of the Arabidopsis DA1 gene,in regulating grain size and shape.OsDA1 was highly expressed i...The size and shape of rice grains influence their yield and commercial value.We investigated the role of OsDA1,a rice homolog of the Arabidopsis DA1 gene,in regulating grain size and shape.OsDA1 was highly expressed in young spikelets and glumes.Its overexpression led to enlarged seeds with increased width and decreased length/width ratio(LWR)and knocking out OsDA1 reduced grain width and increased grain length and LWR.A R310K point mutation in the DA1-like domain is a potential target for breeding for increased grain width and length.OsDA1 interacted with TCP gene-family proteins to regulate grain size and shape.Our findings deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying grain size regulation and provide useful information for improving grain yield.展开更多
BACKGROUND Accumulating clinical evidence has shown that diabetes mellitus(DM)is a serious risk factor for cardiovascular disorders and an important factor for adverse cardiovascular events.AIM To explore the value of...BACKGROUND Accumulating clinical evidence has shown that diabetes mellitus(DM)is a serious risk factor for cardiovascular disorders and an important factor for adverse cardiovascular events.AIM To explore the value of the combined determination of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)and red blood cell distribution width(RDW)in the early diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of DM complicated with heart failure(HF).METHODS We retrospectively analyzed clinical data on 65 patients with type 2 DM(T2DM)complicated with HF(research group,Res)and 60 concurrent patients with uncomplicated T2DM(control group,Con)diagnosed at Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital between January 2019 and December 2021.The NLR and RDW values were determined and comparatively analyzed,and their levels in T2DM+HF patients with different cardiac function grades were recorded.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were plotted to determine the NLR and RDW values(alone and in combination)for the early diagnosis of HF.The correlation between NLR and RDW with the presence or absence of cardiac events was also investigated.RESULTS Higher NLR and RDW levels were identified in the Res vs the Con groups(P<0.05).The NLR and RDW increased gradually and synchronously with the deterioration of cardiac function in the Res group,with marked differences in their levels among patients with grade II,III,and IV HF(P<0.05).ROC curve analysis revealed that NLR combined with RDW detection had an area under the curve of 0.915,a sensitivity of 76.9%,and a specificity of 100%for the early diagnosis of HF.Furthermore,HF patients with cardiac events showed higher NLR and RDW values compared with HF patients without cardiac events.CONCLUSION NLR and RDW were useful laboratory indicators for the early diagnosis of DM complicated with HF,and their joint detection was beneficial for improving diagnostic efficiency.Additionally,NLR and RDW values were directly proportional to patient outcomes.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(12071444,12201581)the Fundamental Research Program of Shanxi Province of China(202103021223191).
文摘The minimal widths of three bounded subsets of the unit sphere associated to a unit vector in a normed linear space are studied,and three related geometric constants are introduced.New characterizations of inner product spaces are also presented.From the perspective of minimal width,strongε-symmetry of Birkhoff orthogonality is introduced,and its relation toε-symmetry of Birkhoff orthogonality is shown.Unlike most of the existing parameters of the underlying space,these new constants are full dimensional in nature.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81302124.
文摘BACKGROUND Red blood cell distribution width(RDW)is associated with the development and progression of various diseases.AIM To explore the association between pretreatment RDW and short-term outcomes after laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy(LPD).METHODS A total of 804 consecutive patients who underwent LPD at our hospital between March 2017 and November 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.Correlations between pretreatment RDW and clinicopathological characteristics and short-term outcomes were investigated.RESULTS Patients with higher pretreatment RDW were older,had higher Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group scores and were associated with poorer short-term outcomes than those with normal RDW.High pretreatment RDW was an independent risk factor for postoperative complications(POCs)(hazard ratio=2.973,95%confidence interval:2.032-4.350,P<0.001)and severe POCs of grade IIIa or higher(hazard ratio=3.138,95%confidence interval:2.042-4.824,P<0.001)based on the Clavien-Dino classification system.Subgroup analysis showed that high pretreatment RDW was an independent risk factor for Clavien-Dino classi-fication grade IIIb or higher POCs,a comprehensive complication index score≥26.2,severe postoperative pancreatic fistula,severe bile leakage and severe hemorrhage.High pretreatment RDW was positively associated with the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and was negatively associated with albumin and the prognostic nutritional index.CONCLUSION Pretreatment RDW was a special parameter for patients who underwent LPD.It was associated with malnutrition,severe inflammatory status and poorer short-term outcomes.RDW could be a surrogate marker for nutritional and inflammatory status in identifying patients who were at high risk of developing POCs after LPD.
