Investigating the impact of supply voltage fluctuations on phase noise in quartz crystal oscillators.

The impact of power supply voltage fluctuations on the phase noise of quartz crystal oscillators (XOs) remains an open issue. Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive analysis on this matter. This work presents a novel phase-noise drive sensitivity (PNDS) model for the XO to reveal its mechanism. This model based on five noise modulation processes demonstrates the distribution of the PNDS in the frequency domain clearly, and there exists a PNDS bandwidth fS that limits the supply voltage fluctuation, which is similar to the effect of the noise bandwidth of the classical Leeson model. Using the PNDS, we successfully predict the phase noise of a 10 MHz oscillator under different supply voltage noises. In addition, experimental results show that the PNDS floor is determined by the phase modulation of the sustaining amplifier, while the amplitude-frequency effect of the resonator and the tuning of the diode often play crucial roles in the near-carrier PNDS.

Factors influencing the research impact in cancer research: a collaboration and knowledge network analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is a major public health challenge globally. However, little is known about the evolution patterns of cancer research communities and the influencing factors of their research capacity and impact, which is affected not only by the social networks established through research collaboration but also by the knowledge networks in which the research projects are embedded. METHODS: The focus of this study was narrowed to a specific topic - 'synthetic lethality' - in cancer research. This field has seen vibrant growth and multidisciplinary collaboration in the past decade. Multi-level collaboration and knowledge networks were established and analysed on the basis of bibliometric data from 'synthetic lethality'-related cancer research papers. Negative binomial regression analysis was further applied to explore how node attributes within these networks, along with other potential factors, affected paper citations, which are widely accepted as proxies for assessing research capacity and impact. RESULTS: Our study revealed that the synthetic lethality-based cancer research field is characterized by a knowledge network with high integration, alongside a collaboration network exhibiting some clustering. We found significant correlations between certain factors and citation counts. Specifically, a leading status within the nation-level international collaboration network and industry involvement were both found to be significantly related to higher citations. In the individual-level collaboration networks, lead authors' degree centrality has an inverted U-shaped relationship with citations, while their structural holes exhibit a positive and significant effect. Within the knowledge network, however, only measures of structural holes have a positive and significant effect on the number of citations. CONCLUSIONS: To enhance cancer research capacity and impact, non-leading countries should take measures to enhance their international collaboration status. For early career researchers, increasing the number of collaborators seems to be more effective. University-industry cooperation should also be encouraged, enhancing the integration of human resources, technology, funding, research platforms and medical resources. Insights gained through this study also provide recommendations to researchers or administrators in designing future research directions from a knowledge network perspective. Focusing on unique issues especially interdisciplinary fields will improve output and influence their research work.

Dimethyl fumarate ameliorates chronic stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors by decreasing neuroinflammation and neuronal activity in the amygdala.

BACKGROUND: Chronic stress-induced neuroinflammation plays a pivotal role in the development and exacerbation of mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression. Dimethyl Fumarate (DMF), an effective therapeutic agent approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, has been widely reported to display anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects. However, the impact of DMF on chronic stress-induced anxiety disorders and the exact underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. METHODS: We established a mouse model of chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). DMF was administered orally 1 h before daily stress session for 10 days in CSDS + DMF group. qRT-PCR and western blotting were used to analyze mRNA and protein expression of NLRP3, Caspase-1 and IL-1ß. Immunofluorescence staining was carried out to detect the expression of Iba 1 and c-fos positive cells as well as morphological change of Iba 1+ microglia. Whole-cell patch-clamp recording was applied to evaluate synaptic transmission and intrinsic excitability of neurons. RESULTS: DMF treatment significantly alleviated CSDS-induced anxiety-like behaviors in mice. Mechanistically, DMF treatment prevented CSDS-induced neuroinflammation by inhibiting the activation of microglia and NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1ß signaling pathway in basolateral amygdala (BLA), a brain region important for emotional processing. Furthermore, DMF treatment effectively reversed the CSDS-caused disruption of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission balance, as well as the increased intrinsic excitability of BLA neurons. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide new evidence that DMF may exert anxiolytic effect by preventing CSDS-induced activation of NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1ß signaling pathway and alleviating hyperactivity of BLA neurons.

Plasticity in resource allocation of the invasive Phytolacca americana: Balancing growth, reproduction, and defense along urban-rural gradients.

