RuO2 Catalysts for Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution in Acidic Media: Mechanism, Activity Promotion Strategy and Research Progress.

Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis (PEMWE) under acidic conditions outperforms alkaline water electrolysis in terms of less resistance loss, higher current density, and higher produced hydrogen purity, which make it more economical in long-term applications. However, the efficiency of PEMWE is severely limited by the slow kinetics of anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER), poor catalyst stability, and high cost. Therefore, researchers in the past decade have made great efforts to explore cheap, efficient, and stable electrode materials. Among them, the RuO2 electrocatalyst has been proved to be a major promising alternative to Ir-based catalysts and the most promising OER catalyst owing to its excellent electrocatalytic activity and high pH adaptability. In this review, we elaborate two reaction mechanisms of OER (lattice oxygen mechanism and adsorbate evolution mechanism), comprehensively summarize and discuss the recently reported RuO2-based OER electrocatalysts under acidic conditions, and propose many advanced modification strategies to further improve the activity and stability of RuO2-based electrocatalytic OER. Finally, we provide suggestions for overcoming the challenges faced by RuO2 electrocatalysts in practical applications and make prospects for future research. This review provides perspectives and guidance for the rational design of highly active and stable acidic OER electrocatalysts based on PEMWE.

Rational targeting of autophagy in colorectal cancer therapy: From molecular interactions to pharmacological compounds.

The abnormal progression of tumors has been a problem for treatment of cancer and therapeutic should be directed towards targeting main mechanisms involved in tumorigenesis in tumors. The genomic mutations can result in changes in biological mechanisms in human cancers. Colorectal cancer is one of the most malignant tumors of gastrointestinal tract and its treatment has been faced some difficulties due to development of resistance in tumor cells and also, their malignant behavior. Hence, new therapeutic modalities for colorectal cancer are being investigated. Autophagy is a "self-digestion" mechanism that is responsible for homeostasis preserving in cells and its aberrant activation/inhibition can lead to tumorigenesis. The current review focuses on the role of autophagy mechanism in colorectal cancer. Autophagy may be associated with increase/decrease in progression of colorectal cancer due to mutual function of this molecular mechanism. Pro-survival autophagy inhibits apoptosis to increase proliferation and survival rate of colorectal tumor cells and it is also involved in cancer metastasis maybe due to EMT induction. In contrast, pro-death autophagy decreases growth and invasion of colorectal tumor cells. The status of autophagy (upregulation and down-regulation) is a determining factor for therapy response in colorectal tumor cells. Therefore, targeting autophagy can increase sensitivity of colorectal tumor cells to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Interestingly, nanoparticles can be employed for targeting autophagy in cancer therapy and they can both induce/suppress autophagy in tumor cells. Furthermore, autophagy modulators can be embedded in nanostructures in improving tumor suppression and providing cancer immunotherapy.

Anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion versus posterior laminoplasty for the treatment of oppressive myelopathy owing to cervical ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research is to compare the clinical efficacy, postoperative complication and surgical trauma between anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion versus posterior laminoplasty for the treatment of oppressive myelopathy owing to cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: An comprehensive search of literature was implemented in three electronic databases (Embase, Pubmed, and the Cochrane library). Randomized or non-randomized controlled studies published since January 1990 to July 2017 that compared anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF) versus posterior laminoplasty (LAMP) for the treatment of cervical oppressive myelopathy owing to OPLL were acquired. Exclusion criteria were non-human studies, non-controlled studies, combined anterior and posterior operative approach, the other anterior or posterior approaches involving cervical discectomy and fusion and laminectomy with (or without) instrumented fusion, revision surgeries, and cervical myelopathy caused by cervical spondylotic myelopathy. The quality of the included articles was evaluated according to GRADE. The main outcome measures included: preoperative and postoperative Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score; neuro-functional recovery rate; complication rate; reoperation rate; preoperative and postoperative C2-C7 Cobb angle; operation time and intraoperative blood loss; and subgroup analysis was performed according to the mean preoperative canal occupying ratio (Subgroup A:the mean preoperative canal occupying ratio < 60%, and Subgroup B:the mean preoperative canal occupying ratio ≥ 60%). RESULTS: A total of 10 studies containing 735 patients were included in this meta-analysis. And all of the selected studies were non-randomized controlled trials with relatively low quality as assessed by GRADE. The results revealed that there was no obvious statistical difference in preoperative JOA score between the ACCF and LAMP groups in both subgroups. Also, in subgroup A (the mean preoperative canal occupying ratio < 60%), no obvious statistical difference was observed in the postoperative JOA score and neurofunctional recovery rate between the ACCF and LAMP groups. But, in subgroup B (the mean preoperative canal occupying ratio ≥ 60%), the ACCF group illustrated obviously higher postoperative JOA score and neurofunctional recovery rate than the LAMP group (P < 0.01, WMD 1.89 [1.50, 2.28] and P < 0.01, WMD 24.40 [20.10, 28.70], respectively). Moreover, the incidence of both complication and reoperation was markedly higher in the ACCF group compared with LAMP group (P < 0.05, OR 1.76 [1.05, 2.97] and P < 0.05, OR 4.63 [1.86, 11.52], respectively). In addition, the preoperative cervical C2-C7 Cobb angle was obviously larger in the LAMP group compared with ACCF group (P < 0.05, WMD - 5.77 [- 9.70, - 1.84]). But no statistically obvious difference was detected in the postoperative cervical C2-C7 Cobb angle between the two groups. Furthermore, the ACCF group showed significantly more operation time as well as blood loss compared with LAMP group (P < 0.01, WMD 111.43 [40.32,182.54], and P < 0.01, WMD 111.32 [61.22, 161.42], respectively). CONCLUSION: In summary, when the preoperative canal occupying ratio < 60%, no palpable difference was tested in postoperative JOA score and neurofunctional recovery rate. But, when the preoperative canal occupying ratio ≥ 60% ACCF was associated with better postoperative JOA score and the recovery rate of neurological function compared with LAMP. Synchronously, ACCF in the cure for cervical myelopathy owing to OPLL led to more surgical trauma and more incidence of complication and reoperation. On the other hand, LAMP had gone a diminished postoperative C2-C7 Cobb angle, that might be a cause of relatively higher incidence of postoperative late neurofunctional deterioration. In brief, when the preoperative canal occupying ratio < 60%, LAMP seems to be effective and safe. However, when the preoperative canal occupying ratio ≥ 60%, we prefer to choose ACCF while complications could be controlled by careful manipulation and advanced surgical techniques. No matter which option you choose, benefits and risks ought to be balanced.

A Novel Damage Indicator Based on the Electromechanical Impedance Principle for Structural Damage Identification.

This paper presents a novel structural damage detection indicator, i.e., fourth-order voltage statistical moment (FVSM) based on the electromechanical impedance (EMI) principle, and then proposes a two-step damage detection method based on the novel indicator and a differential evolution algorithm (DEA). In this study, several lead zirconate titanate (PZT) sensors bonded to an experimental steel beam were utilized to acquire the time-domain voltage responses. On this basis, the fourth-order voltage statistical moments (FVSMs) of the voltage responses are computed to locate the damage element in the detected structure, and the proposed damage detection method is utilized to quantify the damage. In addition, theoretical PZT voltage responses are also calculated based on the piezoelectric theory and the spectral element method (SEM). Experimental results verify the accuracy of the theoretical voltage values and the effectiveness of the proposed damage indicator. Results indicate that the FVSM is effective in locating the damage element. Integrated with DEA, the proposed technique is capable of quantifying damage.

Quantitative sensory testing for assessment of somatosensory function in human oral mucosa: a review.

OBJECTIVE: This narrative review provides an overview of the quantitative sensory testing (QST) to assess somatosensory function in human oral mucosa. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A literature search was conducted in the PubMed database to identify studies in vivo on human oral mucosa using QST methods. A list of 149 articles was obtained and screened. A total of 36 relevant articles remained and were read in full text. Manual search of the reference lists identified eight additional relevant studies. A total of 44 articles were included for final assessment. RESULTS: The included studies were divided into six categories according to the study content and objective. In each category, there was a great variety of aims, methods, participants and outcome measures. The application of QST has nevertheless helped to monitor somatosensory function in experimental models of intraoral pain, effects of local anesthesia, after oral and maxillofacial surgery and after prosthodontic and orthodontic treatment. CONCLUSIONS: QST has been proved to be sufficiently stable and reliable, and valuable information has been obtained regarding somatosensory function in healthy volunteers, special populations and orofacial pain patients. However, as most of the studies were highly heterogeneous, the results are difficult to compare quantitatively. A standardized intraoral QST protocol is recommended and expected to help advance a mechanism-based assessment of neuropathies and other intraoral pain conditions.