文摘To cater the need for real-time crack monitoring of infrastructural facilities,a CNN-regression model is proposed to directly estimate the crack properties from patches.RGB crack images and their corresponding masks obtained from a public dataset are cropped into patches of 256 square pixels that are classified with a pre-trained deep convolution neural network,the true positives are segmented,and crack properties are extracted using two different methods.The first method is primarily based on active contour models and level-set segmentation and the second method consists of the domain adaptation of a mathematical morphology-based method known as FIL-FINDER.A statistical test has been performed for the comparison of the stated methods and a database prepared with the more suitable method.An advanced convolution neural network-based multi-output regression model has been proposed which was trained with the prepared database and validated with the held-out dataset for the prediction of crack-length,crack-width,and width-uncertainty directly from input image patches.The pro-posed model has been tested on crack patches collected from different locations.Huber loss has been used to ensure the robustness of the proposed model selected from a set of 288 different variations of it.Additionally,an ablation study has been conducted on the top 3 models that demonstrated the influence of each network component on the pre-diction results.Finally,the best performing model HHc-X among the top 3 has been proposed that predicted crack properties which are in close agreement to the ground truths in the test data.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.12172017 and 11872083)Project of Beijing Municipal Education Commission(Grant Nos.KZ202210005006 and KZ202110005007).
文摘Intracranial aneurysm(IA)is a prevalent cerebrovascular disease associated with high mortality and disability rates upon rupture.The hemodynamics of IA,which are significantly influenced by geometric parameters,directly impact its rupture.This study focuses on investigating the transient flow characteristics in saccular IA models fabricated using a water droplet-based method,specifically examining the influence of neck widths.Particle image velocimetry technique and numerical simulation were employed to investigate the dynamic evolution of flow structures within three IA models.The results reveal that neck width(W)has a substantial effect on flow characteristics in the neck region,subsequently impacting the deep flow inside the sac.Three distinct patterns were observed during flow evolution inside the sac:for W=2 mm,two vortices occur and then disappear with relatively low average flow velocity;for W=4 mm,enhanced effects of a high-speed jet result in periodic pulsatile flow velocity distribution while maintaining stable vortex core position;for W=6 mm,significant changes in flow velocity occur due to size expansion and intensity increase of vortices.These findings demonstrate that neck widths play a complex role in influencing transient flow characteristics within IAs.Overall,this research contributes to further understanding transient flow behaviors in IAs.
基金Supported by Shaanxi Provincial Social Development Fund,No.2024SF-YBXM-140.
文摘BACKGROUND Post-hepatectomy liver failure(PHLF)after liver resection is one of the main complications causing postoperative death in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).It is crucial to help clinicians identify potential high-risk PHLF patients as early as possible through preoperative evaluation.AIM To identify risk factors for PHLF and develop a prediction model.METHODS This study included 248 patients with HCC at The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University between January 2014 and December 2023;these patients were divided into a training group(n=164)and a validation group(n=84)via random sampling.The independent variables for the occurrence of PHLF were identified by univariate and multivariate analyses and visualized as nomograms.Ultimately,comparisons were made with traditional models via receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves,calibration curves,and decision curve analysis(DCA).RESULTS In this study,portal vein width[odds ratio(OR)=1.603,95%CI:1.288-1.994,P≤0.001],the preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)(OR=1.495,95%CI:1.126-1.984,P=0.005),and the albumin-bilirubin(ALBI)score(OR=8.868,95%CI:2.144-36.678,P=0.003)were independent risk factors for PHLF.A nomogram prediction model was developed using these factors.ROC and DCA analyses revealed that the predictive efficacy and clinical value of this model were better than those of traditional models.CONCLUSION A new Nomogram model for predicting PHLF in HCC patients was successfully established based on portal vein width,the NLR,and the ALBI score,which outperforms the traditional model.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.62273234)Key Research and Development Program of Shaanxi(Program No.2022GY-306)Technology Innovation Leading Program of Shaanxi(Program No.2022QFY01-16).
