Changes of Functional Brain Network in Neonates with Different Degrees of Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy.

Background: Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is the main cause of neonatal death and disability worldwide. At present, there are few researches on the application of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to explore the brain development of HIE children. This study aimed to explore the changes of brain function in neonates with different degrees of HIE using rs-fMRI. Methods: From February 2018 to May 2020, 44 patients with HIE were recruited, including 21 mild patients and 23 moderate and severe patients. The recruited patients were scanned by conventional and functional magnetic resonance image, and the method of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation and connecting edge analysis of brain network was used. Results: Compared with the mild group, the connections between the right supplementary motor area and the right precentral gyrus, the right lingual gyrus and the right hippocampus, the left calcarine cortex and the right amygdala, and the right pallidus and the right posterior cingulate cortex in the moderate and severe groups were reduced (t values were 4.04, 4.04, 4.04, 4.07, all p < 0.001, uncorrected). Conclusion: By analyzing the functional connection changes of brain network in infants with different degrees of HIE, the findings of the current study suggested that neonates with moderate to severe HIE lag behind those with mild HIE in emotional processing, sensory movement, cognitive function, and learning and memory. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry registration number: ChiCTR1800016409.

Mechanical and Hydration Characteristics of Stabilized Gold Mine Tailings Using a Sustainable Industrial Waste-Based Binder.

Sustainable resource utilization of tailings is a long-term challenge. Therefore, a novel waste-based binder is proposed in this study to stabilize/solidify gold mine tailings (GMTs). This binder is composed of fly ash (FA), ground blast furnace slag (GBFS), and metakaolin (MK) activated with mixed calcium carbide residue (CCR) as well as pure reagent grade chemical, sodium hydroxide (SH, NaOH), and plaster gypsum (PG, CaSO4·2H2O). The mechanical properties and hydration of stabilized tailings with curing period were investigated. Tests included triaxial compression test and nitrogen adsorption to evaluate the strength of the stabilized tailings and microstructure. The results show that the addition of the waste-based binder yields significant improvement in shear strength. Strain softening occurred for all cured samples, and a local shear band can be observed in all failed stabilized samples. Based on the relationship between strength and curing period, it can be speculated that the hydration reaction of the sample ends after around 40 days of curing. A bimodal pore-size distribution was observed in all solidified/stabilized samples. FTIR and 27Al MAS-NMR were used to analyze hydration products. The strength improvement of stabilized tailings was mainly attributed to the formation of ettringite and C-S-H gels after various polymerization reactions. These new hydrates bind tailings particles and fill the pores to form a more stable structure, which supplied superior mechanical properties. This paper can provide a theoretical basis for exploring the application of the industrial waste-based binder to modify the mechanical properties of gold tailings.

Advantages of 3PLs as healthcare supply chain orchestrators.

Given the expansion of the COVID-19 cases and the average infection rate globally, constructing a robust healthcare supply chain system for the crisis is highly crucial. The third-party logistics providers (3PLs), who can match the market demand with reliable manufacturers worldwide, have emerged as orchestrators. In addition to the basic transportation and storage services, some 3PLs can also provide procurement assistance to relatively small retailers. To illustrate the value of the above-mentioned business model, we build a game-theoretic model to capture participants' optimal strategy in a healthcare supply chain consisting of a manufacturer, a 3PL provider, and a retailer. We also investigate the conditions where the performance in this business model outperforms the traditional model. It is concluded that the 3PL's positive effect appears when the decentralized supply chain is characterized by high logistics outsourcing costs and high-level price sensitivity. We further design an incentive mechanism that can coordinate the supply chain. Finally, a series of numerical experiments are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of our model.

Resting-state network complexity and magnitude changes in neonates with severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging has revealed disrupted brain network connectivity in adults and teenagers with cerebral palsy. However, the specific brain networks implicated in neonatal cases remain poorly understood. In this study, we recruited 14 term-born infants with mild hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and 14 term-born infants with severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy from Changzhou Children's Hospital, China. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data showed efficient small-world organization in whole-brain networks in both the mild and severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy groups. However, compared with the mild hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy group, the severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy group exhibited decreased local efficiency and a low clustering coefficient. The distribution of hub regions in the functional networks had fewer nodes in the severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy group compared with the mild hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy group. Moreover, nodal efficiency was reduced in the left rolandic operculum, left supramarginal gyrus, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, and right middle temporal gyrus. These results suggest that the topological structure of the resting state functional network in children with severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy is clearly distinct from that in children with mild hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, and may be associated with impaired language, motion, and cognition. These data indicate that it may be possible to make early predictions regarding brain development in children with severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, enabling early interventions targeting brain function. This study was approved by the Regional Ethics Review Boards of the Changzhou Children's Hospital (approval No. 2013-001) on January 31, 2013. Informed consent was obtained from the family members of the children. The trial was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: ChiCTR1800016409) and the protocol version is 1.0.