Ionic Gel Electrolytes for Electrochromic Devices.

Ionic gels are emerging as a promising solution for improving the functionality of electrochromic devices. They are increasingly drawing attention in the fields of electrochemistry and functional materials due to their potential to address issues associated with traditional liquid electrolytes, such as volatility, toxicity, and leakage. In extreme scenarios and/or the design of flexible devices, ionic gel electrolytes offer unique and invaluable advantages. This perspective delves into the application of ionic gels in electrochromic devices, exploring various methods to enhance their performance. After briefly introducing developments in ionic gels for electrochromic devices, the trends and key points of future development are discussed in detail.

Decoupling of strain- and intrastrain-level interactions of microbiomes in a sponge holobiont.

Holobionts are highly organized assemblages of eukaryotic hosts, cellular microbial symbionts, and viruses, whose interactions and evolution involve complex biological processes. It is largely unknown which specific determinants drive similarity or individuality in genetic diversity between holobionts. Here, we combine short- and long-read sequencing and DNA-proximity-linkage technologies to investigate intraspecific diversity of the microbiomes, including host-resolved viruses, in individuals of a model marine sponge. We find strong impacts of the sponge host and the cellular hosts of viruses on strain-level organization of the holobiont, whereas substantial overlap in nucleotide diversity between holobionts suggests frequent exchanges of microbial cells and viruses at intrastrain level in the local sponge population. Immune-evasive arms races likely restricted virus-host co-evolution at the intrastrain level, generated holobiont-specific genome variations, and linked virus-host genetics through recombination. Our work shows that a decoupling of strain- and intrastrain-level interactions is a key factor in the genetic diversification of holobionts.

Task-specific deep eutectic solvent for efficient dissolution and further accelerating alkaline hydrolysis of polyesters into their monomers.

Polyester plastics have brought great convenience to modern society. However, the continuous accumulation of their production increasingly threatens human health. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the largest type of polyester plastics and its recycling is a major challenge. In this work, deep eutectic solvent (DES) composed of thenyl alcohol and choline chloride (ChCl) was designed for efficient dissolution of PET at 165 °C for 20 min, and further accelerating complete alkaline hydrolysis of PET into its monomer terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG) with a high TPA monomer yield (98.2%) in 25 min at 100 °C. Moreover, the designed DES is also efficient for dissolution and alkaline hydrolysis of other polyester plastics, including poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) and poly(ethylene furanoate) (PEF) into their monomers. This work provides a feasible and sustainable solution for the recycling of polyester wastes.

Development and Validation of a Clinical Nomogram for Predicting Complications From Pediatric Multiple Magnet Ingestion: A Large Retrospective Study.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to develop and validate a reliable nomogram based on clinical factors to predict complications associated with pediatric multiple magnet ingestion, addressing the urgency and controversy surrounding its management. METHODS: Patients aged 0-18 years with multiple magnet ingestion diagnosed at the Shenzhen Children's Hospital between January 2017 and December 2023 were enrolled. Clinical data were analyzed using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and multifactor logistic regression analyses to screen for risk factors. A model was constructed, and a nomogram was plotted. Model performance was evaluated and internally validated using the area under the curve (AUC), Hosmer-Lemeshow test, calibration curve, decision curve analysis, and 1,000 bootstraps. We calculated the optimal cutoff value, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of the prediction model. RESULTS: Of the 146 patients, 57 (39.0%) experienced complications. The nomogram included age, multiple ingestions, vomiting, abdominal pain, and abdominal tenderness. The AUC was 0.941, and the internally validated AUC was 0.930. The optimal cutoff value selected as a predictive value was 0.534, with a sensitivity of 82.5%, specificity of 93.3%, positive predictive value of 88.7%, negative predictive value of 89.3%, and accuracy of 89.0%. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test yielded a P value of 0.750. The calibration plot exhibited high consistency in prediction, and decision curve analysis showed excellent net benefits. DISCUSSION: Our nomogram demonstrates excellent discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility and may thus help clinicians accurately assess the risk of complications from pediatric multiple magnet ingestion.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Agropyron cristatum reveals gene transfer and RNA editing events.

