Study on the Enhancement Effect of Synergy between Multi-Size Functionalized Boron Nitride and Graphene Oxide on the Thermal Properties of Phase Change Composites.

Boron nitride nanosheet (BNNS) and graphene oxide (GO) as a single filler can effectively improve the thermal conductivity of the composites, and the synergistic mechanism of BNNS and GO was investigated in this paper. In this study, BNNS was first surface-functionalized and the multi-sized (50 nm, 200 nm, 500 nm) modified BNNS (A-BN) were attached to GO through non-covalent bonding interactions to form a cross-linked structure. Then, A-BN and GO were used as thermal fillers and support material adsorption eutectic phase change materials (PCMs) to prepare composite phase change material (CPCM). Characterization results show that small-size A-BN was more likely to form dense thermal networks with good compatibility and interface connectivity between PCMs, A-BN, and GO, ensuring that PCMs can be stored in the network without leaking. When the size of the BNNS was greater than 200 nm, the advantage of thermal conductivity obtained by A-BN was no longer obvious, and the phase change behavior of CPCM was inhibited. In general, the prepared CPCM has the ideal thermal response and thermal stability, which is very suitable for energy storage and thermal management applications.

Reticular Synthesis of Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Frameworks and Their Derivatives via Mechanochemistry.

Rational synthesis of hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) with predicted structure has been a long-term challenge. Herein, by using the efficient, simple, low-cost, and scalable mechanosynthesis, we demonstrate that reticular chemistry is applicable to HOF assemblies based on building blocks with different geometry, connectivity, and functionality. The obtained crystalline HOFs show uniform nano-sized morphology, which is challenging or unachievable for conventional solution-based methods. Furthermore, the one-pot mechanosynthesis generated a series of Pd@HOF composites with noticeably different CO oxidation activities. In situ DRIFTS studies indicate that the most efficient composite, counterintuitively, shows the weakest CO affinity to Pd sites while the strongest CO affinity to HOF matrix, revealing the vital role of porous matrix to the catalytic performance. This work paves a new avenue for rational synthesis of HOF and HOF-based composites for broad application potential.

The application of sonography in shoulder pain evaluation and injection treatment after stroke: a systematic review.

[Purpose] This review article is designed to expose the application of sonography in shoulder pain after stroke. [Methods] A range of databases was searched to identify articles that address sonography examination, with or without ultrasound guided corticosteroid injection for hemiplegic shoulder pain (HSP). The electronic databases of PubMed, CENTRAL, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Medline were searched. [Results] According to the articles identified in our databases research, sonographic technique has potential to provide objective measurements in patients with HSP. The main sonography finding of HSP included subacromial subdeltoid (SASD) bursal effusion, tendinosis of the supraspinatus and subscapularis tendon, long head of biceps tendon sheath effusion, and shoulder subluxation. Our analysis also revealed significantly decreased pain score (VAS) and increased passive external rotation degree in the steroid injection group than control group. [Conclusion] The sonography examination is useful for HSP assessment and ultrasound guided technique is recommended for HSP injection treatment.

Leptin promotes proliferation of human undifferentiated spermatogonia by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