In response to varying environments along urban and rural gradients, invasive plants may strategically allocate resources to enhance their invasiveness. However, how invasive plants balance their resources for growth, reproduction, and defense as responses to biotic and abiotic factors across these gradients remain unclear. We conducted field surveys on the growth, reproduction, and herbivory of the invasive species Phytolacca americana across diverse urban and rural habitats. Leaf samples were collected to analyze the nutritional content, primary and secondary metabolites. We found that plant growth rates, specific leaf area, leaf nitrogen content, and concentrations of flavonoids and saponins were higher in urban habitats, while reproduction, herbivory, and carbon-to­nitrogen ratios were lower than those in rural habitats. We also found a trade-off between growth rate and herbivory, as well as trade-offs among defense traits associated with herbivory (e.g., leaf mass per area, the inverse of leaf nitrogen content, and carbon­nitrogen ratio) and the production of metabolites associated with abiotic stress tolerance (e.g., soluble sugars, flavonoids, and saponins). As earlier studies showed low levels of genetic diversity within and between populations, our findings suggest that the urban-rural gradient patterns of resource allocation are primarily phenotypic plasticity in response to herbivory in rural areas and abiotic factors in urban areas. Our study sheds light on the mechanisms by which urbanization affects plant invasions and offers insights for the implementation of their management strategies.

How does crosstalk influence the jitter of a clock signal?

The stability and accuracy of the clock signal are crucial for the proper operation of various electronic devices and systems, as they directly impact system performance. In high-speed electronic systems, the clock signal is susceptible to interference by crosstalk. Therefore, evaluating the performance of the clock signal under crosstalk disturbance is important. Jitter, commonly used as an indicator to assess the degree of this interference, plays a significant role in this evaluation. In this paper, a method is proposed for assessing crosstalk-induced jitter (CIJ) based on scattering parameters. To verify the effectiveness of the method, CIJ was measured for clock signals with frequencies of 25, 100, and 156.25 MHz. In addition, the experimental results are well in agreement with the theoretical model. Thus, the potential application of this method is to assess the performance of circuits or electronic systems.

Determining the Clinical Characteristics, Treatment Strategies, and Prognostic Factors for Mycoplasma pneumoniae Encephalitis in Children: A Multicenter Study in China.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Most of the knowledge of Mycoplasma pneumonia (M. pneumoniae) encephalitis (MPE) in children is based on case reports or small case series. This study aimed to describe the clinical features and prognostic factors of MPE, and the efficacy of azithromycin with or without immunomodulatory therapy. METHODS: The medical data of 87 patients with MPE from 3 medical centers in southwestern China over a 7-year period were reviewed. RESULTS: MPE was found in children of all ages except for neonates. The most common neurological manifestations included consciousness disturbance (90%) and headache (87.4%), the most common extraneurological manifestations included fever (96.5%) and respiratory system involvement (94.3%); multisystem involvement (98.2%) and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) (90.8%) were also prominent. M. pneumoniae was detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) less often than in blood and respiratory tract secretions. Azithromycin with intravenous immunoglobulin or/and corticosteroid treatment can shorten the hospitalization duration and the clinical improvement process. Most patients (82.8%) received a favorable prognosis; serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and CSF protein levels were higher in the poor-outcome group than in the good-outcome group (p<0.05). Neurological sequelae are likely to continue when the onset of this condition occurs during teenage years. CONCLUSIONS: MPE generally presented with nonspecific clinical manifestations. In children with acute encephalitis accompanied by multi-system involvement and prominently elevated CRP, M. pneumoniae should be considered as a possible pathogen. Immunomodulating therapies should be recommended regardless of the duration of the prodromal period. High CSF protein level, blood LDH elevation, and higher age may be associated with an unfavorable outcome.

How Does Ambient Temperature Fluctuation Influence the Short-Term Frequency Stability of OCXO?

