Rice is one of the most important crops worldwide, both as a staple food and as a model system for genomic research. In order to systematically assign functions to all predicted genes in the rice genome, a large numbe...Rice is one of the most important crops worldwide, both as a staple food and as a model system for genomic research. In order to systematically assign functions to all predicted genes in the rice genome, a large number of rice mutant lines, including those created by T-DNA insertion, Ds/dSpm tagging, Tos17 tagging, and chemical/irradiation mutagenesis, have been generated by groups around the world. In this study, we have reviewed the current status of mutant resources for functional analysis of the rice genome. A total of 246 566 flanking sequence tags from rice mutant libraries with T-DNA, Ds/dSpm, or Tos17 insertion have been collected and analyzed. The results show that, among 211 470 unique hits, inserts located in the genic region account for 68.16%, and 60.49% of nuclear genes contain at least one insertion. Currently, 57% of non-transposable-element-related genes in rice have insertional tags. In addition, chemical/irradiation-induced rice mutant libraries have contributed a lot to both gene identification and new technology for the identification of mutant sites. In this review, we summarize how these tools have been used to generate a large collection of mutants. In addition, we discuss the merits of classic mutation strategies. In order to achieve saturation of mutagenesis in rice, DNA targeting, and new resources like RiceFox for gene functional identification are reviewed from a perspective of the future generation of rice mutant resources.展开更多
The spatial concentrations, seasonal trends, profiles and congener pairs of ambient polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins （PCDDs） and polychlorinated dibenzofurans （PCDFs） were investigated within a seasonally active ...The spatial concentrations, seasonal trends, profiles and congener pairs of ambient polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins （PCDDs） and polychlorinated dibenzofurans （PCDFs） were investigated within a seasonally active sampling scheme during Jun 2008 and Jan 2009 in Tianjin City, northern China. The PCDD/F concentrations ranged 14.2-172 fg I-TEQ/m3 （average 69.3 fg I-TEQ/m3） in summer and （89.8-1.01） x 103 fg I-TEQ/m3 （average 509 fg I-TEQ/m3） in winter, respectively, except for the E-waste dismantling site where much higher values were observed （1.04 x 103 fg I-TEQ]m3 in summer and 7.123 x 103 fg I-TEQ/m3 in winter）. The results indicated a significantly seasonal trend with higher TEQ values in winter as compared with summer, which could be related to increased emission sources and seasonal variations of the atmospheric boundary layer height. 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF was the dominant contributor to the total PCDD/F toxic equivalents, and 2,3,7,8-TCDD was detected at almost all the sampling sites in winter. Most of the similarly substituted PCDD/F congener pairs exhibited high correlations, suggesting that they might have similar environmental fate or sources. But different seasonal and spatial distributions of PCDD/F concentrations indicated that the emission sources might be intermittent.展开更多
In situ and continuous monitoring of electrochemical activity is key to understanding and evaluating the operation mechanism and efficiency of energy storage devices.However,this task remains challenging.For example,t...In situ and continuous monitoring of electrochemical activity is key to understanding and evaluating the operation mechanism and efficiency of energy storage devices.However,this task remains challenging.For example,the present methods are not capable of providing the real-time information about the state of charge(SOC)of the energy storage devices while in operation.To address this,a novel approach based on an electrochemical surface plasmon resonance(SPR)optical fiber sensor is proposed here.This approach offers the capability of in situ comprehensive monitoring of the electrochemical activity(the electrode potential and the SOC)of supercapacitors(used as an example).The sensor adopted is a tilted fiber Bragg grating imprinted in a commercial single-mode fiber and coated with a nanoscale gold film for high-efficiency SPR excitation.Unlike conventional“bulk”detection methods for electrode activity,our approach targets the“localized”(sub-μm-scale)charge state of the ions adjacent to the electrode interface of supercapacitors by monitoring the properties of the SPR wave on the fiber sensor surface located adjacent to the electrode.A stable and reproducible correlation between the real-time charge–discharge cycles of the supercapacitors and the optical transmission of the optical fiber has been found.Moreover,the method proposed is inherently immune to temperature cross-talk because of the presence of environmentally insensitive reference features in the optical transmission spectrum of the devices.Finally,this particular application is ideally suited to the fundamental qualities of optical fiber sensors,such as their compact size,flexible shape,and remote operation capability,thereby opening the way for other opportunities for electrochemical monitoring in various hard-to-reach spaces and remote environments.展开更多
The Huang-Huai-Hai Plain is the most important winter wheat and maize production region in China.In response to the increasing population pressure,the Chinese authorities strongly invested in improving the irrigation ...The Huang-Huai-Hai Plain is the most important winter wheat and maize production region in China.In response to the increasing population pressure,the Chinese authorities strongly invested in improving the irrigation systems and increasing ground and surface water exploitation within the plain to increase the crop productivity.This resulted in a reduction of water resource availability and in turn indirectly affected the suitability of various agricultural ecosystems in the plain.The main purpose of this study was to review the suitability of temperature and precipitation for the winter wheat and summer maize cropping system in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain,in order to provide a preliminary irrigation scheme.This analysis provides a first attempt to enhance the water resource management as well as to increase the water use efficiency.For this aim,a GIS-based multicriteria analysis procedure has been developed consisting of（1） definition of objectives（evaluated entities） and database building;（2） definition of evaluation criteria;（3） standardization of the criteria;（4） combination of the criteria;（5） classification of the objectives;and（6） integration of the objectives.The land suitability classification maps were transformed into maps of required irrigation amounts for each growing stage of the winter wheat and summer maize cropping system.The study also exemplified the limitations and proposed future research activities that will improve the detail and accuracy of the evaluation results.展开更多