BACKGROUND: Male infertility is a common disease affecting male reproductive health. Leptin is an important hormone that regulates various physiological processes, including reproductive function. However, few experimental studies have been carried out to elucidate the mechanism of leptin's effects on male reproductive function. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of leptin on testicular spermatogenesis and its mechanism, so as to provide potential targets for the treatment of patients with spermatogenic dysfunction. METHODS: Testicular tissues were collected from eight prostate cancer patients undergoing surgical castration. GPR125-positive spermatogonia were isolated by two consecutive magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS), followed by incubation with conditioned medium. To identify the signaling pathway(s) involved in the effects of leptin, undifferentiated spermatogonia were treated with different concentrations of leptin and antagonists of leptin-related pathways. The proliferative effect of leptin was evaluated by cell counting using a hemocytometer. Expressions of p-AKT, p-ERK, p-STAT, and p-S6K were determined by western blotting analysis. RESULTS: Leptin promoted the growth of human GPR125-positive spermatogonia in a concentration-dependent manner. The most significant proliferative effect was observed using 100 ng/mL leptin after 6 days of culture. Leptin significantly increased the phosphorylation of STAT3, AKT, and ERK in undifferentiated spermatogonia. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002 inhibited the leptin-induced activation of AKT, ERK, and downstream S6K. Treatment with the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor rapamycin also inhibited S6K phosphorylation. Moreover, both LY294002 and rapamycin were found to inhibit the leptin-induced proliferation of undifferentiated spermatogonia. These results suggested that the leptin-induced proliferation of GPR125-positive spermatogonia was dependent on the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Further exploration of proliferation and apoptotic markers suggested that leptin may alleviate cell apoptosis by regulating the expression of Bax and FasL. CONCLUSIONS: A certain concentration of leptin (25∼100 ng/mL) could promote proliferation of undifferentiated spermatogonia, which was mediated by PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Application of three-dimensional reconstruction of renal tumor vessels to guide laparoscopic partial nephrectomy of hilar tumors and non-hilar tumors under zero ischemia.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the safety and efficacy of three-dimensional reconstruction of renal tumor vessels to guide laparoscopic partial nephrectomy of hilar tumors and non-hilar tumors under zero ischemia. METHODS: The clinical data of 82 patients with renal cancer who underwent zero ischemia retroperitoneal laparoscopic partial nephrectomy in the department of urology of our hospital from January 2018 to January 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into hilar group and non-hilar group. The clinical data of all patients were statistically analyzed by t-test or χ2. RESULTS: There was no significantly difference in gender, age, tumor diameter and pathological stage between hilar and non-hilar tumor group. Most of the target vessels in the hilar tumor group were single targets, while most of the target vessels in the non-hilar tumor group were multiple targets (P<0.05). There was no significantly difference between the groups for mean operative time and length of stay. But hilar tumor group had significantly longer operation time (109.3 ± 9.2 vs. 90.3 ± 9.5 min, p<0.001). There was no significant difference in renal GFR and serum creatinine between the two groups. Hilar tumor group had no significantly difference of change of creatinine and GFR at post-operative 6 and 12 months as compared with non-hilar tumor group. There were no bleeding, urinary leakage, infection and other related complications in the two groups after 1 month follow-up. After 12 months of follow-up, there was no tumor recurrence and metastasis in the two groups. CONCLUSION: The application of three-dimensional renal tumor vascular reconstruction technology can better realize laparoscopic zero ischemia nephron sparing surgery. The target vessels of patients with hilar, single and early renal cancer are easier to find, which is more suitable for three-dimensional renal tumor vascular reconstruction technology to implement laparoscopic zero ischemia nephron sparing surgery.

Event-Triggered Adaptive Finite-Time Control Using a Fuzzy State Observer for Nonlinear Cyber-Physical Systems Under Deception Attacks.

This article presents a new event-triggered adaptive finite-time control strategy using a fuzzy state observer for a class of nonlinear cyber-physical systems (CPSs) under malicious deception attacks with a more general form. Compared with the traditional assumptions on the deception attacks in the existing results, a more general assumption on deception attacks is given in this article. During the design process, real system states are initially estimated by developing an improved state observer, which effectively addresses the problem of state unavailability. Then, a coordinate transformation technology, in which the estimated states of observer are considered, is presented to stabilize the studied system. By constructing the singularity-free finite time virtual controls, the singularity problem in the traditional finite time design algorithms is cleverly avoided. Furthermore, to minimize communication overhead, a final finite-time controller is established by using a relative threshold event-triggered scheme. The developed event-triggered adaptive finite-time control strategy guarantees that all signals in the closed-loop system are semi-globally bounded in finite time without Zeno behavior. Finally, the correctness of the proposed control strategy is validated through two simulation results.

The role of CO2 in the genesis of Dabie-type porphyry molybdenum deposits.

