[Prognostic nutritional index application value for acute-on-chronic liver failure co-infection]

Objective: To explore the predictive value of the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) in concurrently infected patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). Methods: 220 cases with ACLF diagnosed and treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2011 to December 2016 were selected. Patients were divided into an infection and non-infection group according to whether they had co-infections during the course of the disease. Clinical data differences were compared between the two groups of patients. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to screen out influencing factors related to co-infection. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of PNI for ACLF co-infection. The measurement data between groups were compared using the independent sample t-test and the Mann-Whitney U rank sum test. The enumeration data were analyzed using the Fisher exact probability test or the Pearson χ(2) test. The Pearson method was performed for correlation analysis. The independent risk factors for liver failure associated with co-infection were analyzed by multivariate logistic analysis. Results: There were statistically significant differences in ascites, hepatorenal syndrome, PNI score, and albumin between the infection and the non-infection group (P < 0.05). Among the 220 ACLF cases, 158 (71.82%) were infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). The incidence rate of infection during hospitalization was 69.09% (152/220). The common sites of infection were intraabdominal (57.07%) and pulmonary infection (29.29%). Pearson correlation analysis showed that PNI and MELD-Na were negatively correlated (r = -0.150, P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic analysis results showed that low PNI score (OR=0.916, 95%CI: 0.865~0.970), ascites (OR=4.243, 95%CI: 2.237~8.047), and hepatorenal syndrome (OR=4.082, 95%CI : 1.106~15.067) were risk factors for ACLF co-infection (P < 0.05). The ROC results showed that the PNI curve area (0.648) was higher than the MELD-Na score curve area (0.610, P < 0.05). The effectiveness of predicting infection risk when PNI was combined with ascites and hepatorenal syndrome complications was raised. Patients with co-infections had a good predictive effect when PNI ≤ 40.625. The sensitivity and specificity were 84.2% and 41.2%, respectively. Conclusion: Low PNI score and ACLF co-infection have a close correlation. Therefore, PNI has a certain appraisal value for ACLF co-infection.

Heterostructured Bimetallic MOF-on-MOF Architectures for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Electron modulation presents a captivating approach to fabricate efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), yet it remains a challenging undertaking. In this study, an effective strategy is proposed to regulate the electronic structure of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) by the construction of MOF-on-MOF heterogeneous architectures. As a representative heterogeneous architectures, MOF-74 on MOF-274 hybrids are in situ prepared on 3D metal substrates (NiFe alloy foam (NFF)) via a two-step self-assembly method, resulting in MOF-(74 + 274)@NFF. Through a combination of spectroscopic and theory calculation, the successful modulation of the electronic property of MOF-(74 + 274)@NFF is unveiled. This modulation arises from the phase conjugation of the two MOFs and the synergistic effect of the multimetallic centers (Ni and Fe). Consequently, MOF-(74 + 274)@NFF exhibits excellent OER activity, displaying ultralow overpotentials of 198 and 223 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 in the 1.0 and 0.1 M KOH solutions, respectively. This work paves the way for manipulating the electronic structure of electrocatalysts to enhance their catalytic activity.

Dynamic Electronic and Ionic Transport Actuated by Cobalt-Doped MoSe2 /rGO for Superior Potassium-Ion Batteries

Molybdenum selenium (MoSe2 ) has tremendous potential in potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) due to its large interlayer distance, favorable bandgap, and high theoretical specific capacity. However, the poor conductivity and large K+ insertion/extraction in MoSe2 inevitably leads to sluggish reaction kinetics and poor structural stability. Herein, Coinduced engineering is employed to illuminate high-conductivity electron pathway and mobile ion diffusion of MoSe2 nanosheets anchored on reduced graphene oxide substrate (Co-MoSe2 /rGO). Benefiting from the activated electronic conductivity and ion diffusion kinetics, and an expanded interlayer spacing resulting from Co doping, combined with the interface coupling with highly conductive reduced graphene oxide (rGO) substrate through Mo-C bonding, the Co-MoSe2 /rGO anode demonstrates remarkable reversible capacity, superior rate capability, and stable long-term cyclability for potassium storage, as well as superior energy density and high power density for potassium-ion capacitors. Systematic performance measurement, dynamic analysis, in-situ/ex-situ measurements, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations elucidate the performance-enhancing mechanism of Co-MoSe2 /rGO in view of the electronic and ionic transport kinetics. This work offers deep atomic insights into the fundamental factors of electrodes for potassium-ion batteries/capacitors with superior electrochemical performance.