文摘Accurate prediction of strip width is a key factor related to the quality of hot rolling manufacture.Firstly,based on strip width formation mechanism model within strip rolling process,an improved width mechanism calculation model is delineated for the optimization of process parameters via the particle swarm optimization algorithm.Subsequently,a hybrid strip width prediction model is proposed by effectively combining the respective advantages of the improved mechanism model and the data-driven model.In acknowledgment of prerequisite for positive error in strip width prediction,an adaptive width error compensation algorithm is proposed.Finally,comparative simulation experiments are designed on the actual rolling dataset after completing data cleaning and feature engineering.The experimental results show that the hybrid prediction model proposed has superior precision and robustness compared with the improved mechanism model and the other eight common data-driven models and satisfies the needs of practical applications.Moreover,the hybrid model can realize the complementary advantages of the mechanism model and the data-driven model,effectively alleviating the problems of difficult to improve the accuracy of the mechanism model and poor interpretability of the data-driven model,which bears significant practical implications for the research of strip width control.
文摘BACKGROUND As red blood cell distribution width(RDW)and albumin have been shown to be independent predictors of mortality from various diseases,this study aimed to investigate the effect of the RDW to albumin ratio(RA)as an independent predictor of the prognosis of patients admitted to the coronary care unit(CCU).AIM To use the RDW and albumin level to predict the prognosis of patients in the CCU.METHODS Data were obtained from the Medical Information Mart Intensive Care III database.The primary outcome was 365-day all-cause mortality,whereas the secondary outcomes were 30-and 90-day all-cause mortality,hospital length of stay(LOS),and CCU LOS.Cox proportional hazards regression model,propen-sity score matching,and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were used.RESULTS The hazard ratio(95%confidence interval)of the upper tertile(RA>4.66)was 1.62(1.29 to 2.03)when compared with the reference(RA<3.84)in 365-day all-cause mortality.This trend persisted after adjusting for demographic and clinical variables in the propensity score-matching analysis.Similar trends were observed for the secondary outcomes of hospital and CCU LOS.Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed by combining the RA and sequential organ failure assessment(SOFA)scores,and the C-statistic was higher than that of the SOFA scores(0.733 vs 0.702,P<0.001).CONCLUSION RA is an independent prognostic factor in patients admitted to the CCU.RA combined with the SOFA score can improve the predictive ability of the SOFA score.However,our results should be verified in future prospective studies.