BACKGROUND: As an important forage in arid and semi-arid regions, Agropyron cristatum provides livestock with exceptionally high nutritional value. Additionally, A. cristatum exhibits outstanding genetic characteristics to endure drought and disease. Therefore, rich genetic diversity serves as a cornerstone for the improvement of major food crops. The purposes of this study were to systematically describe mitogenome of A.cristatum and preliminarily analyze its internal variations. RESULT: The A. cristatum mitogenome was a single-ring molecular structure of 381,065 bp that comprised 52 genes, including 35 protein-coding, 3 rRNA and 14 tRNA genes. Among these, two pseudoprotein-coding genes and multiple copies of tRNA genes were observed. A total of 320 repetitive sequences was found to cover more than 10% of the mitogenome (105 simple sequences, 185 dispersed and 30 tandem repeats), which led to a large number of fragment rearrangements in the mitogenome of A. cristatum. Leucine was the most frequent amino acid (n = 1087,10.8%) in the protein-coding genes of A. cristatum mitogenome, and the highest usage codon was ATG (initiation codon). The number of A/T changes at the third base of the codon was much higher than that of G/C. Among 23 PCGs, the range of Pi values is from 0.0021 to 0.0539, with an average of 0.013. Additionally, 81 RNA editing sites were predicted, which were considerably fewer than those reported in other plant mitogenomes. Most of the RNA editing site base positions were concentrated at the first and second codon bases, which were C to T transitions. Moreover, we identified 95 sequence fragments (total length of 34, 343 bp) that were transferred from the chloroplast to mitochondria genes, introns, and intergenic regions. The stability of the tRNA genes was maintained during this process. Selection pressure analysis of 23 protein-coding genes shared by 15 Poaceae plants, showed that most genes were subjected to purifying selection during evolution, whereas rps4, cob, mttB, and ccmB underwent positive selection in different plants. Finally, a phylogenetic tree was constructed based on 22 plant mitogenomes, which showed that Agropyron plants have a high degree of independent heritability in Triticeae. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study provide new data for a better understanding of A. cristatum genes, and demonstrate that mitogenomes are suitable for the study of plant classifications, such as those of Agropyron. Moreover, it provides a reference for further exploration of the phylogenetic relationships within Agropyron species, and establishes a theoretical basis for the subsequent development and utilization of A. cristatum plant germplasm resources.

Hyperactivity and altered functional connectivity of the ventral striatum in schizophrenia compared with bipolar disorder: A resting state fMRI study.

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia patients frequently present with structural and functional abnormalities of the ventral striatum (VS). METHODS: we examined basal activation state and functional connectivity (FC) in four subregions of the bilateral ventral striatum: left inferior ventral striatum (VSi_L), left superior ventral striatum(VSs_L), right inferior ventral striatum(VSi_R), and right superior ventral striatum(VSs_R). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance images were obtained from 62 schizophrenia patients (SCH), 57 bipolar disorder (BD) patients, and 26 healthy controls (HCs). RESULTS: The schizophrenia group exhibited greater fALFF in bilateral VS subregions compared to BD and HC groups as well as greater FC between the bilateral VSi and multiple brain regions, including the thalamus, putamen, posterior cingulate gyrus (PCC), frontal cortex and caudate. Moreover, the fALFF values of the bilateral ventral striatum were positively correlated with the severity of positive symptoms. We also found the functional connectivity between the bilateral inferior ventral striatum and some brain regions aforementioned were positively correlated with the severity of negative symptoms. CONCLUSION: These findings confirm a crucial contribution of ventral striatum dysfunction, especially of the bilateral VSi in schizophrenia. Functionally dissociated regions of the ventral striatum are differentially disturbed in schizophrenia.

GmBSK1-GmGSK1-GmBES1.5 regulatory module controls heat tolerance in soybean.

INTRODUCTION: Heat stress poses a severe threat to the growth and production of soybean (Glycine max). Brassinosteroids (BRs) actively participate in plant responses to abiotic stresses, however, the role of BR signaling pathway genes in response to heat stress in soybean remains poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we investigate the regulatory mechanisms of GmBSK1 and GmBES1.5 in response to heat stress and the physiological characteristics and yield performance under heat stress conditions. METHODS: Transgenic technology and CRISPR/Cas9 technology were used to generated GmBSK1-OE, GmBES1.5-OE and gmbsk1 transgenic soybean plants, and transcriptome analysis, LUC activity assay and EMSA assay were carried out to elucidate the potential molecular mechanism underlying GmBSK1-GmBES1.5-mediated heat stress tolerance in soybean. RESULTS: CRISPR/Cas9-generated gmbsk1 knockout mutants exhibited increased sensitivity to heat stress due to a reduction in their ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS). The expression of GmBES1.5 was up-regulated in GmBSK1-OE plants under heat stress conditions, and it directly binds to the E-box motif present in the promoters of abiotic stress-related genes, thereby enhancing heat stress tolerance in soybean plants. Furthermore, we identified an interaction between GmGSK1 and GmBES1.5, while GmGSK1 inhibits the transcriptional activity of GmBES1.5. Interestingly, the interaction between GmBSK1 and GmGSK1 promotes the localization of GmGSK1 to the plasma membrane and releases the transcriptional activity of GmBES1.5. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that both GmBSK1 and GmBES1.5 play crucial roles in conferring heat stress tolerance, highlighting a potential strategy for breeding heat-tolerant soybean crops involving the regulatory module consisting of GmBSK1-GmGSK1-GmBES1.5.