Deep Learning for Dental Diagnosis: A Novel Approach to Furcation Involvement Detection on Periapical Radiographs

Furcation defects pose a significant challenge in the diagnosis and treatment planning of periodontal diseases. The accurate detection of furcation involvements (FI) on periapical radiographs (PAs) is crucial for the success of periodontal therapy. This research proposes a deep learning-based approach to furcation defect detection using convolutional neural networks (CNN) with an accuracy rate of 95%. This research has undergone a rigorous review by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and has received accreditation under number 202002030B0C505. A dataset of 300 periapical radiographs of teeth with and without FI were collected and preprocessed to enhance the quality of the images. The efficient and innovative image masking technique used in this research better enhances the contrast between FI symptoms and other areas. Moreover, this technology highlights the region of interest (ROI) for the subsequent CNN models training with a combination of transfer learning and fine-tuning techniques. The proposed segmentation algorithm demonstrates exceptional performance with an overall accuracy up to 94.97%, surpassing other conventional methods. Moreover, in comparison with existing CNN technology for identifying dental problems, this research proposes an improved adaptive threshold preprocessing technique that produces clearer distinctions between teeth and interdental molars. The proposed model achieves impressive results in detecting FI with identification rates ranging from 92.96% to a remarkable 94.97%. These findings suggest that our deep learning approach holds significant potential for improving the accuracy and efficiency of dental diagnosis. Such AI-assisted dental diagnosis has the potential to improve periodontal diagnosis, treatment planning, and patient outcomes. This research demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of using deep learning algorithms for furcation defect detection on periapical radiographs and highlights the potential for AI-assisted dental diagnosis. With the improvement of dental abnormality detection, earlier intervention could be enabled and could ultimately lead to improved patient outcomes.

Coordination engineering of single zinc atoms on hierarchical dual-carbon for high-performance potassium-ion capacitors

Dual-carbon engineering combines the advantages of graphite and hard carbon, thereby optimizing the potassium storage performance of carbon materials. However, dual-carbon engineering faces challenges balancing specific capacity, capability, and stability. In this study, we present a coordination engineering of Zn-N₄ moieties on dual-carbon through additional P doping, which effectively modulates the symmetric charge distribution around the Zn center. Experimental results and theoretical calculations unveil that additional P doping induces an optimized electronic structure of the Zn-N₄ moieties, thus enhancing K⁺ adsorption. A single-atom Zn metal coordinated with nitrogen and phosphorus reduces the K⁺ diffusion barrier and improves fast K⁺ migration kinetics. Consequently, Zn-NPC@rGO exhibits high reversible specific capacities, excellent rate capability, and impressive cycling stability, and remarkable power and energy densities for potassium-ion capacitors (PICs). This study provides insights into crucial factors for enhancing potassium storage performance.

Improving Dental Implant Outcomes: CNN-Based System Accurately Measures Degree of Peri-Implantitis Damage on Periapical Film

As the popularity of dental implants continues to grow at a rate of about 14% per year, so do the risks associated with the procedure. Complications such as sinusitis and nerve damage are not uncommon, and inadequate cleaning can lead to peri-implantitis around the implant, jeopardizing its stability and potentially necessitating retreatment. To address this issue, this research proposes a new system for evaluating the degree of periodontal damage around implants using Periapical film (PA). The system utilizes two Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) models to accurately detect the location of the implant and assess the extent of damage caused by peri-implantitis. One of the CNN models is designed to determine the location of the implant in the PA with an accuracy of up to 89.31%, while the other model is responsible for assessing the degree of Peri-implantitis damage around the implant, achieving an accuracy of 90.45%. The system combines image cropping based on position information obtained from the first CNN with image enhancement techniques such as Histogram Equalization and Adaptive Histogram Equalization (AHE) to improve the visibility of the implant and gums. The result is a more accurate assessment of whether peri-implantitis has eroded to the first thread, a critical indicator of implant stability. To ensure the ethical and regulatory standards of our research, this proposal has been certified by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) under number 202102023B0C503. With no existing technology to evaluate Peri-implantitis damage around dental implants, this CNN-based system has the potential to revolutionize implant dentistry and improve patient outcomes.