Objective Several COVID-19 patients have overlapping comorbidities. The independent role of each component contributing to the risk of COVID-19 is unknown, and how some non-cardiometabolic comorbidities affect the ris...Objective Several COVID-19 patients have overlapping comorbidities. The independent role of each component contributing to the risk of COVID-19 is unknown, and how some non-cardiometabolic comorbidities affect the risk of COVID-19 remains unclear.Methods A retrospective follow-up design was adopted. A total of 1,160 laboratory-confirmed patients were enrolled from nine provinces in China. Data on comorbidities were obtained from the patients’ medical records. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio(OR) and 95% confidence interval(95% CI) of the associations between comorbidities(cardiometabolic or non-cardiometabolic diseases), clinical severity, and treatment outcomes of COVID-19.Results Overall, 158(13.6%) patients were diagnosed with severe illness and 32(2.7%) had unfavorable outcomes. Hypertension(2.87, 1.30–6.32), type 2 diabetes(T2 DM)(3.57, 2.32–5.49),cardiovascular disease(CVD)(3.78, 1.81–7.89), fatty liver disease(7.53, 1.96–28.96), hyperlipidemia(2.15, 1.26–3.67), other lung diseases(6.00, 3.01–11.96), and electrolyte imbalance(10.40, 3.00–26.10)were independently linked to increased odds of being severely ill. T2 DM(6.07, 2.89–12.75), CVD(8.47,6.03–11.89), and electrolyte imbalance(19.44, 11.47–32.96) were also strong predictors of unfavorable outcomes. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease on admission(5.46,3.25–9.19), while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes(6.58, 1.46–29.64) within two weeks.Conclusion Besides hypertension, diabetes, and CVD, fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, other lung diseases, and electrolyte imbalance were independent risk factors for COVID-19 severity and poor treatment outcome. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease, while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes.展开更多
There are many techniques using sensors and wearable devices for detecting and monitoring patients with Parkinson’s disease(PD).A recent development is the utilization of human interaction with computer keyboards for...There are many techniques using sensors and wearable devices for detecting and monitoring patients with Parkinson’s disease(PD).A recent development is the utilization of human interaction with computer keyboards for analyzing and identifying motor signs in the early stages of the disease.Current designs for classification of time series of computer-key hold durations recorded from healthy control and PD subjects require the time series of length to be considerably long.With an attempt to avoid discomfort to participants in performing long physical tasks for data recording,this paper introduces the use of fuzzy recurrence plots of very short time series as input data for the machine training and classification with long short-term memory(LSTM)neural networks.Being an original approach that is able to both significantly increase the feature dimensions and provides the property of deterministic dynamical systems of very short time series for information processing carried out by an LSTM layer architecture,fuzzy recurrence plots provide promising results and outperform the direct input of the time series for the classification of healthy control and early PD subjects.展开更多
BACKGROUND Diabetes is known damage the liver and kidney,leading to hepatic dysfunction and kidney failure.Honey is believed to help in lowering the blood glucose levels of diabetic patients and reducing diabetic comp...BACKGROUND Diabetes is known damage the liver and kidney,leading to hepatic dysfunction and kidney failure.Honey is believed to help in lowering the blood glucose levels of diabetic patients and reducing diabetic complications.However,the effect of stingless bee honey(SBH)administration in relieving liver and kidney damage in diabetes has not been well-studied.AIM To investigate the effect of SBH administration on the kidney and liver of streptozotocin-induced(STZ;55 mg/kg)diabetic Sprague Dawley rats.METHODS The rats were grouped as follows(n=6 per group):non-diabetic(ND),untreated diabetic(UNT),metformin-treated(MET),and SBH+metformin-treated(SBME)groups.After successful diabetic induction,ND and UNT rats were given normal saline,whereas the treatment groups received SBH(2.0 g/kg and/or metformin(250 mg/kg)for 12 d.Serum biochemical parameters and histological changes using hematoxylin and eosin(H&E)and periodic acid–Schiff(PAS)staining were evaluated.RESULTS On H&E and PAS staining,the ND group showed normal architecture and cellularity of Bowman’s capsule and tubules,whereas the UNT and MET groups had an increased glomerular cellularity and thickened basement membrane.The SBH-treated group showed a decrease in hydropic changes and mild cellularity of the glomerulus vs the ND group based on H&E staining,but the two were similar on PAS staining.Likewise,the SBME-treated group had an increase in cellularity of the glomerulus on H&E staining,but it was comparable to the SBH and ND groups on PAS staining.UNT diabetic rats had tubular hydropic tubules,which were smaller than other groups.Reduced fatty vacuole formation and dilated blood sinusoids in liver tissue were seen in the SBH group.Conversely,the UNT group had high glucose levels,which subsequently increased MDA levels,ultimately leading to liver damage.SBH treatment reduced this damage,as evidenced by having the lowest fasting glucose,serum alanine transaminase,aspartate transaminase,and alkaline phosphatase levels compared to other groups,although the 展开更多