Porphyry-type molybdenum deposits, many of which are in China, supply most of the World's molybdenum. Of particular importance are the molybdenum deposits located in the Qinling-Dabie region that are responsible for more than half of China's molybdenum production. A feature that distinguishes this suite of deposits from the better-known Climax and Endako sub-types of porphyry molybdenum deposits is their formation from CO2-rich magmatic-hydrothermal fluids. The role of CO2, if any, in the transport of molybdenum by these fluids, however, is poorly understood. We conducted experiments on the partitioning of molybdenum between H2O-CO2, H2O-NaCl, and H2O-NaCl-CO2 fluids and a felsic melt at 850 °C and 100 and 200 MPa. Here we show that the exsolution of separate (immiscible) brine and vapor leads to the very high brine DMo values needed for efficient extraction of Mo from the magmas forming Dabie-type porphyry molybdenum deposits.

Modified Sling Midurethral Suspension+Hemolock Fixation Technique for Male Urinary Incontinence: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the feasibility of a modified midurethral sling+hemolock fixation technique for treating male urinary incontinence. This study aims to provide a preliminary assessment of the short-term clinical efficacy of this technique. METHODS: We collected the clinical data of patients treated with modified sling midurethral suspension+ hemolock fixation technique. The primary evaluation criteria were surgery-related indicators and daily urinal pad usage by patients before and after treatment, and the secondary evaluation criteria were the corresponding incontinence scores and the results of surgery-related questionnaires. RESULTS: Follow-up 1-7months, eight patients achieved a clinical cure. Follow-up 1month after surgery showed that two patients (25.0%) used one pad daily and six patients (75.0%) did not need pads. The incontinence quality of life questionnaire (I-QOL) scores were (86.0 ± 7.0) and (89.0 ± 3.0) at three postoperative days and one postoperative month, respectively, which were significantly higher than the preoperative scores (26.0 ± 6.0) (P <.05). The scores of the International Continence Control Association Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form (ICI-Q-SF) at three postoperative days and one postoperative month were (4.0 ± 2.0) and (4.0 ± 1.0), respectively, which were significantly lower than the preoperative scores of (18.0 ± 1.0) (P <.05). Besides, the results of the surgery-related questionnaires were positive. CONCLUSION: The short-term efficacy of the modified sling midurethral suspension+ hemolock fixation technique for the treatment of male urinary incontinence patients is safe, effective, minimally invasive, and has few complications. However, further validation in large samples, randomized, comparative, and longer-term follow-up studies is still needed.

Performance Test and Thermal Insulation Effect Analysis of Basalt-Fiber Concrete.

This paper examines the feasibility of applying inorganic thermal-insulating concrete in high geothermal roadways in underground coal mines. This innovative material is based on a mixture of ceramsite, glazed hollow beads, cement, and natural sand, enhanced with varying degrees of basalt fibers. Fibers were used as a partial substitute in the mixture, in the following volumes: 0% (reference specimen), 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%. Their compressive strength, permeability resistance, and thermal conductivity were studied. A high content of fibers tends to entangle into clumps during mixing, resulting in a significant reduction in the mechanical properties of compressive strength. The appropriate amount of fiber content can improve impermeability, and the permeability height of 5% fiber concrete was reduced by 22.5%. Experiments on thermal behavior showed that an increase of basalt fibers leads to a significant reduction in thermal conductivity. For concrete containing 20% fiber, the thermal conductivity for the reference specimen (0%) in the wet state was reduced from 0.385 W/(m∙°C) to 0.098 W/(m∙°C). There was a slight increase in thermal conductivity when the temperature increased from 30 °C to 60 °C. Despite the reduced mechanical strength, the resulting concrete is well-suited for use in the insulation of underground roadways, as numerical simulations showed that insulating concrete with optimal fiber content (15%) can reduce the average temperature of the wind flow in a high ground temperature roadway of 100 m in length in a mine by 0.3 °C. The final cost-benefit analysis showed that insulating concrete has more economic benefits and broad development prospects when applied to high geothermal roadway cooling projects.

A Low-Temperature Phase Change Material Based on Capric-Stearic Acid/Expanded Graphite for Thermal Energy Storage.