The genome sequencing and comparative genomics analysis of Rhizoctonia solani reveals a novel effector family owning a uinque domain in Basidiomycetes.

Rhizoctonia solani is a soil-borne pathogen with 14 anastomosis groups (AGs), and different subgroups are genetically diverse. However, the genetic factors contributing to the pathogenicity of the fungus have not been well characterized. In this study, the genome of R. solani AG1-ZJ was sequenced. As the result, a 41.57 Mb draft genome containing 12,197 putative coding genes was obtained. Comparative genomic analysis of 11 different AGs revealed conservation and unique characteristics between the AGs. Furthermore, a novel effector family containing a 68 amino acid conserved domain unique in basidiomycetous fungi was characterized. Two effectors containing the conserved domain in AG4-JY were identified, and named as RsUEB1 and RsUEB2. Furthermore, the spray-induced gene silencing strategy was used to generate a dsRNA capable of silencing the conserved domain sequence of RsUEB1 and RsUEB2. This dsRNA can significantly reduce the expression of RsUEB1 and RsUEB2 and the pathogenicity of AG4-JY on foxtail millet, maize, rice and wheat. In conclusion, this study provides significant insights into the pathogenicity mechanisms of R. solani. The identification of the conserved domain and the successful use of dsRNA silencing of the gene containing the conserved domain will offer a new strategy for controlling sheath blight in cereal crops.

Clinical treatment strategy and follow-up of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma: a retrospective study.

Aim: To investigate the clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC).Materials & methods: The clinical data of 114 LELC patients were retrospectively analyzed.Results: Ninety-eight patients (86.0%) were Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNA (EBER) positive detected by situ hybridization. A 67.1% (51/76) patients had PD-L1 expression. The 5-year overall survival rate of EBER negative patients was 51.6% while the rate of positive patients was 84.8% (p = 0.015). The 5-year progression free survival rate of EBER negative patients was 40.2% while the rate of positive patients was 70.2% (p = 0.004).Conclusion: The progression of LELC is relatively slow and present a better prognosis. The occurrence of tumor is closely related to Epstein-Barr virus infection and PD-L1 is highly expressed in tumor cells.

Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) is a rare and special malignant tumor. The characteristics of it are not clear. We collected the data of 114 LELC patients. Then we found this tumor grew slowly. Eighty six percent of patients had been infected with EBV. Through microscopic observation, we found that 67.1% of patients had PD-L1 expression in tumor tissue. These characteristics can help people predict how long LELC patients will live and choose useful treatments.

Heterologous Expression Facilitates the Production and Characterization of a Class III Lanthipeptide with Coupled Labionin Cross-Links in Sponge-Associated Streptomyces rochei MB037.

Cyclic peptides, with remarkable stability, cellular permeability, and proteolysis resistance, display promising potential in pharmaceutical applications. Labionin (Lab), a unique bicyclic cross-link containing both C-C and C-S bonds, provides high rigidity and better control of conformation compared to monocyclic cross-links. To discover more Lab-containing scaffolds with highly rigid conformation for cyclic peptide drug development, herein, a cryptic class III lanthipeptide biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) (i.e., rcs) was identified in the sponge-associated Streptomyces rochei MB037 and expressed in Escherichia coli, incorporating an N-terminal SUMO-tag on the RcsA precursor peptide to prevent proteolysis. Subsequently, a novel class III lanthipeptide, i.e., rochsin A, exhibiting a highly rigid conformation with coupled Lab cross-links crowded by bulky aromatic amino acids, was produced. Three AplP-like proteases outside the rcs BGC were proven to remove the leader peptide of rochsin A through their dual endo- and aminopeptidase activities, resulting in mature rochsin A in vitro. Ala mutation experiments revealed the C to N cyclization direction, like most class III lanthipeptides. However, RcsKC displays a high substrate breadth, enabling various ring topologies that are rarely observed in other class III lanthipeptides. Overall, the established expression system broadens the chemical diversity of cyclic peptides with unique Lab cross-links and offers a highly rigid scaffold for cyclic peptide drug development.