Short-term frequency stability (STFS) is one of the most important specification of oven-controlled crystal oscillators (OCXOs). Although numerous studies have investigated factors that influence STFS, research on the impact of ambient temperature fluctuation is rare. This work investigates the relationship between the ambient temperature fluctuation and the STFS by introducing a model of the OCXO's short-term frequency-temperature characteristic (STFTC), which considers the transient thermal response of the quartz resonator, the thermal structure, and the oven control system. According to the model, an electrical-thermal co-simulation is adopted to determine the temperature rejection ratio of the oven control system and estimates the phase noise and Allan deviation (ADEV) that caused by fluctuations in ambient temperature. As a verification, a 10-MHz single-oven oscillator is designed. From the measured results, the estimated phase noise near the carrier agrees well with the measured results, and it can be seen that only when the temperature fluctuation is less than 10 mK at 1-100 s, the oscillator can maintain the characteristics of flicker frequency noise at the offset frequency from 10 mHz to 1 Hz, and the ADEV is possible to reach at the order of E -13 in 100 s. Thus, the model proposed in this study effectively predicts the impact of ambient temperature fluctuation on the STFS of an OCXO.

[Electroacupuncture mitigates hyperlipidemia via improving cholesterol metabolism mediated by SCAP/SREBP-2 signaling in liver tissue in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) cleavage-activating protein (SCAP)/ SREBP-2 signaling and the expressions of its downstream cholesterol metabolism related molecules 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR), proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), and low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) in the liver tissue in rats with hyperlipidemia (HLP), so as to reveal its mechanisms underlying improvement of HLP. METHODS: Male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control, HLP model and EA groups (n=10/group). The HLP model was established by feeding the rats with high-fat diet for 28 d. Rats in the EA group received EA stimulation (2 Hz/100 Hz, 2 mA) at "Fenglong" (ST40) and "Yinlingquan"(SP9) for 30 min, once daily for 28 d. The contents of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the serum, the activity of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (AST) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (ALT) were detected by automatic biochemical analysis. The content of TC in the liver tissue was detected using high performance liquid chromatography. The mRNA and protein expression levels of SCAP, SREBP-2, HMGCR, PCSK9 and LDLR in the liver tissue were measured by using quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot, respectively. The immunofluorescence density of liver SCAP was determined by using immunofluorescence histochemistry. RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, the contents of liver TC, serum TC, LDL-C, the activities of AST and ALT, and the mRNA and protein expression levels of SCAP, SREBP-2, HMGCR, PCSK9 as well as SCAP immunoactivity were significantly increased (P<0.01), while the LDLR mRNA and protein levels were markedly decreased (P<0.01) in the model group. In comparison with the model group, the contents of liver TC， serum TC, LDL-C, the activities of AST and ALT and the expression of SCAP, SREBP-2, HMGCR, PCSK9 mRNAs and proteins and SCAP immunoactivity were considerably decreased in the EA group (P<0.01), while the LDLR protein level was evidently increased in the EA group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: EA intervention can inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol in the liver and thus improve hyperlipidemia in HLP rats, which may be realized by down-regulating the protein and mRNA expressions of hepatic SCAP/SREBP-2, HMGCR and PCSK9, and up-regulating LDLR protein.

Cell wall breaking of Haematococcus pluvialis biomass facilitated by Baijiu jiuqu fermentation with simultaneously production of beverages.

The microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis is a commercial source of natural astaxanthin. However, mature cells develop rigid three-layer wall structures and a repulsive odor. This study applied a liquid static fermentation system to screen hydrolyzing microorganisms for cell wall hydrolysis. Baijiu jiuqu and Gutian hongqu were found to have promising potential for application. The fermentation using 2% baijiu jiuqu and 2% glucose for pre-activation achieved comparable recovery of carotenoids to homogenizer disruption methods and produced stable fragrance which may be attributed to ethyl octanoate, hexyl formate, and phenethyl butyrate, as revealed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. The abundance of astaxanthin molecules was slightly affected by fermentation with fold change < 2, while molecules with higher fold change (>10) were mainly carbohydrates, lipids, and steroids proving the safety of the fermentation. This study provides a new scheme for the biorefining of Haematococcus. pluvialis, potentially contributing to the industrial production of natural astaxanthin.

Evaluation of Fe3O4-MnO2@RGO magnetic nanocomposite as an effective persulfate activator and metal adsorbent in aqueous solution.

