Effect of vitamin D, calcium, or combined supplementation on fall prevention: a systematic review and updated network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The association between vitamin D supplementation and the risk of falls in older adults has been controversial. This systematic review and network meta-analysis aims to assess the efficacy of vitamin D, calcium, and combined supplementation in the prevention of falls. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the efficacy of vitamin D in fall prevention were systematically searched in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from inception to May 9, 2023. The network meta-analysis was performed using a random effects model in R4.1.3 and Stata15.0. Heterogeneity was evaluated by the I2 statistic, and publication bias was assessed using funnel plots, Begg's test, and Egger's tests. Data were pooled and expressed as relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: A total of 35 RCTs involving 58,937 participants were included in this study, among which 11 RCTs (31.4%) applied calcium combined with vitamin D. There was low heterogeneity (I2 = 11%) among the included studies. Vitamin D supplementation at 800-1000 International Unit (IU)/d resulted in a lower risk of falls than placebo or no treatment (RR = 0.85, 95%CI: 0.74-0.95). In addition, 800-1000 IU/d of vitamin D with or without calcium were more effective in preventing falls than calcium alone. High-dose vitamin D (> 1000 IU/day) increased the risk of falls compared with 800-1000 IU/d of vitamin D. According to the subgroup analysis, daily administration of 800-1000 IU/d vitamin D was associated with a 22% reduction in the risk of falls (RR = 0.78, 95%CI:0.64-0.92), whereas intermittent vitamin D administration had no preventive effect. Furthermore, 800-1000 IU/d of vitamin D also significantly decreased the risk of falls in old adults with ≤ 50 nmol/L 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] (RR = 0.69, 95%CI:0.52-0.86) but not in individuals with > 50 nmol/L 25(OH)D. CONCLUSION: Vitamin D supplementation at 800-1000 IU/d is associated with a lower risk of falls among older adults. 800-1000IU/d of vitamin D has a benefit on prevention of falls in population received daily dose regimens and in population with vitamin D deficiency.

Effects of H2O on Improving the Performance of a Solid Composite Electrolyte Fabricated via an Air-Processable Technique.

Inert atmosphere is normally necessary for fabrication of solid composite electrolytes (SCEs) as a crucial part of solid-state Li-metal batteries in order to avoid undesirable reactions induced by ambient moisture. Herein, we developed an air-processable technique to fabricate SCEs by employing LiCF3SO3 (LiOTf) as the Li salt, which was combined with Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12 (LLZTO) as the fast Li-conductor and polyvinylidene difluoroethylene/polyvinyl acetate (PVDF/PVAC) as the polymer matrix. With the assistance of trace H2O dissolved in electrolyte solution, the room-temperature Li+ conductivity of the obtained aSCE reached as high as 5.09 × 10-4 S cm-1, which was over 3 orders of magnitude higher than that of the one (iSCE, 1.93 × 10-7 S cm-1) cast by the electrolyte solution prepared in an inert atmosphere. The theoretical calculation results reveal that the oxygen atom of H2O exhibits a high propensity to interact with the Li atom in LiOTf (Li···O), thereby establishing a hydrogen bond with the oxygen atom (H···O) in N,N-dimethylformamide (solvent). Such interactions promoted the dissociation of LiOTf and led to the formation of uniform Li+ transportation channels. Simultaneously, the composition distribution was also altered, resulting in a smoother surface of aSCE and lowered crystallinity of PVDF. On this basis, the LiOTf/LLZTO/PVDF/PVAC solution at 60 °C was directly coated onto the surface of the LiFePO4 (LFP) cathode to fabricate the LFP-aSCE film after drying in an oven. The assembled LFP-aSCE/Li battery wetted by trace sulfolane exhibited an initial Coulombic efficiency of 94.7% and a capacity retention rate of up to 96% at 0.2 C (137 mAh g-1) after 180 cycles and a high capacity of 143.7 mAh g-1 at 0.5 C (150 cycles). Overall, this work could pave the way for the facile fabrication of solid electrolytes.