Does intraoperative reduction result in better outcomes in low-grade lumbar spondylolisthesis after transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the clinical efficacy and safety of reduction vs. arthrodesis in situ with transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) for low-grade lumbar spondylolisthesis. Study design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was implemented in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. Randomized or non-randomized controlled trials that were published until July 2023 that compared reduction vs. arthrodesis in situ techniques with minimally invasive or open-TLIF for low-grade spondylolisthesis were selected. The quality of the included studies was evaluated by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Data were extracted according to the predefined outcome measures, including operation time and intraoperative blood loss; short- and long-time follow-up of visual analog scale (VAS) back pain (VAS-BP) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI); slippage and segmental lordosis; and the complication and fusion rate. Results: Five studies (n = 495 patients) were finally included. All of them were retrospective cohort studies with Evidence Level II. The pooled data revealed that both techniques had similar patient-reported outcomes (VAS, ODI, and good and excellent rate) during short- and long-term follow-up. In addition, no significant differences were observed in the fusion and complication rates. However, although the reduction group did achieve better slippage correction, it was associated with increased operation time and intraoperative blood loss compared with the in situ arthrodesis group. Conclusions: Based on the available evidence, intraoperative reduction does not result in better clinical outcomes in low-grade spondylolisthesis after minimally invasive or open-TLIF, and the in situ arthrodesis technique could be an alternative.

Prediction value study of breast cancer tumor infiltrating lymphocyte levels based on ultrasound imaging radiomics.

Objective: Construct models based on grayscale ultrasound and radiomics and compare the efficacy of different models in preoperatively predicting the level of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in breast cancer. Materials and methods: This study retrospectively collected clinical data and preoperative ultrasound images from 185 breast cancer patients confirmed by surgical pathology. Patients were randomly divided into a training set (n=111) and a testing set (n=74) using a 6:4 ratio. Based on a 10% threshold for tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) levels, patients were classified into low-level and high-level groups. Radiomic features were extracted and selected using the training set. The evaluation included assessing the relationship between TIL levels and both radiomic features and grayscale ultrasound features. Subsequently, grayscale ultrasound models, radiomic models, and nomograms combining radiomics score (Rad-score) and grayscale ultrasound features were established. The predictive performance of different models was evaluated through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Calibration curves assessed the fit of the nomograms, and decision curve analysis (DCA) evaluated the clinical effectiveness of the models. Results: Univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that indistinct margin (P<0.001, Odds Ratio [OR]=0.214, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.103-1.026), posterior acoustic enhancement (P=0.027, OR=2.585, 95% CI: 1.116-5.987), and ipsilateral axillary lymph node enlargement (P=0.001, OR=4.214, 95% CI: 1.798-9.875) were independent predictive factors for high levels of TIL in breast cancer. In comparison to grayscale ultrasound model (Training set: Area under curve [AUC] 0.795; Testing set: AUC 0.720) and radiomics model (Training set: AUC 0.803; Testing set: AUC 0.759), the nomogram demonstrated superior discriminative ability on both the training (AUC 0.884) and testing (AUC 0.820) datasets. Calibration curves indicated high consistency between the nomogram model's predicted probability of breast cancer TIL levels and the actual occurrence probability. DCA revealed that the radiomics model and the nomogram model achieved higher clinical net benefits compared to the grayscale ultrasound model. Conclusion: The nomogram based on preoperative ultrasound radiomics features exhibits robust predictive capacity for the non-invasive evaluation of breast cancer TIL levels, potentially providing a significant basis for individualized treatment decisions in breast cancer.

PGM-free single atom catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction in proton exchange membrane fuel cells.