文摘BACKGROUND The hemoglobin-to-red cell distribution width ratio(HRR)is a recently intro-duced,easily accessible marker that provides insights into inflammation and the tumor vascular microenvironment.It has been suggested to have prognostic value for overall survival in various types of cancer,including urothelial carcinoma,lung cancer,and hepatocellular carcinoma.It has not yet been sufficiently invest-igated in colorectal cancers(CRC).AIM To investigate the prognostic significance of the HRR and other inflammation-based hematological markers in patients with metastatic CRC.Additionally,the study evaluated the impact of surgical interventions,particularly metastasectomy,and multiple clinical and laboratory parameters on overall survival.By iden-tifying low-cost,accessible prognostic indicators,this research seeks to support clinicians in optimizing treatment strategies and risk stratification for patients with CRC.METHODS In this retrospective study,patients diagnosed with CRC between January 2020 and December 2024 were analyzed.The impact of HRR in conjunction with inflammatory markers and a total of 22 different clinical and laboratory para-meters on overall survival were evaluated using univariate Cox regression and a multivariate model.Survival curves were visualized using Kaplan-Meier analysis.RESULTS A total of 155 patients with CRC were included in the study.The median age was 60 years,and 61.9%presented with de novo metastasis.In the receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve analysis performed to determine the optimal cutoff,the values were found to be 6.10 for carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)(P=0.036),18.85 for platelet-to-red cell distribution width ratio(P=0.028),and 10.87 for platelet distribution width-to-lymphocyte ratio(P=0.028).For neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio,systemic immune-inflammation index(SII),platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR),monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio,HRR,and carbohydrate antigen 19-9,an optimal cutoff could not be determined using the receiver operating characteristic-area under the curve analysis.Therefore,the median values were adopted as the cutoffs(3.09,835.96,177.50,0.380,0.824,and 21.6,respectively).Univariate analysis identified male gender(P=0.045),being under 65 years of age(P=0.001),history of metastas-ectomy(P=0.001),low serum CEA level(P=0.010),low PLR(P=0.024),low SII(P=0.010),and high HRR(P=0.025)as favorable prognostic factors for overall survival.In the multivariate model,being under 65 years of age[hazard ratio(HR)=1.59,95%confidence interval(CI):1.06-2.39,P=0.025],metastasectomy(HR=0.49,95%CI:0.29-0.85,P=0.011),CEA(HR=1.51,95%CI:1.0-2.28,P=0.048),and PLR(HR=1.63,95%CI:1.09-2.44,P=0.018)emerged as independent prognostic factors for overall survival,whereas gender,SII,and HRR did not retain statistical significance.CONCLUSION In conclusion,low HRR alone was a prognostic indicator.However,when modelled with other inflammatory and clinical parameters,it did not provide a sufficiently strong marker feature.
基金Project supported by the Key Research and Development Plan of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,China(Grant Nos.2022B01040 and 2022B01040-2)the Key Project of Heilongjiang Natural Science Foundation(Grant No.ZD2021F002)。
文摘A self-pulsed Tm:GdScO_(3)laser was experimentally demonstrated by using a compact linear resonant cavity.When the pump power was 19.6 W,an average output power of 1771 m W was achieved from the self-pulsed Tm:GdScO_(3)laser with a pulse width of 158.1 ns and a pulse repetition frequency of 112.8 kHz,corresponding to an optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 9.0%.Moreover,a single pulse energy of 15.7μJ and a pulse peak power of 99.3 W were acquired from the self-pulsed Tm:GdScO_(3)laser.This is,as we know,the first time that the self-pulsed laser output at 2-μm waveband range was obtained by utilizing a Tm:GdScO_(3)crystal so far.
基金Supported by Tianjin Natural Science Foundation(No.23JCZXJC00140).
文摘AIM:To assess and compare the utility of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR),platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR),systemic inflammation index(SII),and red blood cell distribution width(RDW)as potential biomarkers to predict the severity of diabetic retinopathy(DR)in the United States population.METHODS:The observational study enlisted patients diagnosed with DR from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(NHANES)database,spanning the period from 2005 to 2008.The severity of DR was defined according to Early Treatment for Diabetic Retinopathy Study(ETDRs).The effect of NLR,PLR,SII,and RDW on proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR)were explored using multivariable logistic regression analysis model.Subgroup analysis and restricted cubic splines(RCS)were conducted to assess the robustness of the correlations across subgroups and to explore nonlinear relationships between four indices and PDR.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)analysis was employed for the purpose of assessing and evaluating the predictive efficacy of NLR,PLR,SII,and RDW in determining the severity of DR.RESULTS:After adjusting for other confounders(age,gender,race,body mass index,diabetes duration,and HbA1c)in multivariable analysis,a unit increase of PLR×0.1,SII×0.01,and RDW would raise the risk for PDR by 15.6%,22.2%,and 33%,respectively.Particularly,there was a 2.208-fold greater risk of PDR in individuals with an elevated NLR(OR=2.208,95%CI,1.348-3.617,P<0.001).RCS analyses showed positive relationships of four indices and PDR after segmented regression based on their own turning points.The results of ROC analysis revealed that PLR+RDW[area under the curve(AUC)=0.772,95%CI:0.669-0.874]had the best predictive value for PDR,compared with NLR+PLR+SII(AUC=0.697,95%CI:0.570-0.825)or RDW alone(AUC=0.736,95%CI:0.646-0.826).CONCLUSION:The combination of RDW and NLR demonstrates a promising ability to predict the severity of DR across the United States population,and it could be promisingly used in clinics for monitoring the progress of DR.