Wearable Sensor-Based Residual Multifeature Fusion Shrinkage Networks for Human Activity Recognition.

Human activity recognition (HAR) based on wearable sensors has emerged as a low-cost key-enabling technology for applications such as human-computer interaction and healthcare. In wearable sensor-based HAR, deep learning is desired for extracting human active features. Due to the spatiotemporal dynamic of human activity, a special deep learning network for recognizing the temporal continuous activities of humans is required to improve the recognition accuracy for supporting advanced HAR applications. To this end, a residual multifeature fusion shrinkage network (RMFSN) is proposed. The RMFSN is an improved residual network which consists of a multi-branch framework, a channel attention shrinkage block (CASB), and a classifier network. The special multi-branch framework utilizes a 1D-CNN, a lightweight temporal attention mechanism, and a multi-scale feature extraction method to capture diverse activity features via multiple branches. The CASB is proposed to automatically select key features from the diverse features for each activity, and the classifier network outputs the final recognition results. Experimental results have shown that the accuracy of the proposed RMFSN for the public datasets UCI-HAR, WISDM, and OPPORTUNITY are 98.13%, 98.35%, and 93.89%, respectively. In comparison with existing advanced methods, the proposed RMFSN could achieve higher accuracy while requiring fewer model parameters.

Application and Comparison of Different Regression Models in Iodine Balance Experiment on Women of Childbearing Age and Pregnant Women.

The iodine balance experiment is a traditional approach to evaluate the physiological requirement for iodine, while the simple linear regression model (SLM) and the mixed effects model (MEM) are two primary methods used to analyze iodine balance experiments. In the present study, we aimed to compare the effects of these two regression models on the evaluation of iodine balance experiments to investigate appropriate valuation methods. By constructing SLM and MEM, zero iodine balance values (IBV) were determined, and the evaluation effects were compared. No changes were made to the experimental data for women of childbearing age, and cutoff values of 600 µg/day and 1000 µg/day, respectively, were chosen for further processing of the experimental data for pregnant women. Equation combinations 1-3 (EC1-3) were obtained by fitting SLM, and zero IBV were calculated as 110.26 µg/day, 333.06 µg/day, and 434.84 µg/day, respectively. EC4-6 were obtained by fitting MEM, and zero IBV were calculated as 110.44 µg/day, 335.79 µg/day, and 418.06 µg/day, respectively. The inclusion of inter-measurement variation as a random factor in the MEM yielded EC7-8, which reduced the test power of the iodine balance experiment on women of childbearing age. Our study suggested that when experimental conditions were tightly controlled, with fewer uncertainties or significant influences, computationally straightforward and well-understood SLM was preferred. If some uncertain factors might cause large changes in the experimental results, it was advised to use a more "conservative" MEM to calculate the zero IBV. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: Registered at Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03279315 (17th September 2017, retrospectively registered), NCT03710148 (18th October 2018, retrospectively registered).

The association between thyroid-stimulating hormone and thyroid nodules, goiter and thyroid antibody positivity.