The progress of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) in the clean energy sector is notable for its efficiency and eco-friendliness, although challenges remain in terms of durability, cost and power density. The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a key sluggish process and although current platinum-based catalysts are effective, their high cost and instability is a significant barrier. Single-atom catalysts (SACs) offer an economically viable alternative with comparable catalytic activity for ORR. The primary concern regarding SACs is their operational stability under PEMFCs conditions. In this article, we review current strategies for increasing the catalytic activity of SACs, including increasing active site density, optimizing metal center coordination through heteroatom doping, and engineering porous substrates. To enhance durability, we discuss methods to stabilize metal centers, mitigate the effects of the Fenton reaction, and improve graphitization of the carbon matrix. Future research should apply computational chemistry to predict catalyst properties, develop in situ characterization for real-time active site analysis, explore novel catalysts without the use of platinum-based catalysts to reduce dependence on rare and noble metal, and investigate the long-term stability of catalyst under operating conditions. The aim is to engineer SACs that meet and surpass the performance benchmarks of PEMFCs, contributing to a sustainable energy future.

Carbon emission reduction policy with privatization in an oligopoly model.

This study constructs a mixed oligopoly model that includes a public enterprise and two private enterprises. Game theory was adopted to explore the effects of carbon emission reduction policies. In addition, this study analyzes the optimal carbon emission trading prices and privatization decisions. The results show that the proportion of state-owned shares and the equity efficiency gap affect the equilibrium results for different carbon emission policies. Privatization increases the profits of public firms but does not necessarily increase social welfare. Different carbon emission reduction policies have different effects on the equilibrium results. Moreover, the emission reduction target is not completely consistent with the maximum social welfare target and should be comprehensively considered. The government can intervene by setting carbon emission trading prices and making privatization decisions. Full and partial privatization may be optimal decisions.

Construction of NiFe(CN)5NO/Ni3S2 hierarchical submicro-rods on nickel foam as advanced oxygen evolution electrocatalysts.

The development of cheap, abundant, and highly efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is urgently needed for hydrogen production from water splitting. Herein, we demonstrate a novel OER electrocatalyst (NiFe(CN)5NO/Ni3S2) prepared by coupling Ni3S2 and a bimetallic metal-organic framework (MOF) of NiFe(CN)5NO on nickel foam (NF) via a simple two-step route. The NiFe(CN)5NO/Ni3S2 electrocatalyst displays an interesting rod-like hierarchical architecture assembled by ultrathin nanosheets. The combination of NiFe(CN)5NO and Ni3S2 optimizes the electronic structure of the metal active sites and increases the electron transfer capability. Benefitting from the synergistic effect between Ni3S2 and the NiFe-MOF as well as the unique hierarchical architecture, the NiFe(CN)5NO/Ni3S2/NF electrode exhibits excellent electrocatalytic OER activity with ultralow overpotentials of 162/197 mV at 10/100 mA cm-2 and an ultrasmall Tafel slope of 26 mV dec-1 in 1.0 M KOH, which are far superior to those of the individual NiFe(CN)5NO, Ni3S2 and commercial IrO2 catalysts. In particular, unlike common metal sulfide-based electrocatalysts, the composition, morphology and microstructure of the NiFe-MOF/Ni3S2 composite electrocatalyst can be well retained after the OER, which endows it with fantastic long-term durability. This work offers a new strategy for the construction of novel and high-efficiency MOF-based composite electrocatalysts for energy applications.

Angiogenic effect of endothelial progenitor cells transfected with telomerase reverse transcriptase on peritubular microvessel in five out of six subtotal nephrectomy rats.

Renal disease is caused by tubular interstitial injury and renal interstitial fibrosis. Previous studies have shown that transplantation of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) may provide an appropriate treatment for repair and reversing renal pathology. However, EPCs are typically low in abundance and have poor replication ability. Therefore, the this study investigated the use of EPCs transfected with the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) in rats that had undergone five out of six subtotal nephrectomy. This study determined the effects of EPC transplantation on renal function, renal interstitial fibrosis, and peritubular capillary angiogenesis. Five groups of rats were investigated: sham group, model group (five out of six subtotal nephrectomy), EPCs-N group (transplantation with EPCs), pZ-TERT-EPCs-N group (transplantation with EPCs transfected with TERT), and pZ-EPCs-N group (transplantation with EPCs transfected with empty plasmid). At weeks 4, 8, and 12 after transplantation, renal function, renal interstitial fibrosis, and peritubular microvessel density (MVD) were investigated. EPCs transfected with TERT gene showed decreased in vitro senescence, apoptosis, and proliferative ability was significantly enhanced (p < 0.05). Furthermore, rat transplanted with EPCs transfected with TERT showed significantly reduced renal interstitial fibrosis and increased endogenous creatinine clearance rate and peritubular MVD (p < 0.05). The transplantation of EPCs expressing TERT into five out of six subtotal nephrectomy rats was shown to improve renal function, reduce loss of peritubular microvessel, and inhibit progression of renal interstitial fibrosis. These studies provide the basis for a potential treatment of renal disease using genetically modified EPCs.