The article synthesizes and presents the results regarding the stability of positive homogeneous systems that have been researched and published in recent years. Next, we provide a sufficient condition for global expo...The article synthesizes and presents the results regarding the stability of positive homogeneous systems that have been researched and published in recent years. Next, we provide a sufficient condition for global exponential stability in the case of discrete-time positive homogeneous systems with an order less than one with time-varying delays.展开更多
Presently,the global search for alternative renewable energy sources is rising due to the depletion of fossil fuel and rising greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions.Among alternatives,hydrogen(H2)produced from biomass gasificat...Presently,the global search for alternative renewable energy sources is rising due to the depletion of fossil fuel and rising greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions.Among alternatives,hydrogen(H2)produced from biomass gasification is considered a green energy sector,due to its environmentally friendly,sustainable,and renewable characteristics.However,tar formation along with syngas is a severe impediment to biomass conversion efficiency,which results in process-related problems.Typically,tar consists of various hydrocarbons(HCs),which are also sources for syngas.Hence,catalytic steam reforming is an effective technique to address tar formation and improve H2 production from biomass gasification.Of the various classes in existence,supported metal catalysts are considered the most promising.This paper focuses on the current researching status,prospects,and challenges of steam reforming of gasified biomass tar.Besides,it includes recent developments in tar compositional analysis,supported metal catalysts,along with the reactions and process conditions for catalytic steam reforming.Moreover,it discusses alternatives such as dry and autothermal reforming of tar.展开更多
Background:Prognostic measures to determine burn mortality are essential in evaluating the severity of individual burn victims.This is an important process of triaging patients with high risk of mortality that may be ...Background:Prognostic measures to determine burn mortality are essential in evaluating the severity of individual burn victims.This is an important process of triaging patients with high risk of mortality that may be nursed in the acute care setting.Malaysian burn research is lacking with only one publication identified which describes the epidemiology of burn victims.Therefore,the objective of this study was to go one step further and identify the predictors of burn mortality from a Malaysian burns intensive care unit(BICU)which may be used to triage patients at higher risk of death.Methods:This is a retrospective cohort study of all admissions to Hospital Sultan Ismail’s BICU from January 2010 till October 2015.Admission criteria were in accordance with the American Burn Association guidelines,and risk factors of interest were recorded.Data was analyzed using simple logistic regression to determine significant predictors of mortality.Survival analysis with time to death event was performed using the Kaplan-Meier survival curve with log-rank test.Results:Through the 6-year period,393 patients were admitted with a male preponderance of 73.8%.The mean age and length of stay were 35.6(±15.72)years and 15.3(±18.91)days.There were 48 mortalities with an overall mortality rate of 12.2%.Significant risk factors identified on simple logistic regression were total body surface area(TBSA)>20%(p<0.001),inhalation injury(p<0.001)and presence of early systemic inflammatory response syndrome(SIRS)(p<0.001).Survival analysis using Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed similar results with TBSA>20%,presence of SIRS,mechanical ventilation and inhalation injury which were associated with poorer survival(p<0.001).Conclusion:The predictors of mortality identified in a Malaysian BICU were TBSA>20%,early SIRS,mechanical ventilation and inhalation injury which were associated with poorer survival outcome.The immunological response differs from individual patients and influenced by the severity of burn injury.Early SIRS on admission i展开更多
Introduction: The incidence of acute renal failure (ARF) varies between 20% and 40% of cases for COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit, with very high mortality, but heterogeneous according to the diff...Introduction: The incidence of acute renal failure (ARF) varies between 20% and 40% of cases for COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit, with very high mortality, but heterogeneous according to the different epidemic waves, probably due to the genetic variant phenomenon of the virus. The aim of this study is to determine the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 patients admitted with ARF to the intensive care unit of the Grand H?pital Est Francilien (GHEF) according to the waves and variants. Methods: Cross-sectional observational study of COVID-19 patients with ARF admitted to the intensive care unit of the GHEF site in Meaux covering the period from March 1<sup>st</sup> 2020 to December, 31<sup>st</sup> 2021. Per-hospitalisation and outcome data were collected and analysed with SPSS version 25.0 software using the Chi-square or Fischer’s exact test or Student’s t-test and logistic regression for p Results: A total of 86 patients were included. The mean age was higher (70 ± 8.5) in patients in the fourth wave than in the other waves (p = 0.015), with male predominance in all waves without significant difference. Co-morbidities: hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, dyslipidaemia and arrhythmia complete with fibrillation were present in all waves. The majority of patients were classified as KDIGO 1 for the different waves (1st: 61.9%, 2nd: 86.5%, 3rd: 80%, and 4th: 75%), with the same trend according to variant (alpha: 80%, beta: 75%, delta: 81.3%, omicron: 75%). Mortality by the wave was: 1st: 28.5%, 2nd: 37.5%, 3rd: 23% and 4th: 11%) and by variant: alpha: 24.2%, beta: 44.8%, delta: 20.7%, omicron: 10.3%). Overall mortality was 33.7%. Case fatality was higher in the fourth wave. Hypertension, shock, failure to recover renal function, acute lung oedema, ventilator-associated lung disease and hyperkalaemia were factors associated with mortality (p Conclusion: Acute renal failure is common in COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit, and mortality is not negligible. The beta varian展开更多