Background: The relationship between normal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and thyroid disease in adults remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between serum TSH levels, particularly those falling within the normal range, and thyroid diseases in Chinese adults, including thyroid nodules (TN), goiter (GR), and thyroid antibody positivity. Materials and methods: This research was a cross-sectional study conducted in an adult population in Tianjin, China. Thyroid volume (Tvol) and TN were assessed using thyroid ultrasonography. Fasting venous blood and spot urine samples were collected to evaluate thyroid function and iodine status. Results: A total of 2460 subjects participated in the survey. The prevalence of thyroid dysfunction was 9.76%, and abnormal TSH levels were found to potentially increase the risk of GR and thyroid antibody positivity in adults. A total of 2220 subjects with TSH within the normal reference range were included in the further study. In these patients, Tvol decreased as TSH levels increased, in both men and women (P < 0.0001). Low TSH levels (0.27-1.41 IU/mL) were identified as a risk factor for TN (odds ratio [OR], 1.46; 95% CI: 1.14-1.87) and GR (OR 5.90, 95% CI 2.27-15.3). Upon stratification by sex and age, the risk of TN was found to be higher in women and elderly individuals (≥60 years old), while the risk of GR was found to be higher in men and younger individuals (<60 years old). High TSH levels (2.55-4.2 IU/mL) were identified as a risk factor for thyroid antibody positivity (OR, 1.53; 95% CI: 1.11-2.10). Men and younger individuals with high TSH levels exhibited a higher risk of thyroid antibody positivity. Conclusion: In adults with normal TSH levels, low TSH levels were associated with an increased risk of TN and GR, whereas high TSH levels were associated with thyroid antibody positivity. The research also suggests that adults whose TSH levels at upper or lower limits of the normal range should be reviewed regularly.

Blueberry extracts antagonize Aß25-35 neurotoxicity and exert a neuroprotective effect through MEK-ERK-BDNF/UCH-L1 signaling pathway in rat and mouse hippocampus.

BACKGROUND: The neuroprotective potential of blueberry (BB) extracts against Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been previously hinted at, while its exact mechanism has remained largely enigmatic. OBJECTIVE: Our study endeavored to unravel the impacts and mechanisms by which BB extracts ameliorated the learning and memory prowess of AD-afflicted mice, with a specific focus on the MEK-ERK pathway. METHODS: We employed 3-month-old APP/PS1 transgenic mice and stratified them into three distinct groups: AD+BB, AD, and control (CT). The Morris Water Maze Test (MWMT) was then administered to gauge their learning and memory faculties. In vitro experiments were executed on Aß25-35-afflicted rat hippocampal neurons, which were subsequently treated with varying concentrations of BB extracts. We then assessed the expression levels of genes and proteins integral to the MEK-ERKBDNF/UCH-L1 pathway. RESULTS: The data showed that the AD mice demonstrated compromised learning and memory faculties in MWMT. However, the AD+BB cohort showcased marked improvements in performance. Furthermore, in the AD subset, significant elevations in the expressions of MEK2 and ERK1/2 were observed, both at the mRNA and protein levels. Conversely, UCH-L1 mRNA expressions exhibited a decline, while BDNF expressions surged significantly. However, post BB extract treatment, the expressions of MEK2 and ERK1/2 were subdued, with UCH-L1 and BDNF mRNA expressions reverting to control levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings propounded that BB extracts could offer therapeutic promise for AD by bolstering learning and memory capacities. The unwarranted activation of the MEK-ERK pathway, coupled with the aberrant expressions of BDNF and UCH-L1, might underpin AD's pathogenesis.

4-hydroxylonchocarpin and corylifol A: The potential hepatotoxic components of Psoralea corylifolia L.

Psoralea corylifolia L. (P. corylifolia) has attracted increasing attention because of its potential hepatotoxicity. In this study, we used network analysis (toxic component and hepatotoxic target prediction, proteinprotein interaction, GO enrichment analysis, KEGG pathway analysis, and molecular docking) to predict the components and mechanism of P. corylifolia-induced hepatotoxicity and then selected 4-hydroxylonchocarpin and corylifol A for experimental verification. HepG2 cells were treated with low, medium, and high concentrations of 4-hydroxylonchocarpin or corylifol A. The activities of ALT, AST, and LDH in cell culture media and the MDA level, SOD activity, and GSH level in cell extracts were measured. Moreover, apoptosis, ROS levels, and mitochondrial membrane potential were evaluated. The results showed that the activities of ALT, AST, and LDH in the culture medium increased, and hepatocyte apoptosis increased. The level of MDA increased, and the activity of SOD and level of GSH decreased, and the ROS level increased with 4-hydroxylonchocarpin and corylifol A intervention. Furthermore, the mitochondrial membrane potential decreased in the 4-hydroxylonchocarpin and corylifol A groups. This study suggests that 4-hydroxylonchocarpin and corylifol A cause hepatocyte injury and apoptosis by inducing oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, suggesting that these compounds may be the potential hepatotoxic components of P. corylifolia.