Divergent Conceptualization of Embodied Emotions in the English and Chinese Languages.

Traditional cognitive linguistic theories acknowledge that human emotions are embodied, yet they fail to distinguish the dimensions that reflect the direction of neural signaling between the brain and body. Differences exist across languages and cultures in whether embodied emotions are conceptualized as afferent (feelings from the body) or efferent (enacted through the body). This important distinction has been neglected in academic discourse, arguably as a consequence of the 'lexical approach', and the dominance within the affective psychology of the cognitive and semantic models that overlook the role of interoception as an essential component of affective experience. Empirical and theoretical advances in human neuroscience are driving a reappraisal of the relationships between the mind, brain and body, with particular relevance to emotions. Allostatic (predictive) control of the internal bodily states is considered fundamental to the experience of emotions enacted through interoceptive sensory feelings and through the evoked physiological and physical actions mediated through efferent neural pathways. Embodied emotion concepts encompass these categorized outcomes of bidirectional brain-body interactions yet can be differentiated further into afferent or interoceptive and efferent or autonomic processes. Between languages, a comparison of emotion words indicates the dominance of afferent or interoceptive processes in how embodied emotions are conceptualized in Chinese, while efferent or autonomic processes feature more commonly in English. Correspondingly, in linguistic expressions of emotion, Chinese-speaking people are biased toward being more receptive, reflective, and adaptive, whereas native English speakers may tend to be more reactive, proactive, and interactive. Arguably, these distinct conceptual models of emotions may shape the perceived divergent values and 'national character' of Chinese- and English-speaking cultures.

Construction of bismuth-based porous carbon models by 3D printing technology for light-enhanced removal of chloride ions in wastewater.

The bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) based chloride (Cl-) removal method is one of the chemical precipitation methods possessing good selectivity and high removal efficiency of Cl- ions, but Bi2O3 often appears in the powder form, which is difficult to be recovered for regeneration. In this work, the combination of 3D printing technology and the Bi2O3 method was explored to construct the resin model including the Bi-precursors. In the optimum carbonization process at 400 °C for 30 min, the Bi3+ ions of the Bi-precursor were reduced into the metallic Bi0 nanoparticles, whose surfaces were covered by the thin Bi2O3 layers to form the heterostructured Bi0/Bi2O3 core/shell nanoparticles with an average size of 43 nm. These Bi0/Bi2O3 nanoparticles were tightly adhered to the internal and external surfaces of the hierarchical porous carbon model (Bi-PCM), which greatly facilitated their regeneration and ensured the stable Cl- removal performance. After five cycles of Cl- removal, the chloride removal efficiency over the multiple Bi-PCMs in the dark and pH 1 conditions maintained at about 26%, which then largely increased to 63.6% with UV light irradiation. The light-enhanced mechanism was related to the improved release rate of Bi3+ ions caused by photocorrosion and the Cl• radicals produced from the holes and the •OH and O2•- radicals, which quickly reacted with Bi2O3 to form BiOCl. The construction of Bi-PCMs by using 3D printing technology provides a very promising strategy for the removal of Cl- ions from wastewater.

Synergies of Atomically Dispersed Mn/Fe Single Atoms and Fe Nanoparticles on N-Doped Carbon toward High-Activity Eletrocatalysis for Oxygen Reduction.

PGM-free (platinum group metal) electrocatalysts are intensively investigated and used as low-cost catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in the field of fuel cells, but further studying their performance improvement methods and actual reaction mechanism is still a big a challenge. In this work, a novel eletrocatalyst containing atomically dispersed Mn/Fe single atoms (SAs) and Fe nanoparticles (NPs) on N-doped carbonaceous (nanosheet/nanotube hybrids) is fabricated via a simple pyrolysis method. This high-activity ORR electrocatalyst has higher half-wave potential (E1/2 = 0.91 V) and superior long-term durability in alkaline solutions and outperforms Pt/C catalysts, which can be ascribed to the synergetic interaction between Mn/Fe SAs and Fe-NPs. FeNPs/MnFeSAs-NC-25 has stronger reactant adsorption ability and a lower dissociation energy barrier than FeNPs/FeSAs-NC, which is conducive to breaking the O-O bond and accelerating ORR kinetics. This work presents a method to synthesize carbon-based electrocatalysts with high ORR activity and stability and shows that a variety of active sites encapsulated in N-doped carbonaceous materials can be a class of competitive candidates for PGM-free electrocatalysts.