[Diffuse midline glioma with H3K27 alteration in adults: a clinicopathological analysis]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics, pathological diagnosis and prognosis of diffuse midline glioma (DMG) with H3K27 alteration in adults. Methods: Twenty cases of H3K27-altered adult DMG diagnosed in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were enrolled from 2017 to 2022. All cases were evaluated by clinical and imaging presentations, HE, immunohistochemical staining and molecular genetics; and the relevant literature was reviewed. Results: The ratio of male to female was 1∶1, and the median age was 53 years (range from 25 to 74 years); the tumors were located in the brainstem (3/20, 15%) and non-brainstem (17/20, 85%; three in thoracolumbar spinal cord and one in pineal region). The clinical manifestations were non-specific, mostly dizziness, headache, blurred vision, memory loss, low back pain, limb sensation and/or movement disorders, etc. Microscopically, the tumors showed infiltrative growth, with WHO grade 2 (3 cases), grade 3 (12 cases), and grade 4 (5 cases). The tumors showed astrocytoma-like and oligdendroglioma-like, pilocytic astrocytoma-like and epithelioid-like patterns. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for GFAP, Olig2 and H3K27M, and H3K27me3 expression was variably lost. ATRX expression was lost in four cases, p53 was strongly positive in 11 cases. Ki-67 index was about 5%-70%. Molecular genetics showed p. k27m mutation in exon 1 of H3F3A gene in 20 cases; BRAF mutation in two cases: V600E and L597Q mutation in one case each. Follow up intervals ranged from 1 to 58 months, and the survival time for brainstem (6.0 months) and non-brainstem (30.4 months) tumors was significantly different (P<0.05). Conclusions: DMG with H3K27 alteration is uncommonly found in adults, mostly occurs in non-brainstem, and can present in adults of all ages. Owing to the wide histomorphologic features, mainly astrocytic differentiation, routine detection of H3K27me3 in midline glioma is recommended. Molecular testing should be performed on any suspected cases to avoid missed diagnosis. Concomitant BRAF L597Q mutation and PPM1D mutation are novel findings. The overall prognosis of this tumor is poor, with tumors located in the brainstem showing worse outcome.

[Clinical application of a quantitative method of atlantoaxial reduction angle in basilar invagination]

Objectives: To investigate the clinical application effect of a quantitative method of atlantoaxial reduction angle in basilar invagination. Methods: A retrospective analysis of clinical and radiographic data was conducted of 38 patients with complicated atlantoaxial dislocation and basilar invagination admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from May 2020 to May 2022. There were 5 males and 33 females, aged (53.5±9.9) years (range: 38 to 80 years). All patients underwent C_1-2 interarticular fusion cage implantation+occipital-cervical fixation by pressing rob with the cantilever technique. The atlantoaxial reduction model of previous studies by our team was used to calculate the reduction angles before surgery. Then titanium rods of prebending angle were prepared according to the calculation before the operation. After that quantitative reduction of angle was performed during the operation. The paired t-test was used to compare the difference between the theoretical and actual reset value. Results: The theoretical reduction angle of all patients was (10.62±1.78)° (range: 6.40° to 13.20°), the actual reduction angle was (10.53±1.63)° (range: 6.70° to 13.30°) and there was no statistical difference between them (t=1.688, P=0.100). The theoretical posterior occipitocervical angle after the operation of all patients was (117.37±5.88)° (range: 107.00° to 133.00°), the actual posterior occipitocervical angle after the operation was (118.25±6.77)° (range: 105.40° to 135.80°) and there was no statistical difference between them (t=-0.737, P=0.466). The postoperative follow-up time of the patients was more than 6 months and the symptoms of all patients were relieved. All patients had satisfactory fusion between small joints without incision infection, internal fixation fracture, displacement, atlantoaxial redislocation, and other long-term complications. Conclusion: The quantitative method of atlantoaxial reduction angle in basilar invagination can calculate the theoretical reduction angle of the clivus axis angle and guide the preparation of the pre-bending titanium rod before surgery, so as to realize the quantification of the atlantoaxial reduction angle.

