Oxygen Vacancy Induced Strong Metal-Support Interactions on Ni/Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 Nanorod Catalysts for Promoting Steam Reforming of Toluene: Experimental and Computational Studies.

To develop an efficient Ni-based steam reforming catalyst for tar removal from the products of biomass gasification, Ni/Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 nanorods were designed. The Ni/Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 nanorod was used as a catalyst in steam reforming of toluene, which was regarded as a model compound of biomass gasification tar. At gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 24,000 h-1 and Ni loading of 5 wt %, the 5Ni/Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 nanorod catalyst achieved 100% of toluene conversion at 600 °C. After 10 h of operation, toluene conversion still reached 87.6%, and the carbon deposition rate was only 1.9 mg/gcat h-1. The experimental results demonstrated that the 5Ni/Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 nanorod catalyst showed much higher catalytic activity and coking resistance than other Ni-based catalysts reported in the literature. Through different characterization technologies and density functional theory calculations, it was confirmed that the excellent catalytic performance was attributed to the strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) between Ni and the {100} facet of Ce0.8Zr0.2O2. The special surface structure of {100} allowed Ni atoms to anchor to the surface oxygen vacancies and maintained its reduced state by electron transport between surface atoms. The anchored Ni facilitated oxygen vacancies formation and H2O dissociation on the support, while the support modulated the electronic structure of Ni, which promoted its ability to toluene activation.

Automatic vertebrae localization and segmentation in CT with a two-stage Dense-U-Net.

Automatic vertebrae localization and segmentation in computed tomography (CT) are fundamental for spinal image analysis and spine surgery with computer-assisted surgery systems. But they remain challenging due to high variation in spinal anatomy among patients. In this paper, we proposed a deep-learning approach for automatic CT vertebrae localization and segmentation with a two-stage Dense-U-Net. The first stage used a 2D-Dense-U-Net to localize vertebrae by detecting the vertebrae centroids with dense labels and 2D slices. The second stage segmented the specific vertebra within a region-of-interest identified based on the centroid using 3D-Dense-U-Net. Finally, each segmented vertebra was merged into a complete spine and resampled to original resolution. We evaluated our method on the dataset from the CSI 2014 Workshop with 6 metrics: location error (1.69 ± 0.78 mm), detection rate (100%) for vertebrae localization; the dice coefficient (0.953 ± 0.014), intersection over union (0.911 ± 0.025), Hausdorff distance (4.013 ± 2.128 mm), pixel accuracy (0.998 ± 0.001) for vertebrae segmentation. The experimental results demonstrated the efficiency of the proposed method. Furthermore, evaluation on the dataset from the xVertSeg challenge with location error (4.12 ± 2.31), detection rate (100%), dice coefficient (0.877 ± 0.035) shows the generalizability of our method. In summary, our solution localized the vertebrae successfully by detecting the centroids of vertebrae and implemented instance segmentation of vertebrae in the whole spine.

Depression and Anxiety-Free Life Expectancy by Sex and Urban-Rural Areas in Jiangxi, China in 2013 and 2018.

Objective: To quantitatively estimate life expectancy (LE) and depression and anxiety-free life expectancy (DAFLE) for the years 2013 and 2018 in Jiangxi Province, China, by sex and urban-rural areas. Additionally, to compare the discrepancy of DAFLE/LE of different sexes and urban-rural areas over various years. Methods: Based on the summary of the health statistics of Jiangxi Province in 2013 and 2018 and the results of the 5th and 6th National Health Service Surveys in Jiangxi Province, the model life table is used to estimate the age-specific mortality rate by sex and urban-rural areas. Sullivan's method was used to calculate DAFLE. Results: Data from 2013 indicate that those aged 15 can expect to live 56.20 years without depression and anxiety for men and 59.67 years without depression and anxiety for women. Compared to 2013, DAFLE had not fluctuated significantly in 2018. The proportion of life expectancy without depression and anxiety (DAFLE/LE) declined between 2013 and 2018. DAFLE/LE in urban areas was higher than in rural areas. Men had higher DAFLE/LE than women. From 2013 to 2018, the DAFLE aged 15 decreased by 0.18 years for urban men and decreased by 0.52 years for urban women, rural areas also decreased to varying degrees. Conclusions: Even if women had a longer life span than men, they would spend more time with depression or anxiety. DAFLE did not increase with the increase in LE from 2013 to 2018, suggesting an absolute expansion of the burden, especially in rural areas. Depression and anxiety health services in Jiangxi, China will face more serious obstacles and challenges, which may lead to more disability. This requires more attention and more effective measures from the public, medical departments and the government.

Study on the feasibility of using monolithic catalyst in the in-situ catalytic biomass pyrolysis for syngas production.