Aim: To evaluate the effects based the changes on ultrasound and on magnetic resonance for knee osteoarthritis treatment by platelet-rich plasma therapy in combination with mesenchymal stem cell from autologous adipos...Aim: To evaluate the effects based the changes on ultrasound and on magnetic resonance for knee osteoarthritis treatment by platelet-rich plasma therapy in combination with mesenchymal stem cell from autologous adipose tissue. Objects and Methods: 30 patients, 26 females, 4 males, mean age 58.63 ± 11.11, mean disease duration 5.3 ± 4.6 years, respectively 60 knee joints were diagnosed with osteoarthritis at stage II - III according to the Kellgren and Lawrence classifications. After ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging in the first time, all patients were injected with platelet-rich plasma combined with mesenchymal stem cells from autologous adipose tissue into both knee joints. Results: After treatment 12 months by platelet-rich plasma injection combined with mesenchymal stem cells from autologous adipose tissue: The thickness of articular cartilage on ultrasound increased significantly from 2.08 ± 0.36 mm to 2.48 ± 0.36 mm with p Conclusion: The treatment of knee osteoarthritis by platelet-rich plasma combined with mesenchymal stem cells from autologous adipose tissue was effective in improving cartilage thickness on ultrasound and magnetic resonance, thereby improving the motor function of the knee joint.展开更多
Insulin resistance increases the risk of developing diabetes,and the degree of resistance influences the glycemic control of patients with diabetes.Numerous researchers have focused on improving insulin sensitivity in...Insulin resistance increases the risk of developing diabetes,and the degree of resistance influences the glycemic control of patients with diabetes.Numerous researchers have focused on improving insulin sensitivity in order to prevent diabetes-related complications and other chronic diseases.Several studies have also linked vitamin D levels to insulin secretion and resistance,given that both vitamin D and its receptor complex play important roles in regulating pancreaticβ-cells.It has been suggested that vitamin D supplementation improves vitamin D levels,but further research is needed to confirm this as neither insulin function nor glycemic control improves when vitamin D levels increase.Magnesium is a cofactor for many enzymes.Although the role of magnesium in the management of diabetes has long been evaluated,it has not yet been determined whether magnesium supplements improve insulin function.However,several researchers have found that patients with good glycemic control have high magnesium levels.Magnesium is closely related to vitamin D and is necessary for the transport and activation of vitamin D in humans.Combined supplementation with vitamin D and magnesium improves glycemic control in patients with diabetes.展开更多
Spatio-temporal analysis of drought provides valuable information for drought management and damage mitigation. In this study, the Standardized Precipitation Index at the time scale of 6 months (SPI-6) is selected to ...Spatio-temporal analysis of drought provides valuable information for drought management and damage mitigation. In this study, the Standardized Precipitation Index at the time scale of 6 months (SPI-6) is selected to reflect drought conditions in the North-Eastern coastal region of Vietnam. The drought events and their characteristics from 1981 to 2019 are detected at 9 meteorological stations and 10 Chirps rainfall stations. The spatio-temporal variation of drought in the study region is analyzed on the basis of the number, duration, severity, intensity, and peak of the detected drought events at the 19 stations. The results show that from 1981 to 2019 the drought events mainly occurred with 1-season duration and moderate intensity and peak. The number, duration, severity, and peak of the drought events were the greatest in the period 2001-2010 and were the smallest in the period 2011-2019. Among the 19 stations, the drought duration tends to decrease at 11 stations, increase at 7 stations, and has a slight variant at 1 station;the drought severity tends to decrease at 14 stations, increase at 4 stations, and has not a significant trend at 1 station;the drought intensity tends to decrease at 17 stations, increase at 1 station, and has a slight variant at 1 station;and the drought peak tends to decrease at 18 stations and increase at 1 station.展开更多
Objective:To characterise a collection of pili-carrying and none pili-carrying pneumococcal isolates of clinical origin for serotypes,antibiotic resistance and genotype.Methods:In total,42 clinical isolates were colle...Objective:To characterise a collection of pili-carrying and none pili-carrying pneumococcal isolates of clinical origin for serotypes,antibiotic resistance and genotype.Methods:In total,42 clinical isolates were collected between October 2017 and December 2019.Those isolates were analysed for antimicrobial susceptibility,serotype distribution,detection of pneumococcal virulence and pilus genes.Multilocus sequence typing was performed only for piliated isolates,followed by phylogenetic analysis.Results:The common isolation sites among the pneumococcal isolates were tracheal aspirate(28.6%),blood(26.2%),and sputum(23.8%).Fifty percent isolates were resistant to erythromycin,tetracycline(50.0%)and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole(43.0%).The most frequent were serotypes 19F(28.6%),6A/B(23.8%)and 19A(14.3%).Piliated isolates were detected in a small proportion(33.3%);64.3%were multidrug-resistant.ST320 was the prevalent sequence type among the piliated isolates and genetically related to the Pneumococcal Molecular Epidemiology Network clones Taiwan19F-14(CC271).In the phylogenetic analysis,some piliated isolates showed a close association having similar ST320,carrying serotype 19A and both pilus genes indicating their clonal spread.Conclusions:Pneumococcal lineages of piliated isolates have been globally disseminated and pili could have played a role in the spread of antibiotic resistant clones.展开更多
基金This work was supported （2012AA10A304） the Nationa by the 863 Project Grant Natural Science Foundation of China （31171441） and the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University.We thank Ying Yang, Xingwang Li, Yuxiao Chang, Jian Zhang, Dong Guo, Xiaoxia Dai, and Changjun You for their contributions of flanking sequence in the Rice Mutant Database. No conflict of interest declared.