A reduced graphene oxide (RGO) supported Fe3O4-MnO2 nanocomposite (Fe3O4-MnO2@RGO) was successfully prepared for catalytic degradation of oxytetracycline (20 mg/L) by potassium persulfate (PS) and adsorption removal of mixture of Pb2+, Cu2+, and Cd2+ ions (each 0.2 mM) in the synchronous scenario. The removal efficiencies of oxytetracycline, Pb2+, Cu2+, and Cd2+ ions were observed as high as 100%, 99.9%, 99.8%, and 99.8%, respectively, under the conditions of [PS]0 = 4 mM, pH0 = 7.0, Fe3O4-MnO2@RGO dosage = 0.8 g/L, reaction time = 90 min. The ternary composite exhibited higher oxytetracycline degradation/mineralization efficiency, greater metal adsorption capacity (Cd2+ 104.1 mg/g, Pb2+ 206.8 mg/g, Cu2+ 70.2 mg/g), and better PS utilization (62.6%) than its unary and binary counterparts including RGO, Fe3O4, Fe3O4@RGO, and Fe3O4-MnO2. More importantly, the ternary composite had good magnetic recoverability and excellent reusability. Notably, Fe, Mn, and RGO could play a synergistic role in the improvement of pollutant removal. Quenching results indicate that surface bounded SO4•- was the major contributor to oxytetracycline decomposition, and the -OH groups on the composite surface shouldered a significant role in PS activation. The results indicate that the magnetic Fe3O4-MnO2@RGO nanocomposite has a good potential for removing organic-metal co-contaminants in waterbody.

Predictors of academic career progression among early career physician-scientists via an intensive research training program abroad: a case study.

BACKGROUND: Despite extensive efforts to revitalize the physician-scientist pipeline, attrition has been observed along the physician-scientist developmental pathway. Research exposure during clinical training is considered an important factor favoring the decision to pursue an academic career pathway. METHODS: The authors sought to identify factors associated with academic career progression among junior physician-scientists following the completion of an intensive research training program, using the framework of the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), to benefit the design of efforts to revitalize the physician-scientist career pipeline. We conducted a retrospective study of 108 physicians who completed a long-term research training program abroad during residency, or within a few years post-residency completion, between 2010 and 2017. With potential predictors of academic career progression prioritized by SCCT, multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors of sustained research involvement, high productivity and high research competency after training, respectively. The SCCT was used to illuminate our findings. RESULTS: Co-publications with training supervisors abroad and medical oncology/pediatric oncology as a clinical specialty were positively associated with sustained research involvement and high productivity. Joining the training program after the age of 36 was negatively associated with high research competency. All of the predictors shared a common feature of high correlation with both self-efficacy and environmental elements, the reciprocal interactions of which may affect the career progression of physician-scientists. CONCLUSIONS: Insights gained through this analysis provide policy recommendations for the designing of efforts to revitalize the physician-scientist career pipeline. Priorities should be given to institutional oversight to ensure strengthened self-efficacy at the beginning of one's academic career, by providing long-term research training opportunities to young residents and promoting co-publications with their training supervisors during the training. In order to avoid the negative impact to self-efficacy caused by patient-related burnout or academic isolation, academic medical centers should take measures to guarantee protected research time, and to develop a positive culture encouraging mentoring relationships between junior and experienced physician-scientists in medical departments.

Stable Phase Equilibria of the Quaternary Water-Salt System Li+, Rb+, Mg2+//SO4 2--H2O at T = 273.2 K.

The phase equilibria for the quaternary system Li+, Rb+, Mg2+//SO4 2- - H2O at 273.2 K were studied by the isothermal dissolution equilibrium method. Based on the measured data, the space diagram, stable phase diagram, water content diagram, and the diagram of density vs composition are plotted. The stable phase diagram in the system consists of four quaternary invariant points, nine univariate curves, and six crystallization zones. For the invariant points, E1 and E4 belong to the commensurate type, and E2 and E3 belong to the incommensurate type. The order of the crystallization area is Rb2SO4·MgSO4·6H2O > 3Li2SO4·Rb2SO4·2H2O > Li2SO4·Rb2SO4 > MgSO4·7H2O > Li2SO4·H2O > Rb2SO4. The density of the equilibrium liquid changed regularly with the content of Rb2SO4 in the solution. By comparing the stable phase diagram of the partial ternary subsystems at T = 273.2 K and T = 298.2 K, it is found that the crystallization regions of Rb2SO4 increases with the decrease in temperature, which indicates that cooling is conducive to the crystallization of Rb2SO4. By comparing the stable phase diagram of the system at T = 273.2 K and T = 308.2 K, it was found that the system was composed of four invariant points, nine univariate curves, and six crystal regions. The double salt 3Li2SO4·Rb2SO4·2H2O is converted to 3Li2SO4·Rb2SO4. The crystallization region of single salt MgSO4·7H2O, Rb2SO4 and double salt Li2SO4·Rb2SO4 decreased obviously.