文摘The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between inter canine width (ICW) and inter alar width (IAW), inter commissural width (ICoW), and inter canthal distance (ICaD) in Bantu population. Materials and Methods: It was a pilot study included all participants who were aged at least 18 years, without a history of orthodontics treatment from Prosthodontics Department, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Kinshasa. The Ethics committee of the National Center of Research for Dental Sciences in DR Congo approved the study protocol (CNRSB 1504.218). The participants medical records were obtained from the interview and dental examination. Nature of the study was explained with participant information sheet, and an informed consent of all participants was obtained. The inclusion criteria were no missing maxillary and mandibular teeth, no diastema, and no anterior restorations, 18 years old before enrollment in the study. The exclusion criteria were inability to meet the above requirements, pregnancy, and refusal to participate in the study. The inter-canine width (ICW), inter alar width (IAW), inter canthal distance (ICaD) and inter-commissural width (ICoW) of each participant were measured with a digital Vernier caliper (Mitutoyo, UK Ltd.,) (0.01 mm) three times and the average value was recorded. The inter canthal distance (ICaD) was measured without applying pressure by bringing the recording parts of the caliper just in contact with the medial angle. The inter alar width (IAW) was marked with a fine marked pencil on the widest outer surface of the alae of the nose on either side or width. Those two points were measured without applying pressure by bringing the recording parts of the caliper just in contact with the outer surface. The participant was told to stop breathing shortly to avoid any change in shape of the nose. The inter-commissural width (ICoW) was determined by measuring the maxillary lip vermilion from commissure to commissure without the application of pressure on the tissue in the relaxed state. The inter-canine width (ICW) was measured indirectly using a dental floss. A dental floss was marked on one end prior to placement in the mouth. Using that point as reference, the dental floss was circumference along the curvature of the anterior dentition such that it passed along the contact point of all the teeth. The distal end of the canine teeth on both sides was then marked on the floss while it was stretched in the patients mouth. Floss was marked on both sides with the marker pencil. The distance between the two proximal contact points was measured and recorded. Data, analysis and validation were performed by the SPSS software (version 22.0, IBM SPSS Statistics, Chicago, IL, USA). Unpaired t-test was used, of Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used to test for comparability between socio-demographic characteristics dental measurements. Pearsons correlation coefficients test was calculated to determine the relationship between facial and dental parameters. Significance was set at P 0.01. Results: Of 314 participants enrolled, 202 were included. The age ranged from 18 to 68 years, with a mean age of 40.62 12.99 years. Although the Pearsons correlation coefficients were negative. Ninety-three participants (46%) were men and one hundred and nine (54%) were women. The overall mean age was 40.62 12.99 years. Facial and dental measurements were greater in women than men with significant differences for ICW (p = 0.04). However, no significant difference was seen between men and women for IAW, ICaD and ICoW (p = 0.44, p = 0.23, p = 0.31 respectively). The correlation including Pearsons correlation coefficient and P-values for all participants is not demonstrated. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, the results suggest that IAW, ICaD and ICoW cannot be used as a preliminary method for determining the width of the maxillary for anterior teeth for edentulous patients.