文摘Rice is one of the most important crops worldwide, both as a staple food and as a model system for genomic research. In order to systematically assign functions to all predicted genes in the rice genome, a large number of rice mutant lines, including those created by T-DNA insertion, Ds/dSpm tagging, Tos17 tagging, and chemical/irradiation mutagenesis, have been generated by groups around the world. In this study, we have reviewed the current status of mutant resources for functional analysis of the rice genome. A total of 246 566 flanking sequence tags from rice mutant libraries with T-DNA, Ds/dSpm, or Tos17 insertion have been collected and analyzed. The results show that, among 211 470 unique hits, inserts located in the genic region account for 68.16%, and 60.49% of nuclear genes contain at least one insertion. Currently, 57% of non-transposable-element-related genes in rice have insertional tags. In addition, chemical/irradiation-induced rice mutant libraries have contributed a lot to both gene identification and new technology for the identification of mutant sites. In this review, we summarize how these tools have been used to generate a large collection of mutants. In addition, we discuss the merits of classic mutation strategies. In order to achieve saturation of mutagenesis in rice, DNA targeting, and new resources like RiceFox for gene functional identification are reviewed from a perspective of the future generation of rice mutant resources.
基金supported by the Ministry of Environmental Protection of China for the Project of Toxic Substances in the Atmosphere and Their Effect to the Soilthe National Basic Research Program (973) of China(No.2009CB421600)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.20897011, 20907059)
文摘The spatial concentrations, seasonal trends, profiles and congener pairs of ambient polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins （PCDDs） and polychlorinated dibenzofurans （PCDFs） were investigated within a seasonally active sampling scheme during Jun 2008 and Jan 2009 in Tianjin City, northern China. The PCDD/F concentrations ranged 14.2-172 fg I-TEQ/m3 （average 69.3 fg I-TEQ/m3） in summer and （89.8-1.01） x 103 fg I-TEQ/m3 （average 509 fg I-TEQ/m3） in winter, respectively, except for the E-waste dismantling site where much higher values were observed （1.04 x 103 fg I-TEQ]m3 in summer and 7.123 x 103 fg I-TEQ/m3 in winter）. The results indicated a significantly seasonal trend with higher TEQ values in winter as compared with summer, which could be related to increased emission sources and seasonal variations of the atmospheric boundary layer height. 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF was the dominant contributor to the total PCDD/F toxic equivalents, and 2,3,7,8-TCDD was detected at almost all the sampling sites in winter. Most of the similarly substituted PCDD/F congener pairs exhibited high correlations, suggesting that they might have similar environmental fate or sources. But different seasonal and spatial distributions of PCDD/F concentrations indicated that the emission sources might be intermittent.
基金the support of the National Natural Science Foundation-Excellent Youth Foundation of China(No.61722505)the Guangdong Youth Science and Technology Innovation Talents of China(No.2014TQ01X539)+5 种基金the Guangzhou Key Collaborative Innovation Foundation of China(No.2016201604030084)the support of the Natural Science Foundation of China(51772135)the Ministry of Education of China(6141A02022516)the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province(2014A030306010)the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada(No.RGPIN 2014-05612)the Canada Research Chairs Program(No.950-217783).
文摘In situ and continuous monitoring of electrochemical activity is key to understanding and evaluating the operation mechanism and efficiency of energy storage devices.However,this task remains challenging.For example,the present methods are not capable of providing the real-time information about the state of charge(SOC)of the energy storage devices while in operation.To address this,a novel approach based on an electrochemical surface plasmon resonance(SPR)optical fiber sensor is proposed here.This approach offers the capability of in situ comprehensive monitoring of the electrochemical activity(the electrode potential and the SOC)of supercapacitors(used as an example).The sensor adopted is a tilted fiber Bragg grating imprinted in a commercial single-mode fiber and coated with a nanoscale gold film for high-efficiency SPR excitation.Unlike conventional“bulk”detection methods for electrode activity,our approach targets the“localized”(sub-μm-scale)charge state of the ions adjacent to the electrode interface of supercapacitors by monitoring the properties of the SPR wave on the fiber sensor surface located adjacent to the electrode.A stable and reproducible correlation between the real-time charge–discharge cycles of the supercapacitors and the optical transmission of the optical fiber has been found.Moreover,the method proposed is inherently immune to temperature cross-talk because of the presence of environmentally insensitive reference features in the optical transmission spectrum of the devices.Finally,this particular application is ideally suited to the fundamental qualities of optical fiber sensors,such as their compact size,flexible shape,and remote operation capability,thereby opening the way for other opportunities for electrochemical monitoring in various hard-to-reach spaces and remote environments.