Precise constructed atomically dispersed Fe/Ni sites on porous nitrogen-doped carbon for oxygen reduction.

Exploring highly-efficient noble-metal-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is crucial for preparation of rechargeable metal-air batteries. Herein, FeNi-mIm (guest) was loaded on the surface of ZIF-8 (host) via a novel host-guest strategy, and the resulting ZIF-8@FeNi(mIm)X precursors can be converted to FeNi SAs/NC catalysts with controllable structures. Robust metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived atomically dispersed Fe/Ni dual single atom electrocatalysts for ORR were developed, followed by pyrolysis of the precursors. Characterizations showed that the atomically-dispersed Fe/Ni active sites were uniformly embedded in the N-doped carbon framework. As a result, the ORR performance was obviously improved with lower half-wave potential (E1/2 = 0.91 V) in alkaline media. Such improvement is mainly attributed to the synergy of fully-exposed bimetallic single atom active sites caused by the interaction of Fe/Ni 3d orbitals. The lower adsorption energy of intermediate hydroxyl groups on the active sites and the smaller ORR energy barrier were calculated by the density functional theory. The novelty FeNi SAs/NC catalysts showed faster ORR dynamics in the rate-determining step of four-electron transfer. The synthesis strategy reported here provides an efficient approach to construct high performance dual single-atom catalysts with fully-exposed active sites on the surface.

Insight into the Enhanced Removal of Water from Coal Slime via Solar Drying Technology: Dewatering Performance, Solar Thermal Efficiency, and Economic Analysis.

In this work, solar drying technology was applied for the deep dewatering of coal slime to save thermal energy and reduce the dust produced during the hot drying process of coal slime. Solar drying technology is used to dry coal slime to realize its resource utilization. The influence of solar radiation intensity and slime thickness is investigated on the drying process. The greater the solar radiation intensity (SRI) is, the faster the drying indoor air and coal slime are heated, and the faster the drying efficiency is. As the slime becomes thinner, the internal water diffusion resistance becomes smaller and the drying efficiency correspondingly becomes faster. In addition, to facilitate the application of coal slime drying in the actual project, the Page model is fitted and found to have a good fit for solar drying coal slime. Meanwhile, the optimal drying conditions are determined by analyzing the energy utilization under different conditions. It is found that the target moisture content of 10% is optimal for coal slime drying with the highest energy utilization. The laying thickness (L) of 1 cm has the highest solar thermal efficiency of 54.1%. More importantly, economic calculation and analysis are conducted in detail on solar drying. It is found that the cost of solar drying (¥38.59/ton) is lower than that of hot air drying (¥ 65.09/ton). Therefore, solar drying is a promising method for the drying of coal slime.

Differences in tissue expression of HBV markers in children with HBV-associated glomerulonephritis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hepatitis B virus-associated glomerulonephritis (HBV-GN) is recognized as one of the major secondary nephropathies in HBV high-risk areas. To determine possible differences in the expression of HBV immune markers in tissues, we retrospectively examined HBV immune markers in the serum, renal tissues, and liver tissues in 132 HBV-GN children. METHODS: All 132 patients had biopsy-proven HBV-GN including the presence of positive HBV antigens in the kidney. Serum-HBV immune markers were tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Renal and liver biopsies were done in 26 patients. All renal tissues were examined for HBV immune markers by immunofluorescence, and liver tissues were examined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Among the 132 patients, all showed varying degrees of kidney injury. Serum hepatitis B envelope antigen (HBeAg) was positive in 80 patients and negative in 52 patients. The positivity rate of Hepatitis B core antigen in renal tissue was statistically higher in serum HBeAg (-) than in serum HBeAg (+) patients (96.2% vs. 55.0%). Furthermore, there was no relationship between the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen and HBcAg in liver and renal tissue. CONCLUSION: HBV markers are not consistently present in serum, renal tissues, and liver tissues in children with HBV-GN.