In this study, a capric acid (CA)-stearic acid (SA)/expanded graphite (EG) composite phase change material (PCM) was prepared, and the optimum mass ratio of CA-SA is 0.84:0.16. The composite PCM was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction. It can be concluded that the CA-SA mixture was found to possess good compatibility with EG, the thermal conductivity of the CA-SA/10 wt % EG composite PCM was 3.28 times higher than that of the CA-SA mixture, and the PCM thermal stability was satisfactory; no leakage occurred in the CA-SA/10 wt % EG composite PCM. The PCM has good thermal reliability after 500 thermal cycles. Finally, it is shown that the CA-SA/10 wt % EG composite PCM showed excellent performance, and therefore, it can be used for low-temperature thermal energy storage.

Correction to "Study of Capric-Palmitic Acid/Clay Minerals as Form-Stable Composite Phase-Change Materials for Thermal Energy Storage".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c03344.].

Study of Capric-Palmitic Acid/Clay Minerals as Form-Stable Composite Phase-Change Materials for Thermal Energy Storage.

As an important method to effectively improve energy efficiency, the study of thermal energy storage is particularly important. In this study, six types of clay mineral-based form-stable phase-change materials (FSPCMs) were prepared by the vacuum adsorption method. The adsorption capacity of vermiculite and diatomite was satisfactory, and sepiolite showed the worst adsorption capacity. Clay minerals can delay the thermal decomposition rate of capric-palmitic acid (CA-PA), and the specific surface area and pore capacity of clay minerals all decrease dramatically after the clay minerals have absorbed CA-PA. FSPCMs exhibited a higher heat storage and release efficiency and reflects a certain temperature control performance. In addition, only physical adsorption between the CA-PA and the clay material occurred, and no chemical reaction occurred. Finally, FSPCMs still have high latent heat of phase transition, and they can be used for low-temperature thermal energy storage.

Performance of Heat-Insulating Materials Doped with Basalt Fibres for Use in Mines.

To solve high-temperature-induced hazards in mines, heat-insulating materials were prepared by utilising basalt fibres and high-strength ceramsite combined with cementing materials. Through orthogonal tests and data analyses, the optimal combination of the heat-insulating materials doped with basalt fibres was determined as A1B1C1, that is, doping with 45% basalt fibres, a length of the basalt fibres of 6 mm, and doping with 20% ceramsite. The performance indices corresponding to the optimal comprehensive combination of the heat-insulating materials doped with basalt fibres included a density of 1200 kg/m3, thermal conductivity of 0.151 W/(mK), compressive strength of 9.7 MPa, flexural strength of 3.6 MPa, and a water-seepage depth of 25.4 mm. Numerical simulations verified that the materials presented favourable thermal insulation performance.

Chronic epididymitis and leptin and their associations with semen characteristics in men with infertility.

PROBLEM: The aim of this study was to ascertain the associations between serum leptin levels and chronic epididymitis and semen parameters in patients with infertility. METHOD OF STUDY: A total of 846 patients who were diagnosed as primary infertility were enrolled and divided into four groups. The general information, blood lipids, reproductive hormones, and semen parameters were collected. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of leptin were plotted for diagnosis of the poor sperm quality. We used Student's t test and the chi-squared test to analyze their relationships and used logistic regression analysis to evaluate potential confounding factors. RESULTS: Receiver operating characteristic curve revealed that leptin had better sensitivity and specificity at the concentration of 6.02 (0.565 and 0.917). Isolated epididymitis or elevated leptin had no effect on sperm concentration and sperm membrane function, but the combination of these conditions would reduce the concentration and normal morphology rate both (P = 0.002, P = 0.005). Epididymitis or elevated leptin can affect the motility of sperms, the former presented more significance (P = 0.000), and the co-existence would further reduce the sperm motility (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Low sperm motility and sperm normal morphology were found to be associated with chronic epididymitis and high leptin. Simultaneously suffering from chronic epididymitis and high leptin could produce a more serious effect on sperm quality.