文摘BACKGROUND For compensated advanced chronic liver disease(cACLD)patients,the first decompensation represents a dramatically worsening prognostic event.Based on the first decompensation event(DE),the transition to decompensated advanced chronic liver disease(dACLD)can occur through two modalities referred to as acute decompensation(AD)and non-AD(NAD),respectively.Clinically Significant Portal Hypertension(CSPH)is considered the strongest predictor of decompensation in these patients.However,due to its invasiveness and costs,CSPH is almost never evaluated in clinical practice.Therefore,recognizing noninvasively predicting tools still have more appeal across healthcare systems.The red cell distribution width to platelet ratio(RPR)has been reported to be an indicator of hepatic fibrosis in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease(MASLD).However,its predictive role for the decompensation has never been explored.AIM In this observational study,we investigated the clinical usage of RPR in predicting DEs in MASLD-related cACLD patients.METHODS Fourty controls and 150 MASLD-cACLD patients were consecutively enrolled and followed up(FUP)semiannually for 3 years.At baseline,biochemical,clinical,and Liver Stiffness Measurement(LSM),Child-Pugh(CP),Model for End-Stage Liver Disease(MELD),aspartate aminotransferase/platelet count ratio index(APRI),Fibrosis-4(FIB-4),Albumin-Bilirubin(ALBI),ALBI-FIB-4,and RPR were collected.During FUP,DEs(timing and modaities)were recorded.CSPH was assessed at the baseline and on DE occurrence according to the available Clinical Practice Guidelines.RESULTS Of 150 MASLD-related cACLD patients,43(28.6%)progressed to dACLD at a median time of 28.9 months(29 NAD and 14 AD).Baseline RPR values were significantly higher in cACLD in comparison to controls,as well as MELD,CP,APRI,FIB-4,ALBI,ALBI-FIB-4,and LSM in dACLD-progressing compared to cACLD individuals[all P<0.0001,except for FIB-4(P:0.007)and ALBI(P:0.011)].Receiving operator curve analysis revealed RPR>0.472 and>0.894 as the best cut-offs in the prediction respectively of 3-year first DE,as well as its superiority compared to the other non-invasive tools examined.RPR(P:0.02)and the presence of baseline-CSPH(P:0.04)were significantly and independently associated with the DE.Patients presenting baseline-CSPH and RPR>0.472 showed higher risk of decompensation(P:0.0023).CONCLUSION Altogether these findings suggest the RPR as a valid and potentially applicable non-invasive tool in the prediction of timing and modalities of decompensation in MASLD-related cACLD patients.
基金The study was approved by the ethics committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University(2022-K205),this study was conducted in accordance with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki as well。
文摘BACKGROUND Previous studies have reported that low hematocrit levels indicate poor survival in patients with ovarian cancer and cervical cancer,the prognostic value of hematocrit for colorectal cancer(CRC)patients has not been determined.The prognostic value of red blood cell distribution width(RDW)for CRC patients was controversial.AIM To investigate the impact of RDW and hematocrit on the short-term outcomes and long-term prognosis of CRC patients who underwent radical surgery.METHODS Patients who were diagnosed with CRC and underwent radical CRC resection between January 2011 and January 2020 at a single clinical center were included.The short-term outcomes,overall survival(OS)and disease-free survival(DFS)were compared among the different groups.Cox analysis was also conducted to identify independent risk factors for OS and DFS.RESULTS There were 4258 CRC patients who underwent radical surgery included in our study.A total of 1573 patients were in the lower RDW group and 2685 patients were in the higher RDW group.There were 2166 and 2092 patients in the higher hematocrit group and lower hematocrit group,respectively.Patients in the higher RDW group had more intraoperative blood loss(P<0.01)and more overall complications(P<0.01)than did those in the lower RDW group.Similarly,patients in the lower hematocrit group had more intraoperative blood loss(P=0.012),longer hospital stay(P=0.016)and overall complications(P<0.01)than did those in the higher hematocrit group.The higher RDW group had a worse OS and DFS than did the lower RDW group for tumor node metastasis(TNM)stage I(OS,P<0.05;DFS,P=0.001)and stage II(OS,P=0.004;DFS,P=0.01)than the lower RDW group;the lower hematocrit group had worse OS and DFS for TNM stage II(OS,P<0.05;DFS,P=0.001)and stage III(OS,P=0.001;DFS,P=0.001)than did the higher hematocrit group.Preoperative hematocrit was an independent risk factor for OS[P=0.017,hazard ratio(HR)=1.256,95%confidence interval(CI):1.041-1.515]and DFS(P=0.035,HR=1.194,95%CI:1.013-1.408).CONCLUSION A higher preoperative RDW and lower hematocrit were associated with more postoperative complications.However,only hematocrit was an independent risk factor for OS and DFS in CRC patients who underwent radical surgery,while RDW was not.