[Effects of huai qi huang on cytokines Th1, Th2 and Th17 and phagocytosis of alveolar macrophages in rats with asthma].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of huai qi huang, a traditional Chinese medicine, on cytokines Th1, Th2 and Th17 levels and alveolar macrophage phagocytosis in asthmatic rats sensitized by ovalbumin (OVA). METHODS: Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: normal control, untreated asthma, budesonide-treated, huai qi huang-treated and budesonide+huai qi huang-treated asthma (n=8 each). Asthma was induced by OVA sensitization and challenge. The levels of IL-4, IFN-γ and IL-17 in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured using ELISA. The phagocytosis of alveolar macrophages which were isolated and purified from BALF was evaluated by the colorimetric assay. RESULTS: The levels of IL-4 and IL-17 increased, in contrast, the IFN-γ level decreased in plasma and BALF in the untreated asthma group compared with those in the normal control group. The IFN-γ level in the huai qi huang-treated asthma group was higher than that in the untreated asthma group. The IFN-γ level increased and the IL-17 level decreased more significantly in the budesonide+huai qi huang-treated asthma group when compared with the budesonide and huai qi huang alone treatment groups. The phagocytosis of alveolar macrophages in the untreated asthma group was lower than that in the normal control group. Huai qi huang alone or combined with budesonide increased the phagocytosis of alveolar macrophages compared with the normal control, untreated asthma and budesonid-treated asthma groups. The levels of IFN-γ in plasma and BALF were positively correlated with the phagocytosis of alveolar macrophages. CONCLUSIONS: The levels of IL-4 and IL-17 increase and the IFN-γ level decreases in plasma and BALF, and the phagocytosis of alveolar macrophages decreases in asthmatic rats. Huai qi huang treatment may increase the IFN-γ expression in plasma and BALF and the phagocytosis of alveolar macrophages in asthmatic rats. There is a synergistic effect between huai qi huang and glucocorticoids.

The conceptualization of emotions across cultures: a model based on interoceptive neuroscience.

Mental processes are recognized to be embodied, hence dependent upon functions of the body. Interoception (i.e., the sense of the internal bodily physiology) underpinning motivational states and emotional feelings, however, are mostly ignored within present sensory-motor accounts of embodiment. The inclusion of interoception within models of embodiment is important both for health psychology and for theories of cognition. Here, we deduce that reference to visceral organs, in language describing emotion concepts, should be viewed as metonymy (i.e., the mental mapping wherein a component is used to describe the whole), rather than metaphor (i.e., one familiar and concrete concept used to describe another unfamiliar and/or abstract concept that shares some similarities). This view contrasts with a dominant assumption within cognitive linguistics. We further argue that conceptual differences in the assumption about the body-mind-emotion relationship or emotional somatization, evident when comparing Chinese to standard English, is culturally and cognitively determined (e.g., by divergent Western and Chinese philosophical, medical traditions and meaning systems). We propose a new model in which two contending variables, bodily transparency and cognitive granularity, define cultural differences in emotion conceptualization, capturing the dynamic multidimensional interaction between body, mind, brain, language, and society.

Ultrasound is Effective to Treat Temporomandibular Joint Disorder.

BACKGROUND: Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) affects millions of people. It is unclear if low intensity ultrasound (US) is effective to treat TMD. METHODS: A total of 160 patients with TMD were enrolled in this study. The subjects were randomized into two groups to receive US therapy or no therapy. Patients in the US group were given US therapy once a day for 5 days per week for 2 consecutive weeks. Before and 4 weeks and 6 months after the treatments, the patients were assessed for pain using visual analog scale (VAS) and the maximum pain-free inter-incisal distance (IID). In addition, mandibular movement (MM), jaw noise (JN), disability index (DI) and craniomandibular index (CMI) were also assessed. RESULTS: Compared with the patients before the therapy, VAS, IID, MM, JN, DI and CMI in the US group were significantly improved 4 weeks and 6 months after therapy. However, 6 months after the therapy, US group had a recurrence rate of 2.63%. CONCLUSION: US therapy can significantly reduce the pain, and improve the functionality of the temporomandibular joint and mouth opening limit for TMD patients, and is therefore recommended for TMD patients.