Iodine Intakes of <150 µg/day or >550 µg/day are Not Recommended during Pregnancy: A Balance Study.

BACKGROUND: Adequate iodine intake during pregnancy is critical for maintaining maternal and fetal thyroid function and development. There are only limited data from iodine-balance studies to inform iodine requirements during pregnancy. OBJECTIVES: This is an iodine-balance study conducted to explore the associations among iodine intake, excretion, and retention to provide information regarding iodine requirements during pregnancy. METHODS: A 7-d iodine-balance experiment enrolled 93 healthy pregnant Chinese women from Hebei, Tanjin, and Shandong. Duplicates of all foods and beverages consumed were systematically collected and measured for iodine content. Iodine excretion was measured by collecting 24-h urine and feces samples. Simple linear regression models were used to assess relationships between total iodine intake and iodine retention, whereas mixed effect models were used to assess the relationship between daily iodine intake and iodine retention. RESULTS: The mean ± SD age of participating pregnant women was 29 ± 2 y at a median 22 (IQR: 13-30) wk of gestation. The mean 7-d iodine retention was 43.0 ± 1060 µg/7 d. A negative iodine balance was present in 56% of women whereas 44% had a positive balance. Pregnant women with iodine intakes <150 µg/d were in negative balance whereas those with intakes >550 µg/d were in positive balance. The daily iodine intake at zero balance was 343 µg/d, which was higher in women from Shandong (492 µg/d) than in those from Hebei and Tianjin (202 µg/d). CONCLUSIONS: Iodine intake at zero balance determined in pregnant women with adequate iodine nutrition is 202 µg/d, and the calculated recommended nutrient intake (RNI) is 280 µg/d. Iodine intakes of <150 µg/d and >550 µg/d are not recommended during pregnancy. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03710148.

Nickel Foam Coated by Ni Nanoparticle-Decorated 3D Nanocarbons as a Freestanding Host for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Nanocarbons (NCs) consisting of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were coated on the surface of nickel foam (NF) via a chemical vapor deposition method. The CNFs formed conductive networks on NF, while the CNTs grew perpendicular to the surface of the CNFs, accompanied with the formation of Ni nanoparticles (Ni NPs) at the end of CNTs. The unique Ni-NCs-coated NF with a porous structure was applied as the three-dimensional (3D) current collector of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, which provided enough space to accommodate the electrode materials inside itself. Therefore, the 3D interconnected conductive framework of the coated NF collector merged in the electrode materials shortened the path of electron transport, and the generated Ni NPs could adsorb lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and effectively accelerated the conversion kinetics of LiPSs as well, thereby suppressing the "shuttle effect". Moreover, the rigid framework of NF would also constrain the movement of the electrode compositions, which benefited the stability of the Li-S batteries. As a matter of fact, the Li-S battery based on the Ni-NCs-coated NF collector delivered an initial discharge capacity as high as 1472 mAh g-1 at 0.1C and outstanding high rate capability at 3C (802 mAh g-1). Additionally, low decay rates of 0.067 and 0.08% at 0.2C (300 cycles) and 0.5C (500 cycles) have been obtained, respectively. Overall, our prepared Ni-NCs-coated NF collector is promising for the application in high-performance Li-S batteries.

A new intracellular targeting motif in the cytoplasmic tail of the spike protein may act as a target to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 assembly.

Infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) poses a threat to global public health, underscoring the urgent need for the development of preventive and therapeutic measures. The spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2, which mediates receptor binding and subsequent membrane fusion to promote viral entry, is a major target for current drug development and vaccine design. The S protein comprises a large N-terminal extracellular domain, a transmembrane domain, and a short cytoplasmic tail (CT) at the C-terminus. CT truncation of the S protein has been previously reported to promote the infectivity of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses. However, the underlying molecular mechanism has not been precisely elucidated. In addition, the CT of various viral membrane glycoproteins play an essential role in the assembly of virions, yet the role of the S protein CT in SARS-CoV-2 infection remains unclear. In this study, through constructing a series of mutations of the CT of the S protein and analyzing their impact on the packaging of the SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus and live SARS-CoV-2 virus, we identified V1264L1265 as a new intracellular targeting motif in the CT of the S protein, that regulates the transport and subcellular localization of the spike protein through the interactions with cytoskeleton and vesicular transport-related proteins, ARPC3, SCAMP3, and TUBB8, thereby modulating SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus and live SARS-CoV-2 virion assembly. Either disrupting the V1264L1265 motif or reducing the expression of ARPC3, SCAMP3, and TUBB8 significantly repressed the assembly of the live SARS-CoV-2 virion, raising the possibility that the V1264L1265 motif and the host responsive pathways involved could be new drug targets for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our results extend the understanding of the role played by the S protein CT in the assembly of pseudoviruses and live SARS-CoV-2 virions, which will facilitate the application of pseudoviruses to the study of SARS-CoV-2 and provide potential strategies for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The simplified iodine-specific food frequency questionnaire can evaluate iodine intake in Chinese adults.

We hypothesized that an effective iodine-specific food frequency questionnaire (I-FFQ) simplification method could expand the application of the I-FFQ in evaluating long-term iodine intake. An adult I-FFQ was developed and was simplified by deleting food items with iodine contribution rates ≤0.1%, combining food items with similar species and iodine contribution rates, and calculating the iodine content of combined food by a weighted calculation method. A 3-day (3-d) diet diary tested the validity of the I-FFQ. We evaluated the relationship between iodine intake estimated using the I-FFQ and the urinary iodine to creatinine ratio, thyroid volume (Tvol), and thyroid function. The Kappa value was 0.62 for the original I-FFQ and the 3-d diet diary (P < .001), 0.78 for the short-version I-FFQ and the 3-d diet diary (P < .001), and 0.76 for the original I-FFQ and the short-version I-FFQ (P < .001). The mean difference before and after simplification was 27.1 µg/d. The Tvol was different between the I-FFQ groups and showed an upward trend (P for trend = .01). Tvol was higher in the 284 347 µg/d (ß = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.16-1.28; P = .01) groups after simplification. The I-FFQ is an effective method for evaluating iodine nutritional status in adults. After streamlining, the food items were reduced from 58 to 15, which shortened the investigation time while retaining evaluation efficiency; it is also easier to get the cooperation of the subjects and improve the availability of I-FFQ.

Study on the Relationship Between Serum Iodine and Thyroid Dysfunctions: a Cross-Sectional Study.

The relationship between serum iodine (SIC) and thyroid dysfunctions in adults is poorly understood, and this study aimed to explore their relationship. A total of 1320 participants were included in the final analysis. We collected basic demographic information, blood, and spot urine samples to determine serological indices and iodine nutritional status. The median (IQR) of urinary iodine (UIC)/urinary creatinine (UCr), UIC, SIC were 138.1 (91.1, 207.6) µg/g, 155.8 (94.5, 211.1) µg/L, and 70.6 (59.8, 83.9) µg/L, respectively. The 90% reference ranges for UIC/UCr and SIC were 66.5-349.8 mg/g and 49.3-97.1 µg/L. SIC was positively correlated with UIC and UIC/UCr. The prevalence of overt hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism in female was significantly higher than that in male (P = 0.02, P = 0.002). In male, subjects above the upper reference value of SIC (97.1 µg/L) had a higher risk of subclinical hyperthyroidism (OR = 4.46, 95% CI: 1.29, 12.8) and overt hypothyroidism (OR = 5.59, 95% CI: 1.88, 6.42). In female, subjects below the lower reference value of SIC (49.3 µg/L) had a higher risk of overt hypothyroidism (OR = 2.18, 95% CI: 1.10, 4.06), TgAb positive (OR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.15, 3.32) and TPOAb positive (OR = 2.48, 95% CI: 1.41, 4.26). In conclusion, serum iodine can be used as an indicator to evaluate iodine nutritional status and thyroid dysfunctions. Higher serum iodine concentration was associated with an increased risk of subclinical hyperthyroidism and overt hypothyroidism in men; lower serum iodine concentration was associated with an increased risk of overt hypothyroidism and positive TgAb and TPOAb in women.