RACK1 links phyB and BES1 to coordinate brassinosteroid-dependent root meristem development.

Light and brassinosteroids (BR) are indispensable for plant growth and control cell division in the apical meristem. However, how external light signals cooperate with internal brassinosteroids to program root meristem development remains elusive. We reveal that the photoreceptor phytochrome B (phyB) guides the scaffold protein RACK1 to coordinate BR signaling for maintaining root meristematic activity. phyB and RACK1 promote early root meristem development. Mechanistically, RACK1 could reinforce the phyB-SPA1 association by interacting with both phyB and SPA1, which indirectly affects COP1-dependent RACK1 degradation, resulting in the accumulation of RACK1 in roots. Subsequently, RACK1 interacts with BES1 to repress its DNA-binding activity toward the target gene CYCD3;1, leading to the release of BES1-mediated inhibition of CYCD3;1 transcription, and hence the promotion of root meristem development. Our study provides mechanistic insights into the regulation of root meristem development by combination of light and phytohormones signals through the photoreceptors and scaffold proteins.

Quantifying irregular pulsation of intracranial aneurysms using 4D-CTA.

Recent studies have suggested that irregular pulsation of intracranial aneurysm during the cardiac cycle may be potentially associated with aneurysm rupture risk. However, there is a lack of quantification method for irregular pulsations. This study aims to quantify irregular pulsations by the displacement and strain distribution of the intracranial aneurysm surface during the cardiac cycle using four-dimensional CT angiographic image data. Four-dimensional CT angiography was performed in 8 patients. The image data of a cardiac cycle was divided into approximately 20 phases, and irregular pulsations were detected in four intracranial aneurysms by visual observation, and then the displacement and strain of the intracranial aneurysm was quantified using coherent point drift and finite element method. The displacement and strain were compared between aneurysms with irregular and normal pulsations in two different ways (total and stepwise). The stepwise first principal strain was significantly higher in aneurysms with irregular than normal pulsations (0.20±0.01 vs 0.16±0.02, p=0.033). It was found that the irregular pulsations in intracranial aneurysms usually occur during the consecutive ascending or descending phase of volume changes during the cardiac cycle. In addition, no statistically significant difference was found in the aneurysm volume changes over the cardiac cycle between the two groups. Our method can successfully quantify the displacement and strain changes in the intracranial aneurysm during the cardiac cycle, which may be proven to be a useful tool to quantify intracranial aneurysm deformability and aid in aneurysm rupture risk assessment.

An integrated approach for discrimination of Magnoliae officinalis cortex before and after being processed by ginger juice combining LC/MS, GC/MS, intelligent sensors, and chemometrics.

INTRODUCTION: Magnoliae officinalis cortex (MOC) is an important traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and both raw and stir-fried MOC were commonly used in clinic. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to discriminate MOC and MOC stir-fried with ginger juice (MOCG) using an integrated approach combining liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS), gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), intelligent sensors, and chemometrics. METHODS: The sensory characters of the samples were digitalized using intelligent sensors, i.e., colorimeter, electronic nose, and electronic tongue. Meanwhile, the chemical profiles of the samples were analyzed using LC/MS and GC/MS methods. Chemometric models were constructed to discriminate samples of MOC and MOCG based on not only the sensory data but also the chemical data. RESULTS: The differential sensory characters (L* and b* from colorimeter, ANS from electronic tongue, W1S and W2S from electronic nose) and the differential chemical compounds (26 and 11 compounds from LC/MS and GC/MS, respectively) were discovered between MOC and MOCG. Furthermore, twelve differential compounds showed good relations with differential sensory characters. Finally, artificial neural network models were established to discriminate samples of MOC and MOCG, in which W1S, W2S, ANS, b*, and 10 differential compounds were among the top 10 important variables, respectively. CONCLUSION: Samples of MOC and MOCG can be discriminated not only by the digitalized data of color, taste, and scent detected by intelligent sensors but also by chemical information obtained from LC/MS and GC/MS using chemometrics. The variations in sensory characters and chemical compounds between MOC and MOCG partially resulted from the Maillard reaction products and the oxidation of some compounds in the stir-frying process.

