A comparison of the effects of two protocols of concurrent resistance and aerobic training on physical fitness in middle school students.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the effects of two concurrent training (CT) protocols on the physical fitness of middle school students. Method: A 12-week quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test study was conducted with 157 middle school students (age = 12.48 ± 0.34, n = 90 females) divided into three groups: CT group A (CT-0h) received combined resistance training (RT) and aerobic training (AT) in each physical education session, CT group B (CT-48h) received RT and AT across two separate physical education classes 48 h apart, and a control group (Con) received no training. Training occurred twice a week. Test indicators included cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) measured by estimated VO2max and 20 m shuttle run (laps), as well as muscle strength assessed through long jump, vertical jump, and handgrip strength. Results: The intervention groups exhibited significant increases in estimated VO2max and muscle strength compared to their baseline values (p < 0.05). Both CT-0h and CT-48h groups demonstrated significant improvements in 20 m shuttle run (laps) (mean difference: 8.88 laps, p < 0.01; mean difference: 4.81 laps, p < 0.01, respectively), standing long jump (mean difference: 6.20 cm, p < 0.01; mean difference: 3.68 cm, p < 0.01, respectively), vertical jump (mean difference: 4.95 cm, p < 0.01; mean difference: 4.04 cm, p < 0.01, respectively), and handgrip strength (mean difference: 11.17 kg, p < 0.01; mean difference: 6.99 kg, p < 0.01, respectively). CT-0h group exhibited significantly increased estimated VO2max (mean difference: 1.47 ml/kg/min, p < 0.01) compared to the CT-48h group. Conclusion: Both CT programs effectively improved adolescents' physical fitness indicators. However, the program that integrated RT and AT within the same physical education class demonstrated superior enhancement in adolescents' CRF.

Hierarchical finite-time cooperative control for teleoperation of networked disturbed mobile manipulators.

This paper investigates the teleoperation problem of networked disturbed mobile manipulators (NDMMs), in which the human operator remotely controls multiple slave mobile manipulators through a master manipulator. Each individual of the slave ones consisted of a nonholonomic mobile platform and a holonomic constrained manipulator that is mounted on the nonholonomic mobile platform. The cooperative control objective of the considered teleoperation problem includes: (1) synchronizing the states of the slave manipulators to the human-controlled master one; (2) forcing the mobile platforms of the slave ones to form a user-defined formation; (3) controlling the geometric center of all the platforms to track a reference trajectory. We present a hierarchical finite-time cooperative control (HFTCC) framework to achieve the cooperative control goal in a finite time. The presented framework includes the distributed estimator, the weight regulator and the adaptive local controller, where the estimator generates the estimated states of the desired formation and trajectory, the regulator selects the slave robot that the master one needs to track, as well as the presented adaptive local controller guarantees the finite-time convergence of the controlled states with model uncertainties and disturbances. Additionally, for improving the telepresence, a novel super twisting observer is presented to reconstruct the interaction force between the salve mobile manipulators and the remote operating environment on the master (i.e., the human) side. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed control framework is demonstrated by several simulation results.

Complete response in patient with liver metastasis of HER2-positive breast cancer following therapy with margetuximab: a case report.

Metastatic human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive breast cancer has a poor prognosis and few effective targeted therapies. However, several anti-HER2 agents are emerging in conjunction with chemotherapy, which may lead to increased rates of pathological complete response in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Among them, margetuximab demonstrated a significant improvement in progression-free survival compared with trastuzumab, when combined with chemotherapy in pretreated patients. Here we present a case of a 67-year-old female patient who was diagnosed with HER2-positive, histological grade III and invasive ductal carcinoma of the left breast in September 2018. She received postoperative adjuvant therapy with EC-TH plus radiotherapy, followed by therapy with HER2-targeted trastuzumab for 1 year (till December 2019). In May 2020, routine reexamination showed a supraclavicular lymph node and bone metastasis. Patient was then treated with pyrotinib, capecitabine and bisphosphonate for a period of 3 months. In December 2020, liver MRI revealed multiple liver metastases. The patient received eight cycles of second-line therapy (vinorelbine plus margetuximab) from January 2021. Since the ninth cycle, the patient was continued with only margetuximab. In March 2021, MRI showed a 70% decrease in the liver metastasis lesions. By June 2021, liver lesions were totally disappeared. During therapy, patient experienced only grade-1 anemia. This case demonstrates that margetuximab plus chemotherapy is safe and might bring clinical benefits for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer with liver metastasis. Further studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of margetuximab in Chinese HER2-positive breast cancer patients are needed.

Prognostic Value of Preoperative Controlling Nutritional Status in Hypopharyngeal Cancer Patients Undergoing Surgery-Oriented Comprehensive Treatment.