Application of time-reversal in electromagnetic power synthesis under distributed motion platform.

Space-time adaptive focusing is the most prominent feature of time-reversal electromagnetic waves. This paper studies the spatial power synthesis technology of distributed motion platforms based on time-reversal electromagnetic waves. Firstly, the spatial power synthesis process based on time-reversal on a distributed fixed platform is modeled. Then, the time-reversal signal processing process of a distributed array on the motion platform is deduced, and the feasibility of realizing precise power focusing is verified in theory. Finally, the factors affecting the power synthesis effect in the target area are analyzed. The simulation results indicate that the spatial power synthesis on the distributed motion platform based on the time-reversal can effectively balance between power focusing effect and computational complexity. Also, the proposed method has better efficiency than the existing techniques, and it has strong practicability and feasibility.

Bioactive extracts and association with C and N in Eleutherococcus senticosus subjected to chitosan nanoparticles in contrasting light spectra.

Bioactive compounds are major reasons for the value of Eleutherococcus senticosus, which can be modified by different lighting spectra. Light-emitting diode (LED) provides lights with specific spectra which can interact with other treatments to impact plant bioactive production. Chitosan nanoparticle (CN) is a biopolymer derived from marine creatures. It's usage may be a practical approach to cope with uncertainties in secondary metabolites induced by illumination. Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cyclings link plant eco-physiological performance and bioactive substance; hence their associations may reveal the mechanism of joint light-CN interaction. In this study, E. senticosus seedlings were raised under artificial lighting spectra from high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps (44% red, 55% green, 1% blue) and white (44% red, 47% green, 8% blue) and red colored (73% red, 13% green, 14% blue) LED panels. Half of the seedlings received CN and the other half received distilled water as the control. Compared to the HPS spectrum, the red-light induced stronger shoot growth with greater biomass accumulation and higher water uptake but resulted in lower N concentration and biomass ratio in the root. The white light caused more biomass allocated to the root and strengthened stem C concentration. Stem eleutheroside B increased with shoot growth, while root eleutheroside B had a positive association with leaf C and stem protocatechuic acid had a negative association with leaf N. Having the CN treatment in white and red LED lights is recommended for increasing accumulation of bioactive compounds in the shoots and roots of E. senticosus seedlings, respectively.

Everolimus reduces BK polyomavirus infection by suppressing its replication and spread of infection.

BK polyomavirus-associated nephropathy is one of serious complications in transplant recipients. Everolimus-a mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor-has been shown to reduce the incidence of BK polyomavirus infection in transplant recipients. In this study, the effects of everolimus were examined on viral replication and the spread of infection in BK polyomavirus-infected cultures. BK polyomavirus replicated in renal and pulmonary cells, contrary to that in hepatocytes, and spread as diffusely scattered patterns of infected cells, unlike plaque formation through the cell-to-cell mode. BK polyomavirus is stable to heat up to 65 °C with a particle per infectivity ratio of 5000, and the replication cycle was for approximately 34 h. Everolimus administration remarkably reduced the viral replication to 20% in cells treated with 0.1-10 ng/mL, the concentration at which everolimus reached the serum of transplant recipients. In addition, it reduced the amount of viral capsid protein 1 at 5 ng/mL without reducing the ratio of viral capsid protein 1 versus ß-actin, and it also retained the pattern of viral capsid protein 1 localization in the nuclei. Everolimus suppressed the number of infected cells to 32.8% during a 14-day treatment, indicating the reduction of BK polyomavirus-infected cell mass to 18.8% of untreated cultures by modifying cellular functions. The reduction in the total number of BK polyomavirus infected cells by everolimus indicates that everolimus alleviates BK polyomavirus infection, including nephropathy in transplant recipients.