基金supported by a South-South Mobility Allowance in the framework of University Development Cooperation of the Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR-UOS.BTP2009-20229),Ghent University,Belgiumthe non-Profit Research Foundation for Agriculture (200803036),Ministry of Agriculture,Chinathe Basic Research Operations Special Fund for the Central Level Non-Profit Research Institute of China(2010-28)
文摘The Huang-Huai-Hai Plain is the most important winter wheat and maize production region in China.In response to the increasing population pressure,the Chinese authorities strongly invested in improving the irrigation systems and increasing ground and surface water exploitation within the plain to increase the crop productivity.This resulted in a reduction of water resource availability and in turn indirectly affected the suitability of various agricultural ecosystems in the plain.The main purpose of this study was to review the suitability of temperature and precipitation for the winter wheat and summer maize cropping system in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain,in order to provide a preliminary irrigation scheme.This analysis provides a first attempt to enhance the water resource management as well as to increase the water use efficiency.For this aim,a GIS-based multicriteria analysis procedure has been developed consisting of（1） definition of objectives（evaluated entities） and database building;（2） definition of evaluation criteria;（3） standardization of the criteria;（4） combination of the criteria;（5） classification of the objectives;and（6） integration of the objectives.The land suitability classification maps were transformed into maps of required irrigation amounts for each growing stage of the winter wheat and summer maize cropping system.The study also exemplified the limitations and proposed future research activities that will improve the detail and accuracy of the evaluation results.
基金This study was supported by the‘National Major Science and Technology Projects of China'[2018ZX10101001-005-003,2018ZX10101001-005-004]
文摘Objective Several COVID-19 patients have overlapping comorbidities. The independent role of each component contributing to the risk of COVID-19 is unknown, and how some non-cardiometabolic comorbidities affect the risk of COVID-19 remains unclear.Methods A retrospective follow-up design was adopted. A total of 1,160 laboratory-confirmed patients were enrolled from nine provinces in China. Data on comorbidities were obtained from the patients’ medical records. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio(OR) and 95% confidence interval(95% CI) of the associations between comorbidities(cardiometabolic or non-cardiometabolic diseases), clinical severity, and treatment outcomes of COVID-19.Results Overall, 158(13.6%) patients were diagnosed with severe illness and 32(2.7%) had unfavorable outcomes. Hypertension(2.87, 1.30–6.32), type 2 diabetes(T2 DM)(3.57, 2.32–5.49),cardiovascular disease(CVD)(3.78, 1.81–7.89), fatty liver disease(7.53, 1.96–28.96), hyperlipidemia(2.15, 1.26–3.67), other lung diseases(6.00, 3.01–11.96), and electrolyte imbalance(10.40, 3.00–26.10)were independently linked to increased odds of being severely ill. T2 DM(6.07, 2.89–12.75), CVD(8.47,6.03–11.89), and electrolyte imbalance(19.44, 11.47–32.96) were also strong predictors of unfavorable outcomes. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease on admission(5.46,3.25–9.19), while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes(6.58, 1.46–29.64) within two weeks.Conclusion Besides hypertension, diabetes, and CVD, fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, other lung diseases, and electrolyte imbalance were independent risk factors for COVID-19 severity and poor treatment outcome. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease, while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes.
文摘There are many techniques using sensors and wearable devices for detecting and monitoring patients with Parkinson’s disease(PD).A recent development is the utilization of human interaction with computer keyboards for analyzing and identifying motor signs in the early stages of the disease.Current designs for classification of time series of computer-key hold durations recorded from healthy control and PD subjects require the time series of length to be considerably long.With an attempt to avoid discomfort to participants in performing long physical tasks for data recording,this paper introduces the use of fuzzy recurrence plots of very short time series as input data for the machine training and classification with long short-term memory(LSTM)neural networks.Being an original approach that is able to both significantly increase the feature dimensions and provides the property of deterministic dynamical systems of very short time series for information processing carried out by an LSTM layer architecture,fuzzy recurrence plots provide promising results and outperform the direct input of the time series for the classification of healthy control and early PD subjects.
基金Ministry of Higher Education,Malaysia for Fundamental Research Grant Scheme FRGS/1/2019/SKK06/USM/03/6,No.291983-329281.