Effects of Lecithin Supplementation in Feed of Different fat Levels on Serum Indexes and Liver Health of Laying Hens.

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of soy lecithin on serum-related indicators and liver health in laying hens under the influence of high-fat diets. 180 peak laying hens at 40 weeks of age were randomly assigned to one of the four diets using a 2 × 2 factorial and fed for 5 weeks. The results showed that compared to the low-fat group, the high-fat group had lower egg production (p < 0.05) and higher average daily feed intake and feed-to-egg ratio (p < 0.05). At the 21st day, the serum levels of triglyceride (TC) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were higher (p < 0.05), high-density lipoproteins cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were lower (p < 0.01), catalase (CAT) activity was lower (p < 0.05), TC and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in liver were higher (p < 0.01) and SOD activity in liver was lower (p < 0.05) in layers supplemented with soy lecithin. CAT activity in serum was increased (p < 0.01) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) activity in the liver was decreased (p < 0.05) after increasing the dietary fat concentration. The addition of soy lecithin and the increase in dietary fat concentration had a highly significant interaction on serum CAT activity and liver TC content in layers (p < 0.01). At the 35th day, the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity was higher (p < 0.01), serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and CAT activity were higher (p < 0.05), and serum triglyceride (TG) content and total T-AOC capacity activity were lower (p < 0.05) in layers supplemented with soy lecithin. Increasing dietary fat concentration decreased alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and GSH-Px activity in serum (p < 0.05). However, it increased TG and MDA content in liver (p < 0.05), and highly decreased SOD content in liver (p < 0.01) in layers. The addition of soy lecithin and increasing dietary fat concentration had a highly significant reciprocal effect on serum ALT viability and CAT viability (p < 0.01) and liver TG and MDA content and SOD viability (p < 0.05) in layers. In conclusion, feeding high-fat diets will adversely affect the laying performance of laying hens, while long-term addition of lecithin can improve the blood lipids and liver lipids of laying hens, enhance the antioxidant capacity of the liver, and maintain liver health.

Cohort study of infantile epileptic spasms syndrome: etiological analysis and treatment of corticosteroids.

BACKGROUND: Infantile epileptic spasms syndrome (IESS) is the most common type of severe epilepsy in infants. However, etiological frequency and optimized therapy, particularly corticosteroid regimen and dose, remain unknown. METHODS: An ambispective study of an IESS-diagnosed cohort was conducted. Etiologies were evaluated based on the 2017 International League Against Epilepsy classification system. Patients received intravenous dexamethasone or methylprednisolone for 3-5 consecutive days, followed by usual-dose (2 mg/kg/d) oral prednisone for 60-90 days with tapering doses for 1-2 months or high-dose (4 mg/kg/d) oral prednisone for 9-11 days with tapering doses for 2-4 weeks. Treatment responses were compared between the usual and high-dose prednisone groups after propensity score matching. Correlation analysis between treatment responses and underlying etiology was performed. RESULTS: Of the 441 included participants, 218 (49.4%) cases had proven etiologies. The most common etiology of IESS was acquired-structural (23.6%), followed by genetic (15.4%) and congenital-structural (7.0%). Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (55, 52.8%) was the most common acquired-structural etiology. Among the 242 patients administered corticosteroids, 95 received usual-dose oral prednisone and 147 received high-dose oral prednisone. After propensity score matching, 54 patients were included in the usual-dose and high-dose groups, respectively, and treatment effectiveness was compared. There were no significant differences in seizure freedom at days 13-14 (55.6% vs. 51.9%, p = 0.700) and continued seizure freedom between days 14-42 (29.6% vs. 38.9%, p = 0.311) post corticosteroid administration between the usual- and high-dose prednisone groups. The proportion of children achieving seizure cessation at days 13-14 (χ2 = 1.470, p = 0.698) and days 14-42 (χ2 = 0.928, p = 0.836) was similar in the different etiological subgroups. Unknown etiological group showed significantly higher resolution of hypsarrhythmia than other etiological groups (χ2 = 10.761, p = 0.009). Both usual-dose and high-dose group showed tolerance to full-dose corticosteroids and similar adverse events over the observation period. CONCLUSION: IESS etiology was primarily related to structural causes. Clinical response in short-term follow-up was independent of prednisone dosage and underlying etiology. Better EEG responses may occur in patients with unknown etiology.