ACR TI-RADS classification combined with number of nodules, halo features optimizes diagnosis and prediction of follicular thyroid cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the application value of The American College of Radiology (ACR) Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) category combined with other ultrasound features of nodules in distinguishing follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) from thyroid follicular adenoma (FTA). METHODS: We collected and retrospectively analyzed clinical and ultrasound data for 118 and 459 patients with FTCs and FTAs, respectively, at our hospital. Next, we used ACR TI-RADS classification combined with other ultrasound features of nodules to distinguish FTC from FTA. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to screen independent risk factors for FTC, which were subsequently used to construct a nomogram for predicting FTC. RESULTS: ACR TI-RADS categories 4 and 5, unilateral multiple nodules, and halo thickness≥2 mm were independent risk factors for FTC. ACR TI-RADS category combined with number of nodules, halo features of the nodule was a significantly better prediction model for FTC diagnosis (AUC = 0.869) than that of ACR TI-RADS classification alone (AUC = 0.756). CONCLUTIONS: Clinicians need to pay attention to the halo of nodules when distinguishing FTA from FTC. Notably, ACR TI-RADS combined with other nodule ultrasound features has superior predictive performance in diagnosis of FTC compared to ACR TI-RADS classification alone, thus can provide an important reference value for preoperative diagnosis of FTC.

Prediction and Optimization of Process Parameters for Composite Thermoforming Using a Machine Learning Approach.

Thermoforming is a process where the laminated sheet is pre-heated to the desired forming temperature before being pressed and cooled between the molds to give the final formed part. Defects such as wrinkles, matrix-smear or ply-splitting could occur if the process is not optimized. Traditionally, for thermoforming of fiber-reinforced composites, engineers would either have to perform numerous physical trial and error experiments or to run a large number of high-fidelity simulations in order to determine satisfactory combinations of process parameters that would yield a defect-free part. Such methods are expensive in terms of equipment and raw material usage, mold fabrication cost and man-hours. In the last decade, there has been an ongoing trend of applying machine learning methods to engineering problems, but none for woven composite thermoforming. In this paper, two applications of artificial neural networks (ANN) are presented. The first is the use of ANN to analyze full-field contour results from simulation so as to predict the process parameters resulting in the quality of the formed product. Results show that the developed ANN can predict some input parameters reasonably well from just inspecting the images of the thermoformed laminate. The second application is to optimize the process parameters that would result in a quality part through the objectives of minimizing the maximum slip-path length and maximizing the regions of the laminate with a predesignated shear angle range. Our results show that the ANN can provide reasonable optimization of the process parameters to yield improved product quality. Overall, the results from the ANNs are encouraging when compared against experimental data. The image analysis method proposed here for machine learning is novel for composite manufacturing as it can potentially be combined with machine vision in the actual manufacturing operation to provide active feedback to ensure quality products.

Application of Bidirectional Generative Adversarial Networks to Predict Potential miRNAs Associated With Diseases.