OBJECTIVES: The preoperative controlling nutritional status (pCONUT) score has been shown correlated with the prognosis of some cancerous diseases; however, little is known about the effect of pCONUT score on hypopharyngeal cancer (HPC). Therefore, the objective of our study was to demonstrate the relationship between the pCONUT score and the clinical outcome of patients with HPC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety-four patients with HPC who underwent surgery between May 2012 and Dec 2020 were enrolled in this study. We evaluated retrospectively their pCONUT scores and calculated the cutoff value regarding the patients' overall survival using the X-tile software. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard regression model were used to determine how the pCONUT score affected overall survival. RESULTS: A cutoff level of 4 was determined to be optimal for the pCONUT score, by which the patients were grouped into high pCONUT score (≥4, n = 22, 23.4%) or low pCONUT score (<4, n = 72, 76.6%) groups. The univariate analysis showed that high pCONUT scores correlated with reduced overall survival (hazard ratio: 2.925, 95% confidence interval: 1.526-5.607, P = .001). Furthermore, the multivariate analysis also showed that high pCONUT scores increased the risk of overall death (hazard ratio: 2.639, 95% confidence interval: 1.365-5.101, P = .004). CONCLUSIONS: The pCONUT score is considered a useful prognostic factor in patients with HPC.

FSG-based divinable time-varying formation tracking of multiple Lagrangian agents with unknown disturbances and directed graphs.

In this paper, a flexible shape generator (FSG) is designed to achieve the divinable transformation process of the time-varying formation, and consider the FSG-based time-varying formation tracking (TVFT) problem of multiple Lagrangian agents with unknown disturbances and directed graphs. A hierarchical control algorithm is newly designed to achieve the control goal without using the prior information of the system model and bounded disturbances, and the specific implementation of the proposed hierarchical algorithms is also provided. By using the Hurwitz criterion and adaptive system theory, the sufficient conditions are derived and the stability analysis show that the formation tracking errors of the considered system are uniform ultimate bounded. Several simulation examples are performed on five two-degree-of-freedom mechanical arms to show the effectiveness of theoretical results.

Recanalization of thrombosed aneurysmal hemodialysis arterovenous fistulas using a hybrid technique based on data from a single center.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the technical specifications and clinical outcomes of thrombosed aneurysmal haemodialysis arteriovenous fistula (AVF) treated with ultrasound-guided percutaneous transluminal angioplasty combined with minimal aneurysmotomy. METHODS: This case series study included 11 patients who had thrombosed aneurysmal AVF and underwent salvage procedures over a 13-month period. All procedures were performed under duplex guidance. Minimal aneurysmotomy was performed, along with manual thrombectomy and thrombolytic agent infusion, followed by angioplasty to macerate the thrombus and sufficiently dilate potential stenoses. A successful procedure was defined as immediate restoration of flow through the AVF. RESULTS: The 11 patients (four males and seven females) had a mean age of 49.6 years ± 11.9 years. Six patients (54.5%) had two or more aneurysms. The mean aneurysm maximal diameter was 21.5 mm (standard deviation: ± 5.0 mm), and the mean thrombus length was 12.9 cm (8-22 cm). Ten (83.3%) of the 12 procedures were technically successful. The mean duration of operation was 150.9 minutes (standard deviation: ± 34.2 minutes), and mean postoperative AVF blood flow was 728.6 ml/min (standard deviation: ± 53.7 mi/min). The resumption of hemodialysis was successful in all 11 cases, with a clinical success rate of 100%. The primary patency rates were 90.0% and 75.0% at three and four months over a mean follow-up time of 6.3 months (3-12 months). The secondary patency rates were 90.4% at three and four months. CONCLUSION: A hybrid approach combining ultrasound-guided percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and minimal aneurysmotomy might be a safe and effective method for thrombosed aneurysmal AVF salvage.

Lag-Bipartite Formation Tracking of Networked Robotic Systems Over Directed Matrix-Weighted Signed Graphs.

This article studies the lag-bipartite formation tracking (LBFT) problem of the networked robotic systems (NRSs) with directed matrix-weighted signed graphs. Unlike the traditional formation tracking problems with only cooperative interactions, solving the LBFT problem implies that: 1) the robots of the NRS are divided into two complementary subgroups according to the signed graph, describing the coexistence of cooperative and antagonistic interactions; 2) the states of each subgroup form a desired geometric pattern asymptotically in the local coordinate; and 3) the geometric center of each subgroup is forced to track the same leader trajectory with different plus-minus signs and a time lag. A new hierarchical control algorithm is designed to address this challenging problem. Based on the Lyapunov stability argument and the property of the matrix-weighted Laplacian, some sufficient criteria are derived for solving the LBFT problem. Finally, simulation examples are proposed to validate the effectiveness of the main results.