Spatiotemporal changes of urban heat island effect relative to land surface temperature: a case study of Jinan City, China.

The urban heat island (UHI) effect has become increasingly prevalent and significant with the accelerated pace of urbanization, posing challenges for urban planners and policymakers. To reveal the spatiotemporal variations of the urban heat island effect in Jinan City, this study utilized Landsat satellite images from 2009, 2014, and 2019, employing the classic Mono-Window algorithm to extract land surface temperature (LST). Additionally, Geodetector was introduced to conduct a detailed analysis of the relationship between LST in Jinan City and land cover types (vegetation, water bodies, and buildings). The results indicate a significant increase in the severity of the urban heat island effect in Jinan from 2009 to 2019, with the central urban area consistently exhibiting a high-intensity core heat island. Suburban areas of Jinan show a clear trend of merging their heat island effects with the central urban area. The combined area of strong cool island effect zones and cool island effect zones within water bodies reaches 89.7%, while the combined proportion of heat island and strong heat island effect zones in building areas is 62.2%. Vegetation cover (FVC) exerts the greatest influence among all factors on the intensity level of the urban heat island effect. These findings provide a reliable basis for decision-making related to urban planning and construction in Jinan City.

The role of galectin-3 in bone homeostasis: A review.

The skeletal system maintains a delicate balance known as bone homeostasis, which is essential for the lifelong preservation of bone mass, shape, and integrity. This equilibrium relies on a complex interplay between bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), osteoblasts, osteocytes, and osteoclasts. Galectin-3 (Gal-3), a chimeric galectin with a unique N-terminal tail and a conserved carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) at its C-terminus, has emerged as a critical regulator in bone homeostasis. The CRD of Gal-3 mediates carbohydrate binding, while its N-terminal tail is implicated in oligomerization and phase separation, which are vital for its functionality. Gal-3's multivalency is central to its role in a range of cellular activities, including inflammation, immune response, apoptosis, cell adhesion, and migration. Imbalances in bone homeostasis often arise from disruptions in osteoblast differentiation and activity, increased osteoclast differentiation and activity. Gal-3's influence on these processes suggests its significant role in the regulation of bone remodeling. This review will examine the molecular mechanisms through which Gal-3 contributes to bone remodeling and discuss its potential as a therapeutic target for the treatment of bone-related disorders.

Multi-Scale Spatial Attention-Based Multi-Channel 2D Convolutional Network for Soil Property Prediction.

Visible near-infrared spectroscopy (VNIR) is extensively researched for obtaining soil property information due to its rapid, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly advantages. Despite its widespread application and significant achievements in soil property analysis, current soil prediction models continue to suffer from low accuracy. To address this issue, we propose a convolutional neural network model that can achieve high-precision soil property prediction by creating 2D multi-channel inputs and applying a multi-scale spatial attention mechanism. Initially, we explored two-dimensional multi-channel inputs for seven soil properties in the public LUCAS spectral dataset using the Gramian Angular Field (GAF) method and various preprocessing techniques. Subsequently, we developed a convolutional neural network model with a multi-scale spatial attention mechanism to improve the network's extraction of relevant spatial contextual information. Our proposed model showed superior performance in a statistical comparison with current state-of-the-art techniques. The RMSE (R²) values for various soil properties were as follows: organic carbon content (OC) of 19.083 (0.955), calcium carbonate content (CaCO3) of 24.901 (0.961), nitrogen content (N) of 0.969 (0.933), cation exchange capacity (CEC) of 6.52 (0.803), pH in H2O of 0.366 (0.927), clay content of 4.845 (0.86), and sand content of 12.069 (0.789). Our proposed model can effectively extract features from visible near-infrared spectroscopy data, contributing to the precise detection of soil properties.

Research on the anti-aging mechanisms of Panax ginseng extract in mice: a gut microbiome and metabolomics approach.