Substantial evidence has shown that microRNAs are crucial for biological processes within complex human diseases. Identifying the association of miRNA-disease pairs will contribute to accelerating the discovery of potential biomarkers and pathogenesis. Researchers began to focus on constructing computational models to facilitate the progress of disease pathology and clinical medicine by identifying the potential disease-related miRNAs. However, most existing computational methods are expensive, and their use is limited to unobserved relationships for unknown miRNAs (diseases) without association information. In this manuscript, we proposed a creatively semi-supervised model named bidirectional generative adversarial network for miRNA-disease association prediction (BGANMDA). First, we constructed a microRNA similarity network, a disease similarity network, and Gaussian interaction profile kernel similarity based on the known miRNA-disease association and comprehensive similarity of miRNAs (diseases). Next, an integrated similarity feature network with the full underlying relationships of miRNA-disease pairwise was obtained. Then, the similarity feature network was fed into the BGANMDA model to learn advanced traits in latent space. Finally, we ranked an association score list and predicted the associations between miRNA and disease. In our experiment, a five-fold cross validation was applied to estimate BGANMDA's performance, and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.9319 and a standard deviation of 0.00021 were obtained. At the same time, in the global and local leave-one-out cross validation (LOOCV), the AUC value and standard deviation of BGANMDA were 0.9116 ± 0.0025 and 0.8928 ± 0.0022, respectively. Furthermore, BGANMDA was employed in three different case studies to validate its prediction capability and accuracy. The experimental results of the case studies showed that 46, 46, and 48 of the top 50 prediction lists had been identified in previous studies.

Pharmacological effects of Eleutherococcus senticosus on the neurological disorders.

Eleutherococcus senticosus is a medicinal plant widely used in traditional medicine and edible remedies with effects on anti-fatigue, sleep improvement, and memory enhancement. Recently, the application of E. senticosus to neurological disorders has been a focus. However, its overall pharmacological effect on neural diseases and relevant mechanisms are needed in an in-depth summary. In this review, the traditional uses and the therapeutic effect of E. senticosus on the treatment of fatigue, depression, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and cerebral ischemia were summarized. In addition, the underlying mechanisms involved in the anti-oxidative damage, anti-inflammation, neurotransmitter modulation, improvement of neuronal growth, and anti-apoptosis were discussed. This review will accelerate the understanding of the neuroprotective effects brought from the E. senticosus, and impetus its development as a phytotherapy agent against neurological disorders.

Serum Proteomic Analysis Identifies SAA1, FGA, SAP, and CETP as New Biomarkers for Eosinophilic Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis.

Background: Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) is characterized by asthma-like attacks in its early stage, which is easily misdiagnosed as severe asthma. Therefore, new biomarkers for the early diagnosis of EGPA are needed, especially for differentiating the diagnosis of asthma. Objectives: To identify serum biomarkers that can be used for early diagnosis of EGPA and to distinguish EGPA from severe asthma. Method: Data-independent acquisition (DIA) analysis was performed to identify 45 healthy controls (HC), severe asthma (S-A), and EGPA patients in a cohort to screen biomarkers for early diagnosis of EGPA and to differentiate asthma diagnosis. Subsequently, parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) analysis was applied to a validation cohort of 71 HC, S-A, and EGPA patients. Result: Four candidate biomarkers were identified from DIA and PRM analysis-i.e., serum amyloid A1 (SAA1), fibrinogen-α (FGA), and serum amyloid P component (SAP)-and were upregulated in the EGPA group, while cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) was downregulated in the EGPA group compared with the S-A group. Receiver operating characteristics analysis shows that, as biomarkers for early diagnosis of EGPA, the combination of SAA1, FGA, and SAP has an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.947, a sensitivity of 82.35%, and a specificity of 100%. The combination of SAA1, FGA, SAP, and CETP as biomarkers for differential diagnosis of asthma had an AUC of 0.921, a sensitivity of 78.13%, and a specificity of 100%, which were all larger than single markers. Moreover, SAA1, FGA, and SAP were positively and CETP was negatively correlated with eosinophil count. Conclusion: DIA-PRM combined analysis screened and validated four previously unexplored but potentially useful biomarkers for early diagnosis of EGPA and differential diagnosis of asthma.