Effect of Ramie on the Production Performance of Laying Hens, and the Quality, Nutrient Composition, Antioxidation of the Eggs.

Ramie (Boehmeria nivea), which is rich in protein, fatty acid, vitamins and minerals, has become a potential alternative feed resource for poultry, and has attracted more and more attentions in nutrition research. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of dietary ramie at different concentrations on the production performance of the hens, and the quality, nutrient composition, and antioxidation of the eggs. A total of 432 34-week-old Lohmann commercial laying hens were divided into four groups, that were fed with corn-soybean meal-based control diet, control mixed with ramie at concentrations of 3, 6, or 9% separately for 8 weeks. Results showed that dietary ramie did not affect production performance. And egg yolk color gradually deepened as the inclusion levels of ramie increased. Ramie at tested concentration could significantly reduce the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) (p = 0.002) and 3% ramie supplementation significantly increased total antioxidative capacity (T-AOC) concentrations in egg yolk compared to the control group (p = 0.033). In addition, dietary supplementation with 6% ramie significantly reduced total cholesterol (T-CHO) content (p < 0.05) compared with controls. For egg nutrient composition, compared with the control group, the addition of 6% ramie significantly increased (p < 0.05) total omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3PUFA) and phenylalanine (Phe) in yolk. In conclusion, dietary inclusion of 6% ramie was most effective in improving the color, antioxidative capability, and reducing T-CHO contents of the egg yolks without any negative impacts on the production performance of the hens.

Early-onset spontaneously relieved spasms of infancy in sleep: Electroclinical characteristics and differential diagnoses.

PURPOSE: Infantile spasm-like paroxysms are often difficult to classify as epileptic or non-epileptic. We aimed to study spontaneously relieved (non-epileptic) spasms of infancy in sleep. Elucidation of the electroclinical characteristics and differential diagnoses of such spasms could facilitate accurate diagnosis in the future. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data, video-EEG recordings, and other laboratory test results of patients with spontaneously relieved spasms of infancy during sleep. All the enrolled patients were followed up for at least 5 months. RESULTS: Seven infants were included in this study. The median age at spasm onset was 0.5 months (range: 0.1-2 months). The episodes were characterized by clusters of non-epileptic spasms of the head, trunk, or extremities lasting approximately 0.5-2 s, and were validated by ictal electromyography (EMG)/video EEG. Episodes occurred several times daily in clusters, particularly during sleep; two patients also experienced episodes while awake. Additionally, non-epileptic jerks were recorded in 3 patients. All non-epileptic spasms were completely resolved 2 weeks to 3 months after onset. Moreover, neuropsychomotor development in all patients was normal at the last follow-up (5 to 12 months). CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneously relieved spasms of infancy in sleep is a self-limiting movement disorder characterized by onset between 0.1 and 2 months of age, and by clusters of spasms occurring in sleep. Correct differential diagnosis relies on familiar clinical and electrophysiological features.

Effects of Different Levels of Garlic Straw Powder on Growth Performance, Meat Quality, Antioxidant and Intestinal Mucosal Morphology of Yellow-Feathered Broilers.

The full utilization of garlic straw can partially alleviate shortage of feedstuff and waste of resources. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of garlic straw as an unconventional feed on yellow-feathered broilers. 360 28-day-old yellow-feathered broilers were randomly divided into 4 groups with 6 replicates (cage) per group, 15 per cage. The 4 groups were as follows: control group (basal diet) and experimental group I (basal diet supplemented with 3% garlic straw powder), II (basal diet supplemented with 6% garlic straw powder) and III (basal diet supplemented with 9% garlic straw powder). There was no significant difference in the initial body weight of the broilers among groups (p > 0.05). The test period was 28 days in total. The experiment results showed that there were no significant difference in the average final weight, ADG, ADFI and F/G among groups (p > 0.05). On the one hand, for the breast muscle, the drip loss of experimental group I, II and III were reduced by 17.24% (p <0.05), 20.11% (p <0.05) and 20.50% (p <0.05), respectively, compared with the control group; the redness a* of the experimental groups had a trend of improvement (0.05

0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of different levels of garlic straw powder can improve meat quality and antioxidant capacity of yellow-feathered broilers without affecting growth performance and intestinal mucosal morphology.