基金supported the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42022059,41888101)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences,China (Grant No.XDB26020000)+1 种基金the Key Research Program of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics (CAS Grant IGGCAS-201905)the CAS Youth Interdisciplinary Team (JCTD-2021-05).
文摘Tree-ring width(RW),density,elemental com-position,and stable carbon and oxygen isotope(δ^(13)C,δ^(18)O)are widely used as proxies to assess climate change,ecology,and environmental pollution;however,a specific pretreat-ment has been needed for each proxy.Here,we developed a method by which each proxy can be measured in the same sample.First,the sample is polished for ring width meas-urement.After obtaining the ring width data,the sample is cut to form a 1-mm-thick wood plate.The sample is then mounted in a vertical sample holder,and gradually scanned by an X-ray beam.Simultaneously,the count rates of the fluorescent photons of elements(for chemical characteriza-tion)and a radiographic grayscale image(for wood density)are obtained,i.e.the density and the element content are obtained.Then,cellulose is isolated from the 1-mm wood plate by removal of lignin,and hemicellulose.After producing this cellulose plate,cellulose subsamples are separated by knife under the microscope for inter-annual and intra-annual stable carbon and oxygen isotope(δ^(13)C,δ^(18)O)analysis.Based on this method,RW,density,elemental composition,δ^(13)C,and δ^(18)O can be measured from the same sample,which reduces sample amount and treatment time,and is helpful for multi-proxy comparison and combination research.
基金supportedbytheNational Natural Science Foundation of China (No.U21A2006 and 42001043).
文摘Latewood width(LWW)indices of trees are considered a reliable proxy of summer precipitation in the Northern Hemisphere.However,the strong coupling and high correlation between earlywood width(EWW)and LWW indices often prevent registration of climate signals of the LWW index.In this study,328-year-long earlywood width and latewood width chronologies were developed from Chinese pine at two sites in the Hasi Mountains,north central China.The climate responses of these chronologies were analyzed and the LWW index used to derive sum-mer precipitation signals.Correlation analyses showed that LWW was particularly influenced by earlywood growth and recorded stronger climate signals of the previous year as EWW,rather than those of the current year with infrequent summer climate signals.However,after removing the effect of earlywood growth using a simple regression model,the adjusted LWW chronology(LWW_(adj))showed a strong relationship with July precipitation in dry years.This suggests that the LWW_(adj) chronology has the potential to be used to investigate long-term variability in summer precipitation in drought-limited regions.
基金supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDA28070000)the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province(TD 2023C005)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32372029 and 32001506)。
文摘Pod width influences pod size,shape,yield,and consumer preference in snap beans(Phaseolus vulgaris L.).In this study,we map Pv PW1,a quantitative trait locus associated with pod width in snap beans,through genotyping and phenotyping of recombinant plants.We identify Phvul.006G072800,encoding theβ-1,3-glucanase 9 protein,as the causal gene for Pv PW1.The Pv PW1^(G3555)allele is found to positively regulate pod width,as revealed by an association analysis between pod width phenotype and the Pv PW1^(G3555C)genotype across 17 bi-parental F_(2)populations.In total,97.7%of the 133 wide pod accessions carry Pv PW1^(G3555),while 82.1%of the 78 narrow pod accessions carry Pv PW1C3555,indicating strong selection pressure on Pv PW1 during common bean breeding.Re-sequencing data from 59 common bean cultivars identify an 8-bp deletion in the intron linked to Pv PW1C3555,leading to the development of the In Del marker of Pv M436.Genotyping 317 common bean accessions with Pv M436 demonstrated that accessions with Pv M436^(247)and Pv M436^(227)alleles have wider pods compared to those with Pv M436^(219)allele,establishing Pv M436 as a reliable marker for molecular breeding in snap beans.These findings highlight Pv PW1 as a critical gene regulating pod width and underscore the utility of Pv M436 in marker-assisted selection for snap bean breeding.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(61734007)National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFF0706100).