Analysis of influencing factors of female androgenetic alopecia in young women / 重庆医学

Objective To explore the related influencing factors of androgenic alopecia(AGA)in young women(FAGA).Methods A total of 296 cases of FAGA initially diagnosed in the dermatology clinic of this hospital from January 2022 to January 2023 were selected as the observation group,and 296 young women without suffering from FAGA in the physical examination of this hospital at the same time were selected as the control group.The clinical data were compared between the two groups and the influencing factors causing FAGA in young women were analyzed.Results The familial inheritance history,often staying up,sleep disor-der,like to eat high carbohydrate food,like to eat high fat food,high mental stress,going on a diet,irregular menstruation,childbearing history and complicating other diseases had statistical differences between the two groups(P＜0.05).The multivariate logistic regression analysis results showed that the familial inheritance history,often staying up,sleep disorder,like to eat high carbohydrate food,like to eat high fat food,high men-tal stress,going on a diet,irregular menstruation,childbearing history and complicating other diseases were the independent risk factors leading to FAGA(P＜0.05).Conclusion It is necessary to do a good job in the complicating disease screening of young female hair loss groups and pay attention to the related risk factors.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of safety and efficacy of combined praziquantel and artemether treatment for acute schistosomiasis japonica in China.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of combining artemether (AM) and praziquantel (PZQ) in different regimens for treating acute schistosomiasis japonica. METHODS: We undertook a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial within four specialized schistosomiasis hospitals in the Dongting Lake region, Hunan province, China, between May 2003 and December 2005. Study participants were randomized into one of four treatment regimes: group A received 60 mg/kg PZQ + 6 mg/kg AM; group B received 60 mg/kg PZQ + AM placebo; group C received 120 mg/kg PZQ + 6 mg/kg AM; and group D received 120 mg/kg PZQ + AM placebo. All participants were followed up over a 45-day period. The primary endpoint of the trial was human infection status (determined by positive stool examination). Secondary endpoints involved clinical observations and blood biochemistry, including monitoring haemoglobin and alanine aminotransferase levels over time. FINDINGS: Treatment efficacies of the four different treatment regimens were 98.0%, 96.4%, 97.7% and 95.7% for group A, B, C, and D respectively (P > 0.05). The group B had a greater treatment efficacy (96.4%) than the group D (95.7%) (P > 0.05). Group A treatment was better for clearance of fever (P < 0.05) and resulted in a shorter hospitalization time (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This is the first report of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial for evaluating combined chemotherapy with AM and two different dosages (60 mg/kg and 120 mg/kg) of PZQ in the treatment of acute schistosomiasis japonica in China. The combination of AM and PZQ chemotherapy did not improve treatment efficacy compared with PZQ alone. PZQ given as a dosage of 60 mg/kg (1 day, 3 x 20 mg/kg doses at 4-5 hour intervals) may be as effective as a dosage of 120 mg/kg (6 days, 20 mg/kg for each day split into 3 doses at 4-5 hour intervals).

Seasonal variation and correlation with environmental factors of photosynthesis and water use efficiency of Juglans regia and Ziziphus jujuba.

Both the photosynthetic light curves and CO(2) curves of Juglans regia L. and Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa in three seasons were measured using a LI-6400 portable photosynthesis system. The maximal net photosynthetic rate (A(max)), apparent quantum efficiency(phi), maximal carboxylation rate (V(cmax)) and water use efficiency (WUE) of the two species were calculated based on the curves. The results showed that A(max) of J. regia reached its maximum at the late-season, while the highest values of A(max) of Z. jujuba occurred at the mid-season. The A(max) of J. regia was more affected by relative humidity (RH) of the atmosphere, while that of Z. jujuba was more affected by the air temperature. Light saturation point (LSP) and Light compensation point (LCP) of J. regia had a higher correlation with RH of the atmosphere, those of Z. jujuba, however, had a higher correlation with air temperature. V(cmax) of both J. regia and Z. jujuba had negative correlation with RH of the atmosphere. WUE of J. regia would decrease with the rise of the air temperature while that of Z. jujuba increased. Thus it could be seen that RH, temperature and soil moisture had main effect on photosynthesis and WUE of J. regia and Z. jujuba. Incorporating data on the physiological differences among tree species into forest carbon models will greatly improve our ability to predict alterations to the forest carbon budgets under various environmental scenarios such as global climate change, or with differing species composition.