Effectiveness and Safety of Oxcarbazepine vs. Levetiracetam as Monotherapy for Infantile Focal Epilepsy: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness and safety of oxcarbazepine (OXC) vs. levetiracetam (LEV) for treating infantile focal epilepsy in a longitudinal cohort study. Methods: We enrolled 187 consecutive patients aged 2-24 months who received OXC or LEV as initial monotherapy; 161 patients completed the study. The longitudinal analysis involved anti-seizure medication (ASM) responsiveness, safety, the establishment of epilepsy syndrome, and etiology over a median follow-up of 2 years (interquartile range [IQR] 1.6-2.4). The relative efficacy and retention rates of OXC vs. LEV were evaluated using generalized linear regression models and the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: The 161 patients who completed the study had comparable baseline demographics and clinical variables between the OXC group (n = 83) and LEV group (n = 78). Overall, the mean age at onset was 6 months (IQR 4.3-9). The most common epilepsy syndrome was self-limited familial/non-familial infantile epilepsy (54.7%). Epilepsy was related to genetic and unknown causes in 34.2 and 52.2% of the patients, respectively. OXC achieved significantly higher responses than LEV for seizure freedom (risk ratio [RR] = 1.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.28-2.73, P < 0.001) and 12-month retention rate after onset (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.15-2.95, P = 0.007). Moreover, OXC showed more obvious effects for patients aged < 1 year diagnosed with self-limited familial/non-familial infantile epilepsy and non-syndromic epilepsy with genetic or unknown causes. The adverse events related to both OXC and LEV were well-tolerated. Significance: OXC could be an alternative to LEV for treating infantile focal epilepsy. OXC monotherapy can be considered first-line treatment for patients aged <12 months and those with epilepsy without developmental and epileptic encephalopathy.

Comparing of Frequency Shift and Impedance Analysis Method Based on QCM Sensor for Measuring the Blood Viscosity.

Blood viscosity measurements are crucial for the diagnosis of cardiovascular and hematological diseases. Traditional blood viscosity measurements have obvious limitations because of their expensive equipment usage and large sample consumption. In this study, blood viscosity was measured by the oscillating circuit method and impedance analysis method based on single QCM. In addition, the effectiveness of two methods with high precision and less sample is proved by the experiments. Moreover, compared to the result from a standard rotational viscometer, the maximum relative errors of the proposed oscillating circuit method and impedance analysis method are ±5.2% and ±1.8%, respectively. A reliability test is performed by repeated measurement (N = 5), and the result shows that the standard deviation about 0.9% of impedance analysis is smaller than that of oscillating circuit method. Therefore, the impedance analysis method is superior. Further, the repeatability of impedance analysis method was evaluated by regression analysis method, and the correlation coefficient R2 > 0.965 demonstrated that it had excellent reproducibility.

Muscle strength performed better than muscle mass in identifying cognitive impairment risk in maintenance hemodialysis patients.

OBJECTIVES: The association between muscle mass and cognitive impairment (CI) is conflicting. We aimed to evaluate and compare the associations of muscle strength, muscle mass and CI risk in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, cross-sectional study. Cognitive function was assessed with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score. Muscle strength was assessed by hand grip strength (HGS), muscle mass was assessed by lean tissue mass (LTM). Education status was divided into two groups: lower education status (senior middle school and below) and higher education status (high school and above). Multivariable logistic regression models and subgroup analyses were performed. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were conducted to compare their predictive power in discriminating CI. RESULTS: 2827 adult MHD patients were included in our final analysis. Patients in the lowest quartile of HGS was 2.82-fold as likely to have CI as compared to those in the highest quartile, while participants in the lowest quartile of LTM group were 1.52-fold as likely to have CI, when compared with the highest quartile group of LTM after adjusting for age, gender and education level. The association persisted in all subgroups except for women and well-educated participants. There was a significant interaction between HGS and education status on CI and age played an interactive role in the association between LTM and incident CI (P for interaction < 0.05). The AUC value of the HGS was significantly higher than that of LTM (0.69 VS 0.63, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Muscle strength performed better than muscle mass in identifying individuals at high risk of CI, particularly in male and less educated Chinese MHD patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V, cross-sectional study.