Second-order bipartite consensus for networked robotic systems with quantized-data interactions and time-varying transmission delays.

This paper investigates the second-order bipartite consensus (BC) problems for networked robotic systems (NRSs) subject to model uncertainties and external disturbances over signed directed graphs. We have newly presented two classes of hierarchical control algorithms (HCAs) to solve the BC problems for NRSs in a more practical and challenging case of quantized-data interactions (QDIs) and time-varying transmission delays (TVTDs). By using Hurwitz criterion and Lyapunov stability argument, several sufficient conditions on control parameters are obtained and the BC performance of the regulated system is analyzed. Three examples validate the presented theoretical findings.

Melting of recycled ancient crust responsible for the Gutenberg discontinuity.

A discontinuity in the seismic velocity associated with the lithosphere-asthenosphere interface, known as the Gutenberg discontinuity, is enigmatic in its origin. While partial mantle melts are frequently suggested to explain this discontinuity, it is not well known which factors critically regulate the melt production. Here, we report geochemical evidence showing that the melt fractions in the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary were enhanced not only by accumulation of compacted carbonated melts related to recycled ancient marine sediments, but also by partial melting of a pyroxene-rich mantle domain related to the recycled oceanic eclogite/pyroxenites. This conclusion is derived from the first set of Mg isotope data for a suite of young petit-spot basalts erupted on the northwest Pacific plate, where a clearly defined Gutenberg discontinuity exists. Our results reveal a specific linkage between the Gutenberg discontinuity beneath the normal oceanic regions and the recycling of ancient subducted crust and carbonate through the deep Earth.

Review of antidepressants in clinic and active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine targeting 5-HT1A receptors.

Serotonin, which also named as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), is a neurotransmitter, which plays significant roles in a wide range of physiological and pathological processes. Depression is a complex disease that involves numerous factors, increasing evidences have showed that the level of 5-HT was lower in depressed patients and the administration of some selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors exhibited antidepressant effects. The 5-HT1A receptor is a key protein in the brain serotonin system, modulating the release of 5-HT and other neurotransmitters. Behavioral and molecular biological studies have demonstrated that the differences of 5-HT1A receptor regulation was connected with depression and the responses to antidepressants. In this review, the authors will introduce the structure and function of 5-HT1A receptor and summarize some antidepressants targeting 5-HT1A receptor, including 5-HT1A receptor agonists and antagonists in a clinic, active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine. And we found the major of drugs by targeting 5-HT1A receptor on the market or in clinical trials mostly have the similar functional groups, such as piperazine, piperidine, and pyrimidine. There are also some literatures found that these functional groups may be the site produce activity. So, we hope that it may provide basis and references for the research of the clinical drugs for depression.

[Research advances on the pollution of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in natural waters and their toxicity to freshwater algae.] / 水环境中药物和个人护理品(PPCPs)çš„æ±¡æŸ“çŽ°çŠ¶åŠå¯¹è—»ç±»çš„æ¯’æ€§ç ”ç©¶è¿›å±•.

The continuous discharge of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) into aquatic environment and their potential threaten to ecological environment or human health has received more and more attention all over the world. Algae are primary producers in aquatic environment and play an important role in ecosystem balance and stabilization. In this review, the concentrations of PPCPs in natural waters from different countries and regions are introduced to demonstrate their characteristics of pollution in aquatic environment. Furthermore, we reviewed some progresses on the toxicity, bioaccumulation and ecological risk of PPCPs. We introduced the toxicity effect and mechanism of PPCPs to algae, the bioaccumulation of PPCPs in algae, as well as the ecological risks of PPCPs in surface water. The review will provide references for development of PPCPs related criteria and assessment of ecological risks in aquatic environment.

Monolayer ß-tellurene: a promising p-type thermoelectric material via first-principles calculations.

Inspired by the experimental growth of two-dimensional (2D) tellurene (Yixin et al., Nat. Electron, 2018, 1, 228-236) and the recent study of unusually low thermal conductivity of atomically thin 2D tellurium (Jie Ren et al., Nanoscale, 2018, 10, 12997), we carried out systematic calculations for monolayer ß-tellurene, focusing on its electrical transport and electronic and thermoelectric properties by means of density functional theory (DFT) combined with deformation potential theory and Boltzmann transport theory. We have found that monolayer ß-tellurene exhibits a band gap of 1.5 eV. The carrier transport is highly direction-temperature-dependent, with a high room-temperature transport mobility of 1343 cm2 V-1 s-1 and a relaxation time of 283 fs in the armchair direction for hole transport at room-temperature. It is coincidently favourable in the armchair direction for both the Seebeck coefficient and the electrical conductivity, making the p-type monolayer ß-tellurene a highly promising thermoelectric candidate. With a low intrinsic lattice thermal conductivity, the maximum figure of merit (ZT) is 2.9 and 0.84 along the armchair and zigzag directions for p-type doping at 700 K, respectively. The predicted properties demonstrate that monolayer ß-tellurene can be a prospective material towards thermoelectric applications.