Introduction: Aged-related brain damage and gut microbiome disruption are common. Research affirms that modulating the microbiota-gut-brain axis can help reduce age-related brain damage. Methods: Ginseng, esteemed in traditional Chinese medicine, is recognized for its anti-aging capabilities. However, previous Ginseng anti-aging studies have largely focused on diseased animal models. To this end, efforts were hereby made to explore the potential neuroprotective effects of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from Ginseng-supplemented aged mice to those pre-treated with antibiotics. Results: As a result, FMT with specific modifications in natural aging mice improved animal weight gain, extended the telomere length, anti-oxidative stress in brain tissue, regulated the serum levels of cytokine, and balanced the proportion of Treg cells. Besides, FMT increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria of Lachnospiraceae, Dubosiella, Bacteroides, etc. and decreased the levels of potential pathogenic bacteria of Helicobacter and Lachnoclostridium in the fecal samples of natural aged mice. This revealed that FMT remarkably reshaped gut microbiome. Additionally, FMT-treated aged mice showed increased levels of metabolites of Ursolic acid, ß-carotene, S-Adenosylmethionine, Spermidine, Guanosine, Celecoxib, Linoleic acid, etc., which were significantly positively correlated with critical beneficial bacteria above. Additionally, these identified critical microbiota and metabolites were mainly enriched in the pathways of Amino acid metabolism, Lipid metabolism, Nucleotide metabolism, etc. Furthermore, FMT downregulated p53/p21/Rb signaling and upregulated p16/p14, ATM/synapsin I/synaptophysin/PSD95, CREB/ERK/AKT signaling in brain damage following natural aging. Discussion: Overall, the study demonstrates that reprogramming of gut microbiota by FMT impedes brain damage in the natural aging process, possibly through the regulation of microbiota-gut-brain axis.

A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Investigating the Weaning Process From Mechanical Ventilation in Elderly Patients With Dementia.

BACKGROUND: Limited data is available regarding the weaning techniques employed for mechanical ventilation (MV) in elderly patients with dementia in China. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study is to investigate diverse weaning methods in relation to the prognostic outcomes of elderly patients with dementia undergoing MV in the intensive care unit (ICU). Specifically, we seek to compare the prognosis, likelihood of successful withdrawal from MV, and the length of stay (LOS) in the ICU. METHODS: The study was conducted as a randomized controlled trial, encompassing a group of 169 elderly patients aged ≥ 65 years with dementia who underwent MV. Three distinct weaning methods were used for MV cessation, namely, the tapering parameter, spontaneous breathing trial (SBT), and SmartCare (Dräger, Germany). RESULTS: In the tapering parameter group, the LOS in the ICU was notably prolonged compared to both the SBT and SmartCare groups. However, no statistically significant differences were observed among the groups with respect to demographic characteristics, such as age and sex, as well as factors including the rationale for ICU admission, cause of MV, MV mode, oxygenation index, hemoglobin levels, albumin levels, ejection fraction, sedation and analgesia practices, tracheotomy, duration of MV, successful extubation, successful weaning, incidences of ventilator-associated pneumonia, and overall prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Both the SBT and SmartCare withdrawal methods demonstrated a reduction in the duration of MV and LOS in the ICU when compared to the tapering parameter method. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR1900028449.

A simple projection method to correlate the principal mechanical direction with the principal microstructural direction of human osteoporotic femoral heads.

The mechanics of the trabecular bone is related to its structure; this work aimed to propose a simple projection method to clarify the correlation between the principal mechanical direction (PMD) and the principal microstructural direction (PMSD) of trabecular bones from osteoporotic femoral heads. A total of 529 trabecular cubes were cropped from five osteoporotic femoral heads. The micro computed tomography (µCT) sequential images of each cube were first projected onto the three Cartesian coordinate planes to have three overlapped images, and the trabecular orientation distribution in the three images was analyzed. The PMSD corresponding to the greatest distribution frequency of the trabecular orientation in the three images was defined. Then, the voxel finite element (FE) models of the cubes were reconstructed and simulated to obtain their compliance matrices, and the matrices were subjected to transversal rotation to find their maximum elastic constants. The PMD corresponding to the maximum elastic constant was defined. Subsequently, the correlation of the defined PMSD and PMD was analyzed. The results showed that PMSD and PMD of the trabecular cubes did not show a significant difference at the xy- and yz-planes except that at the zx-plane. Despite this, the mean PMSD-PMD deviations at the three coordinate planes were close to 0°, and the PMSD-PMD fitting to the line PMSD = PMD demonstrated their high correlation. This study might be helpful to identify the loading direction of anisotropic trabecular bones in experiments by examining the PMSD and also to guide bone scaffold design for bone tissue repair.