文摘BACKGROUND Diabetes is known damage the liver and kidney,leading to hepatic dysfunction and kidney failure.Honey is believed to help in lowering the blood glucose levels of diabetic patients and reducing diabetic complications.However,the effect of stingless bee honey(SBH)administration in relieving liver and kidney damage in diabetes has not been well-studied.AIM To investigate the effect of SBH administration on the kidney and liver of streptozotocin-induced(STZ;55 mg/kg)diabetic Sprague Dawley rats.METHODS The rats were grouped as follows(n=6 per group):non-diabetic(ND),untreated diabetic(UNT),metformin-treated(MET),and SBH+metformin-treated(SBME)groups.After successful diabetic induction,ND and UNT rats were given normal saline,whereas the treatment groups received SBH(2.0 g/kg and/or metformin(250 mg/kg)for 12 d.Serum biochemical parameters and histological changes using hematoxylin and eosin(H&E)and periodic acid–Schiff(PAS)staining were evaluated.RESULTS On H&E and PAS staining,the ND group showed normal architecture and cellularity of Bowman’s capsule and tubules,whereas the UNT and MET groups had an increased glomerular cellularity and thickened basement membrane.The SBH-treated group showed a decrease in hydropic changes and mild cellularity of the glomerulus vs the ND group based on H&E staining,but the two were similar on PAS staining.Likewise,the SBME-treated group had an increase in cellularity of the glomerulus on H&E staining,but it was comparable to the SBH and ND groups on PAS staining.UNT diabetic rats had tubular hydropic tubules,which were smaller than other groups.Reduced fatty vacuole formation and dilated blood sinusoids in liver tissue were seen in the SBH group.Conversely,the UNT group had high glucose levels,which subsequently increased MDA levels,ultimately leading to liver damage.SBH treatment reduced this damage,as evidenced by having the lowest fasting glucose,serum alanine transaminase,aspartate transaminase,and alkaline phosphatase levels compared to other groups,although the
文摘The article synthesizes and presents the results regarding the stability of positive homogeneous systems that have been researched and published in recent years. Next, we provide a sufficient condition for global exponential stability in the case of discrete-time positive homogeneous systems with an order less than one with time-varying delays.
基金This work was financially supported by the University Teknologi Malaysia through Research University Grant(GUP Tier 1:20H52)by the Universiti Malaysia Perlis through Fundamental Research Grant Scheme(FRGS 9003-00764).
文摘Presently,the global search for alternative renewable energy sources is rising due to the depletion of fossil fuel and rising greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions.Among alternatives,hydrogen(H2)produced from biomass gasification is considered a green energy sector,due to its environmentally friendly,sustainable,and renewable characteristics.However,tar formation along with syngas is a severe impediment to biomass conversion efficiency,which results in process-related problems.Typically,tar consists of various hydrocarbons(HCs),which are also sources for syngas.Hence,catalytic steam reforming is an effective technique to address tar formation and improve H2 production from biomass gasification.Of the various classes in existence,supported metal catalysts are considered the most promising.This paper focuses on the current researching status,prospects,and challenges of steam reforming of gasified biomass tar.Besides,it includes recent developments in tar compositional analysis,supported metal catalysts,along with the reactions and process conditions for catalytic steam reforming.Moreover,it discusses alternatives such as dry and autothermal reforming of tar.
文摘Background:Prognostic measures to determine burn mortality are essential in evaluating the severity of individual burn victims.This is an important process of triaging patients with high risk of mortality that may be nursed in the acute care setting.Malaysian burn research is lacking with only one publication identified which describes the epidemiology of burn victims.Therefore,the objective of this study was to go one step further and identify the predictors of burn mortality from a Malaysian burns intensive care unit(BICU)which may be used to triage patients at higher risk of death.Methods:This is a retrospective cohort study of all admissions to Hospital Sultan Ismail’s BICU from January 2010 till October 2015.Admission criteria were in accordance with the American Burn Association guidelines,and risk factors of interest were recorded.Data was analyzed using simple logistic regression to determine significant predictors of mortality.Survival analysis with time to death event was performed using the Kaplan-Meier survival curve with log-rank test.Results:Through the 6-year period,393 patients were admitted with a male preponderance of 73.8%.The mean age and length of stay were 35.6(±15.72)years and 15.3(±18.91)days.There were 48 mortalities with an overall mortality rate of 12.2%.Significant risk factors identified on simple logistic regression were total body surface area(TBSA)>20%(p<0.001),inhalation injury(p<0.001)and presence of early systemic inflammatory response syndrome(SIRS)(p<0.001).Survival analysis using Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed similar results with TBSA>20%,presence of SIRS,mechanical ventilation and inhalation injury which were associated with poorer survival(p<0.001).Conclusion:The predictors of mortality identified in a Malaysian BICU were TBSA>20%,early SIRS,mechanical ventilation and inhalation injury which were associated with poorer survival outcome.The immunological response differs from individual patients and influenced by the severity of burn injury.Early SIRS on admission i