VLSI Design Based on Block Truncation Coding for Real-Time Color Image Compression for IoT

It has always been a major issue for a hospital to acquire real-time information about a patient in emergency situations. Because of this, this research presents a novel high-compression-ratio and real-time-process image compression very-large-scale integration (VLSI) design for image sensors in the Internet of Things (IoT). The design consists of a YEF transform, color sampling, block truncation coding (BTC), threshold optimization, sub-sampling, prediction, quantization, and Golomb-Rice coding. By using machine learning, different BTC parameters are trained to achieve the optimal solution given the parameters. Two optimal reconstruction values and bitmaps for each 4 × 4 block are achieved. An image is divided into 4 × 4 blocks by BTC for numerical conversion and removing inter-pixel redundancy. The sub-sampling, prediction, and quantization steps are performed to reduce redundant information. Finally, the value with a high probability will be coded using Golomb-Rice coding. The proposed algorithm has a higher compression ratio than traditional BTC-based image compression algorithms. Moreover, this research also proposes a real-time image compression chip design based on low-complexity and pipelined architecture by using TSMC 0.18 μm CMOS technology. The operating frequency of the chip can achieve 100 MHz. The core area and the number of logic gates are 598,880 μm² and 56.3 K, respectively. In addition, this design achieves 50 frames per second, which is suitable for real-time CMOS image sensor compression.

A Machine Learning-Based Anomaly Detection Method and Blockchain-Based Secure Protection Technology in Collaborative Food Supply Chain

The complexity of the collaborative food supply chain has resulted in the frequent occurrence of food safety incidents, which harm people's health and life. Therefore, the maintenance of food safety has become a key value. This study expects to solve the food safety problem and bring more benefits to people using intelligent systems. To meet the safety needs of the collaborative food supply chain, this study designed a food safety protection system architecture which collects the supply and sales data of various suppliers, as well as the data of equipment used in production. The architecture can carry out anomaly detections with machine learning to make a preliminary judgement on whether a problem has occurred in this batch of food during the transaction, and then implement in-depth anomaly detections with the supplier's equipment to determine the stage at which this problem occurred. The proposed system can help food operators achieve effective food monitoring, prediction, prevention, and improvement, thereby improving food safety.

A High-Accuracy Detection System: Based on Transfer Learning for Apical Lesions on Periapical Radiograph

Apical Lesions, one of the most common oral diseases, can be effectively detected in daily dental examinations by a periapical radiograph (PA). In the current popular endodontic treatment, most dentists spend a lot of time manually marking the lesion area. In order to reduce the burden on dentists, this paper proposes a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based regional analysis model for spical lesions for periapical radiographs. In this study, the database was provided by dentists with more than three years of practical experience, meeting the criteria for clinical practical application. The contributions of this work are (1) an advanced adaptive threshold preprocessing technique for image segmentation, which can achieve an accuracy rate of more than 96%; (2) a better and more intuitive apical lesions symptom enhancement technique; and (3) a model for apical lesions detection with an accuracy as high as 96.21%. Compared with existing state-of-the-art technology, the proposed model has improved the accuracy by more than 5%. The proposed model has successfully improved the automatic diagnosis of apical lesions. With the help of automation, dentists can focus more on technical and medical diagnoses, such as treatment, tooth cleaning, or medical communication. This proposal has been certified by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) with the certification number 202002030B0.

Operando X-ray Studies of Ni-Containing Heteropolyvanadate Electrode for High-Energy Lithium-Ion Storage Applications