文摘This work presents a novel radio frequency(RF)narrowband Si micro-electro-mechanical systems(MEMS)filter based on capacitively transduced slotted width extensional mode(WEM)resonators.The flexibility of the plate leads to multiple modes near the target frequency.The high Q-factor resonators of around 100000 enable narrow bandwidth filters with small size and simplified design.The 1-wavelength and 2-wavelength WEMs were first developed as a pair of coupled modes to form a passband.To reduce bandwidth,two plates are coupled with aλ-length coupling beam.The 79.69 MHz coupled plate filter(CPF)achieved a narrow bandwidth of 8.8 kHz,corresponding to a tiny 0.011%.The CPF exhibits an impressive 34.84 dB stopband rejection and 7.82 dB insertion loss with near-zero passband ripple.In summary,the RF MEMS filter presented in this work shows promising potential for application in RF transceiver front-ends.
基金This work is supported in part by the National Transgenic Science and Technology Program(2016ZX08010-002)National Natural Science Foundation of China(157101834)Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program of CAAS.
文摘The size and shape of rice grains influence their yield and commercial value.We investigated the role of OsDA1,a rice homolog of the Arabidopsis DA1 gene,in regulating grain size and shape.OsDA1 was highly expressed in young spikelets and glumes.Its overexpression led to enlarged seeds with increased width and decreased length/width ratio(LWR)and knocking out OsDA1 reduced grain width and increased grain length and LWR.A R310K point mutation in the DA1-like domain is a potential target for breeding for increased grain width and length.OsDA1 interacted with TCP gene-family proteins to regulate grain size and shape.Our findings deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying grain size regulation and provide useful information for improving grain yield.
基金Supported by Zhejiang Province Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and 158 Technology Project,No.2023ZL008.
文摘BACKGROUND Accumulating clinical evidence has shown that diabetes mellitus(DM)is a serious risk factor for cardiovascular disorders and an important factor for adverse cardiovascular events.AIM To explore the value of the combined determination of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)and red blood cell distribution width(RDW)in the early diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of DM complicated with heart failure(HF).METHODS We retrospectively analyzed clinical data on 65 patients with type 2 DM(T2DM)complicated with HF(research group,Res)and 60 concurrent patients with uncomplicated T2DM(control group,Con)diagnosed at Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital between January 2019 and December 2021.The NLR and RDW values were determined and comparatively analyzed,and their levels in T2DM+HF patients with different cardiac function grades were recorded.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were plotted to determine the NLR and RDW values(alone and in combination)for the early diagnosis of HF.The correlation between NLR and RDW with the presence or absence of cardiac events was also investigated.RESULTS Higher NLR and RDW levels were identified in the Res vs the Con groups(P<0.05).The NLR and RDW increased gradually and synchronously with the deterioration of cardiac function in the Res group,with marked differences in their levels among patients with grade II,III,and IV HF(P<0.05).ROC curve analysis revealed that NLR combined with RDW detection had an area under the curve of 0.915,a sensitivity of 76.9%,and a specificity of 100%for the early diagnosis of HF.Furthermore,HF patients with cardiac events showed higher NLR and RDW values compared with HF patients without cardiac events.CONCLUSION NLR and RDW were useful laboratory indicators for the early diagnosis of DM complicated with HF,and their joint detection was beneficial for improving diagnostic efficiency.Additionally,NLR and RDW values were directly proportional to patient outcomes.