[Effective components of traditional Chinese medicine for regulating TGF-Beta1/Smads signaling pathway in hepatic fibrosis].

Hepatic fibrosis is a liver damage healing response affected by a variety of factors; its formation is associated with multiple cytokines and a variety of signaling pathways. Transforming growth factor beta1( TGF-ß1) is one of the strongest fibrosis cytokines known,and involves almost all the key links in hepatic fibrosis. TGF-ß1/Smads signal pathway is the most classical pathway for TGF-ß1 to play its role in promoting fibrosis as well as one of the most important signaling pathways of hepatic fibrosis formation. Studies for the signal pathway have made a series of scientific research achievements in recently years. Traditional Chinese medicine has the advantages of " multiple ingredients,multiple targets and less side effects",and is widely used in the clinical treatment of hepatic fibrosis.Effective components of traditional Chinese medicine are monomer compounds,which are extracted and purified from traditional Chinese medicine. Nowadays,the molecular biology studies of effective traditional Chinese medicine have become a hotspot. Modern advanced technology and methods can be used to directly clarify the targets and the signaling pathways,reveal the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in treating diseases,and promote the modernization and international development of traditional Chinese medicine industry. This review summarized the structure,function and application of TGF-ß1/Smads signaling pathway in the progress of anti-hepatic fibrosis,and analyzed the action mode and possible mechanism of various effective components of traditional Chinese medicine in regulating TGF-ß1/Smads signaling pathway and intervening the treatment of hepatic fibrosis in the past five years,so as to put forward new ideas for innovating new targeted traditional Chinese medicine for hepatic fibrosis.

Recording, erasing, and rewriting of ripples on metal surfaces by ultrashort laser pulses.

Recording, erasing, and rewriting of ripples are achieved by applying femtosecond laser pulses on tungsten surfaces. Ripples oriented perpendicular to the polarization direction of the writing beam can be recorded on a metal surface by exposing the sample to a series of linearly polarized pulses. When applying the second series of pulses with varied polarization direction on the same place, the original ripples can be erased, and new ripples are rewritten with the orientation perpendicular to the polarization of the second group of pulses. The simulation shows that when original ripples exist, laser intensity is focused above the grooves with polarization parallel to original ripples, which can erase the ripples. However, when the polarization is perpendicular to the existing ripples, laser intensity is almost confined in the grooves, which accelerates the formation of ripples.

[Research advances in heavy metals pollution ecology of diatom].

Diatom, due to its high sensitivity to environmental change, is one of the bio-indicators of aquatic ecosystem health, and some typical diatom species have been applied to indicate the heavy metals pollution of water body. With the focus on the surface water heavy metals pollution, this paper reviewed the research advances in the toxic effect of heavy metals pollution on diatom, biosorption and bioaccumulation of heavy metals by diatom, ecological adaptation mechanisms of diatom to heavy metals pollution, and roles of diatom as bio-indicator and in ecological restoration of heavy metals pollution. The growth tendency of diatom and the morphological change of frustule under heavy metals pollution as well as the differences in heavy metals biosorption and bioaccumulation by diatom, the ecological adaptation mechanisms of diatom on heavy metals surface complexation and ion exchange, and the roles of diatom as bio-indicator and in ecological restoration of heavy metals polluted water body were also discussed. This review could provide scientific evidences for the prevention of aquatic ecosystems heavy metals pollution and related early warning techniques.

Bioconjugates of Glucose Oxidase and Gold Nanorods Based on Electrostatic Interaction with Enhanced Thermostability.

Bioconjugates made up of an enzyme and gold nanorods (GNRs) were fabricated by electrostatic interactions (layer-by-layer method, LBL) between anionic glucose oxidase (GOD) and positively charged GNRs. The assembled processes were monitored by UV-Vis spectra, zeta potential measurements, and transmission electron microscopy. The enzyme activity assays of the obtained bioconjugates display a relatively enhanced thermostability behavior in contrast with that of free enzyme. Free GOD in solution only retains about 22% of its relative activity at 90 degrees C. Unexpectedly, the immobilized GOD on GNRs still retains about 39.3% activity after the same treatment. This work will be of significance for the biologic enhancement using other kinds of anisotropic nanostructure and suggests a new way of enhancing enzyme thermostability using anisotropic metal nanomaterials.