文摘Introduction: The incidence of acute renal failure (ARF) varies between 20% and 40% of cases for COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit, with very high mortality, but heterogeneous according to the different epidemic waves, probably due to the genetic variant phenomenon of the virus. The aim of this study is to determine the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 patients admitted with ARF to the intensive care unit of the Grand H?pital Est Francilien (GHEF) according to the waves and variants. Methods: Cross-sectional observational study of COVID-19 patients with ARF admitted to the intensive care unit of the GHEF site in Meaux covering the period from March 1<sup>st</sup> 2020 to December, 31<sup>st</sup> 2021. Per-hospitalisation and outcome data were collected and analysed with SPSS version 25.0 software using the Chi-square or Fischer’s exact test or Student’s t-test and logistic regression for p Results: A total of 86 patients were included. The mean age was higher (70 ± 8.5) in patients in the fourth wave than in the other waves (p = 0.015), with male predominance in all waves without significant difference. Co-morbidities: hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, dyslipidaemia and arrhythmia complete with fibrillation were present in all waves. The majority of patients were classified as KDIGO 1 for the different waves (1st: 61.9%, 2nd: 86.5%, 3rd: 80%, and 4th: 75%), with the same trend according to variant (alpha: 80%, beta: 75%, delta: 81.3%, omicron: 75%). Mortality by the wave was: 1st: 28.5%, 2nd: 37.5%, 3rd: 23% and 4th: 11%) and by variant: alpha: 24.2%, beta: 44.8%, delta: 20.7%, omicron: 10.3%). Overall mortality was 33.7%. Case fatality was higher in the fourth wave. Hypertension, shock, failure to recover renal function, acute lung oedema, ventilator-associated lung disease and hyperkalaemia were factors associated with mortality (p Conclusion: Acute renal failure is common in COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit, and mortality is not negligible. The beta varian
文摘Aim: To evaluate the effects based the changes on ultrasound and on magnetic resonance for knee osteoarthritis treatment by platelet-rich plasma therapy in combination with mesenchymal stem cell from autologous adipose tissue. Objects and Methods: 30 patients, 26 females, 4 males, mean age 58.63 ± 11.11, mean disease duration 5.3 ± 4.6 years, respectively 60 knee joints were diagnosed with osteoarthritis at stage II - III according to the Kellgren and Lawrence classifications. After ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging in the first time, all patients were injected with platelet-rich plasma combined with mesenchymal stem cells from autologous adipose tissue into both knee joints. Results: After treatment 12 months by platelet-rich plasma injection combined with mesenchymal stem cells from autologous adipose tissue: The thickness of articular cartilage on ultrasound increased significantly from 2.08 ± 0.36 mm to 2.48 ± 0.36 mm with p Conclusion: The treatment of knee osteoarthritis by platelet-rich plasma combined with mesenchymal stem cells from autologous adipose tissue was effective in improving cartilage thickness on ultrasound and magnetic resonance, thereby improving the motor function of the knee joint.
文摘Insulin resistance increases the risk of developing diabetes,and the degree of resistance influences the glycemic control of patients with diabetes.Numerous researchers have focused on improving insulin sensitivity in order to prevent diabetes-related complications and other chronic diseases.Several studies have also linked vitamin D levels to insulin secretion and resistance,given that both vitamin D and its receptor complex play important roles in regulating pancreaticβ-cells.It has been suggested that vitamin D supplementation improves vitamin D levels,but further research is needed to confirm this as neither insulin function nor glycemic control improves when vitamin D levels increase.Magnesium is a cofactor for many enzymes.Although the role of magnesium in the management of diabetes has long been evaluated,it has not yet been determined whether magnesium supplements improve insulin function.However,several researchers have found that patients with good glycemic control have high magnesium levels.Magnesium is closely related to vitamin D and is necessary for the transport and activation of vitamin D in humans.Combined supplementation with vitamin D and magnesium improves glycemic control in patients with diabetes.
文摘Spatio-temporal analysis of drought provides valuable information for drought management and damage mitigation. In this study, the Standardized Precipitation Index at the time scale of 6 months (SPI-6) is selected to reflect drought conditions in the North-Eastern coastal region of Vietnam. The drought events and their characteristics from 1981 to 2019 are detected at 9 meteorological stations and 10 Chirps rainfall stations. The spatio-temporal variation of drought in the study region is analyzed on the basis of the number, duration, severity, intensity, and peak of the detected drought events at the 19 stations. The results show that from 1981 to 2019 the drought events mainly occurred with 1-season duration and moderate intensity and peak. The number, duration, severity, and peak of the drought events were the greatest in the period 2001-2010 and were the smallest in the period 2011-2019. Among the 19 stations, the drought duration tends to decrease at 11 stations, increase at 7 stations, and has a slight variant at 1 station;the drought severity tends to decrease at 14 stations, increase at 4 stations, and has not a significant trend at 1 station;the drought intensity tends to decrease at 17 stations, increase at 1 station, and has a slight variant at 1 station;and the drought peak tends to decrease at 18 stations and increase at 1 station.
基金supported by Fundamental Research Grant Scheme(FRGS/1/2020/SKK0/UPM/02/10)of the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia.
文摘Objective:To characterise a collection of pili-carrying and none pili-carrying pneumococcal isolates of clinical origin for serotypes,antibiotic resistance and genotype.Methods:In total,42 clinical isolates were collected between October 2017 and December 2019.Those isolates were analysed for antimicrobial susceptibility,serotype distribution,detection of pneumococcal virulence and pilus genes.Multilocus sequence typing was performed only for piliated isolates,followed by phylogenetic analysis.Results:The common isolation sites among the pneumococcal isolates were tracheal aspirate(28.6%),blood(26.2%),and sputum(23.8%).Fifty percent isolates were resistant to erythromycin,tetracycline(50.0%)and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole(43.0%).The most frequent were serotypes 19F(28.6%),6A/B(23.8%)and 19A(14.3%).Piliated isolates were detected in a small proportion(33.3%);64.3%were multidrug-resistant.ST320 was the prevalent sequence type among the piliated isolates and genetically related to the Pneumococcal Molecular Epidemiology Network clones Taiwan19F-14(CC271).In the phylogenetic analysis,some piliated isolates showed a close association having similar ST320,carrying serotype 19A and both pilus genes indicating their clonal spread.Conclusions:Pneumococcal lineages of piliated isolates have been globally disseminated and pili could have played a role in the spread of antibiotic resistant clones.