In-situ catalytic biomass pyrolysis for syngas production is a competitive technology for the recovery of energy in biomass. However, in conventional in-situ catalytic pyrolysis process, the mode of catalyst introduction makes it difficult to separate the catalyst from the char after pyrolysis, resulting in difficulty in catalyst recycling. We considered that the use of monolithic catalyst which has larger size than the biomass feedstock might solve the problem of the separation difficulty between the catalyst and char. In order to verify the feasibility of this strategy, NiO/γ-Al2O3 was respectively supported on ceramic honeycomb, metal foam, and metal wire mesh to produce three monolithic catalysts with different outer surface areas. Their catalytic performance for cattle manure pyrolysis was tested and the result revealed that compared with the granular NiO/γ-Al2O3, using monolithic catalysts with ceramic honeycomb, metal foam, and metal wire mesh carrier respectively increased the gas production by 37%, 33%, and 11%. The use of monolithic catalyst in in-situ catalytic biomass pyrolysis, not only simplified the separation process of catalyst and char, but also enhanced the catalysis performance.

A strategy of using recycled char as a co-catalyst in cyclic in-situ catalytic cattle manure pyrolysis for increasing gas production.

Cattle manure is a major livestock waste in agroecosystem, and in-situ catalytic pyrolysis is considered as a potential technology for its disposal. In order to increase the gas production during cattle manure pyrolysis and alleviate the problem of frequent regeneration-separation of the in-situ catalyst, a strategy of in-situ catalytic pyrolysis was proposed in this work, in which the pyrolytic char product was not separated from the pyrolysis catalyst of NiO/γ-Al2O3 but mixed with it and recycled for several times as the co-catalyst for cattle manure pyrolysis instead. Adopting this strategy, it was observed that the mixed-type catalyst could lead to 70% increase in gas production and 82% promotion in syngas energy conversion rate compared with the circumstance of no catalyst added. Through different means of characterization, it was found that there are synergistic effects between char and NiO/γ-Al2O3, which enhance the catalytic performance of catalyst. On one hand, during the pyrolysis process, char can translate NiO into Ni that has higher cracking activity through in-situ reduction. On the other hand, due to its rich porous texture and large pore volume, char can act as an additional adsorbent for the reactants. Based on the experimental results of this work, the proposed strategy of cyclic in-situ catalysis with the recycled char as the co-catalyst can be a promising scheme in the practical biomass pyrolysis process for gas production.

Study on the Utilization of Inpatient Services for Middle-Aged and Elderly Rural Females in Less Developed Regions of China.

The aim of this study is to understand the utilization of inpatient services and its contributing factors among middle-aged and elderly females (MAEF) in less developed rural regions. Five surveys were conducted between 2006 and 2014 with rural residents of Jiangxi by stratified cluster random sampling. Participant females included only those who were aged 45 and above. Complex sampling logistics analysis was performed to analyze the effect of three factors on inpatient service. Complex sampling logistics regression analysis revealed that the probability of hospitalization for the divorced or widowed females was significantly lower than that of married ones (aOR = 0.177, p < 0.05). However, the probability of early discharge was significantly higher among divorced or widowed females than married ones (aOR = 3.237, p < 0.05). In addition, females with chronic diseases were more likely to be hospitalized (aOR = 3.682, p < 0.05). Also, early discharge (aOR = 7.689, p < 0.05) occurred among the participants who should be hospitalized but were not hospitalized occurred (aOR = 3.258, p < 0.05). The continuous improvement of the new rural cooperative medical policy has promoted the utilization of inpatient services for the MAEF. Findings from this study emphasize the need to strengthen the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases among middle-aged and elderly women.

Cap-Assisted Endoscopic Sclerotherapy vs Ligation in the Long-Term Management of Medium Esophageal Varices: A Randomized Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Compared with endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL), cap-assisted endoscopic sclerotherapy (CAES) improves efficacy in the treatment of small esophageal varices (EVs) but has not been evaluated in the management of medium EVs. The aim of this study was to compare CAES with EVL in the long-term management of patients exhibiting cirrhosis with medium EVs and a history of esophageal variceal bleeding (EVB), with respect to variceal eradication and recurrence, adverse events, rebleeding, and survival. METHODS: Cirrhotic patients with medium EVs and a history of EVB were divided randomly into EVL and CAES groups. EVL or CAES was repeated each month until variceal eradication. Lauromacrogol was used as a sclerosant. Patients were followed up until 1 year after eradication. RESULTS: In total, 240 patients (age: 51.1 ± 10.0 years; men: 70.8%) were included and randomized to the EVL and CAES groups. The recurrence rate of EVs was much lower in the CAES group than in the EVL group (13.0% vs 30.7%, P = 0.001). The predictors for variceal recurrence were eradication by EVL (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.37, P = 0.04), achievement of complete eradication (HR: 0.27, P < 0.001), and nonselective ß-blocker response (HR: 0.32, P = 0.003). There was no significant difference in the rates of eradication, rebleeding, requirement for alternative therapy, and mortality or the incidence of complications between groups. DISCUSSION: CAES reduces the recurrence rate of EVs with comparable safety to that of EVL in the long-term management of patients presenting cirrhosis with medium EVs and a history of EVB.

A 5-gene prognostic nomogram predicting survival probability of glioblastoma patients.

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma (GBM) remains the most biologically aggressive subtype of gliomas with an average survival of 10 to 12 months. Considering that the overall survival (OS) of each GBM patient is a key factor in the treatment of individuals, it is meaningful to predict the survival probability for GBM patients newly diagnosed in clinical practice. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Using the TCGA dataset and two independent GEO datasets, we identified genes that are associated with the OS and differentially expressed between GBM tissues and the adjacent normal tissues. A robust likelihood-based survival modeling approach was applied to select the best genes for modeling. After the prognostic nomogram was generated, an independent dataset on different platform was used to evaluate its effectiveness. RESULTS: We identified 168 differentially expressed genes associated with the OS. Five of these genes were selected to generate a gene prognostic nomogram. The external validation demonstrated that 5-gene prognostic nomogram has the capability of predicting the OS of GBM patients. CONCLUSION: We developed a novel and convenient prognostic tool based on five genes that exhibited clinical value in predicting the survival probability for newly diagnosed GBM patients, and all of these five genes could represent potential target genes for the treatment of GBM. The development of this model will provide a good reference for cancer researchers.

Antibiotic resistance and CYP2C19 polymorphisms affect the efficacy of concomitant therapies for Helicobacter pylori infection: an open-label, randomized, single-centre clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluate the efficacy of concomitant therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection and the associated factors that influence it in China, where it has not previously been investigated. METHODS: In this prospective study, 374 consecutive patients with H. pylori infection were randomly assigned to 10 day regimens of concomitant therapy with different proton pump inhibitors: esomeprazole (20 mg)/omeprazole (20 mg), amoxicillin (1000 mg), clarithromycin (500 mg) and metronidazole (400 mg). All drugs were administered twice daily. A [(13)C]urea breath test was performed at least 4 weeks after the completion of treatment. Gene polymorphisms and antimicrobial susceptibility were determined. RESULTS: A total of 374 patients with active, uncomplicated duodenal ulcer disease were enrolled in the study (187 cases in each group). The overall eradication rate resulting from concomitant therapy was 90.7% (PP) and 86.1% (ITT) and the eradication rate was significantly higher in the group that received an esomeprazole-based regimen compared with the group that received an omeprazole-based regimen [95.4% versus 86.0%, respectively, P = 0.003 (PP) and 89.8% versus 82.4%, P = 0.036 (ITT), respectively]. Moreover, the omeprazole-based regimen was an independent risk factor for treatment failure (P = 0.039), as were CYP2C19 extensive metabolizer (P = 0.005), clarithromycin (P = 0.000) and metronidazole resistance (P = 0.000). In addition, CYP2C19 polymorphisms and antibiotic resistance had a synergistic effect on eradication rates. The majority of side effects were mild and none was serious. CONCLUSIONS: The 10 day concomitant therapy yielded an eradication rate of nearly 90%. Antibiotic resistance, CYP2C19 polymorphisms and their interactions were closely associated with regimen efficacy.

Hydrothermal liquefaction of Chlorella pyrenoidosa for bio-oil production over Ce/HZSM-5.

This paper investigated a novel hydrothermal liquefaction process of Chlorella pyrenoidosa catalyzed by Ce/HZSM-5. The chemical groups and components of the residues of C. pyrenoidosa were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer. The crystal structure and micro surface topography of C. pyrenoidosa before and after catalytic liquefaction were characterized by X-ray diffraction and Scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The experimental results showed that the catalytic cracking effects of Ce/HZSM-5 were superior to that of HZSM-5 as a liquefaction catalyst of C. pyrenoidosa. Compared with HZSM-5, Ce/HZSM-5 has a significantly enhanced Lewis acid active center, smaller particle size, larger specific surface, and highly dispersed Ce4O7 with trivalent and tetravalent cerium in the zeolite skeleton channel that accelerate the catalytic liquefaction of C. pyrenoidosa. The rare earth modified zeolite Ce/HZSM-5 exhibits good potential and a beneficial nature for the preparation of bio-oil from microalgae with high efficiency.

Size ratio: a morphological factor predictive of the rupture of cerebral aneurysm?

BACKGROUND: Determining factors predictive of the natural risk of rupture of cerebral aneurysms is difficult. We studied morphological factors associated with rupture in a study model of patients with mirror location intracranial aneurysms, one aneurysm that had ruptured and one that had not, each patient served as their own control attempting to eliminate confounding variables. METHODS: We collected five one-dimensional measurements and four two-dimensional indices from three-dimensional rotational digital subtraction angiography images of patients in the proposed study model and explored their correlation with aneurysm rupture. Parameters were analyzed with a paired Student's t test for significance and significant parameters were further examined by multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients with 52 pairs of intracranial aneurysms in a mirror location were studied. The maximum perpendicular height, neck diameter, maximum width, maximum height, aspect ratio, size ratio, and bottleneck factor were significantly associated with ruptured aneurysms on bivariate analysis. A logistic regression analysis showed that only size ratio, which was defined as the ratio of the maximal height to parent artery average diameter, is independently correlated with ruptured intracranial aneurysms. CONCLUSIONS: In a case-control study of patients with mirror location intracranial aneurysms, size ratio was identified as the unique morphological factor associate with the rupture of cerebral aneurysms.