Ni-containing heteropolyvanadate, Na₆[NiV₁₄O₄₀], was synthesized for the first time to be applied in high-energy lithium storage applications as a negative electrode material. Na₆[NiV₁₄O₄₀] can be prepared via a facile solution process that is suitable for low-cost mass production. The as-prepared electrode provided a high capacity of approximately 700 mAh g^-1 without degradation for 400 cycles, indicating excellent cycling stability. The mechanism of charge storage was investigated using operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transition X-ray microscopy (TXM), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The results showed that V⁵⁺ was reduced to V²⁺ during lithiation, indicating that Na₆[NiV₁₄O₄₀] is an insertion-type material. In addition, Na₆[NiV₁₄O₄₀] maintained its amorphous structure with negligible volume expansion/contraction during cycling. Employed as the negative electrode in a lithium-ion battery (LIB), the Na₆[NiV₁₄O₄₀]//LiFePO₄ full cell had a high energy density of 300 W h kg^-1. When applied in a lithium-ion capacitor, the Na₆[NiV₁₄O₄₀]//expanded mesocarbon microbead full cell displayed energy densities of 218.5 and 47.9 W h kg^-1 at power densities of 175.7 and 7774.2 W kg^-1, respectively. These findings reveal that the negative electrode material Na₆[NiV₁₄O₄₀] is a promising candidate for Li-ion storage applications.

Resolved rotation-vibration non-equilibrium with rotational VIPA-CARS

Simultaneous rotational and vibrational temperatures are measured in an N₂ plasma with rotational coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) resolved with a virtually imaged phased array (VIPA)-based spectrometer. A VIPA spectrally separates rotational transitions for each vibrational state, allowing vibrational populations to be directly measured. VIPA-CARS is shown to provide more accurate measurements of non-equilibrium temperatures than grating-resolved rotational CARS. The general characteristics, limitations, and potential uses of VIPA-CARS are discussed.

Fast Control for Backlight Power-Saving Algorithm Using Motion Vectors from the Decoded Video Stream

Backlight power-saving algorithms can reduce the power consumption of the display by adjusting the frame pixels with optimal clipping points under some tradeoff criteria. However, the computation for the selected clipping points can be complex. In this paper, a novel algorithm is created to reduce the computation time of the state-of-the-art backlight power-saving algorithms. If the current frame is similar to the previous frame, it is unnecessary to execute the backlight power-saving algorithm for the optimal clipping points, and the derived clipping point from the previous frame can be used for the current frame automatically. In this paper, the motion vector information was used as the measurement of the similarity between adjacent frames, where the generation of the motion vector information requires no extra complexity since it is generated to reconstruct the decoded frame pixels before the display. The experiments showed that the proposed work can reduce the running time of the state-of-the-art methods by 25.21% to 64.22%, while the performances are maintained; the differences with the state-of-the-art methods in PSNR are only 0.02~1.91 dB, and those in power are only -0.001~0.008 W.

[The effect of maternal HBV DNA levels on HBV intrauterine transmission and fetal distress]

Aim: To identify the key risk factors of intrauterine hepatitis B virus transmission (HBV) and its effect on the placenta and fetus. Methods: 425 infants born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive pregnant women who received combined immunization with hepatitis B immunoglobulin and hepatitis B vaccine between 2009 to 2015 were prospectively enrolled in this study. The intrauterine transmission situation was assessed by dynamic monitoring of infants HBV DNA load and quantitative HBsAg. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the high risk factors for intrauterine transmission. Stratified analysis was used to determine the relationship between maternal HBV DNA load and fetal distress. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe HBV Effects on placental tissue. Results: HBV intrauterine infection rate was 2.6% (11/425). Multivariate analysis result showed that the maternal HBV DNA load was an independent risk factor for intrauterine infection among infants (P=0.011). Intrauterine infection and distress rate was significantly higher in infants with with maternal HBV DNA>10⁶ IU/ml than those with HBV DNA <10⁶ IU/ml (12.2% vs. 1.8%; χ²=11.275, P=0.006), and (24.4% vs. 16.0%, χ²=3.993, P=0.046). Transmission electron microscopy showed that mitochondrial edema, endoplasmic reticulum expansion and thicker basement membrane were apparent when the maternal HBV DNA>10⁶ IU/ml than that of maternal HBV DNA<10⁶ IU/ml (960 nm vs. 214 nm, Z=-2.782, P=0.005) in the placental tissue. Conclusion: Maternal HBV DNA>10⁶ IU/ml is associated not only with intrauterine infection, but also with increased incidence of intrauterine distress and placental sub-microstructural changes, providing strong clinical and histological evidence for pregnancy avoidance and treatment in this population.

A Business Model Feasibility Evaluation Method for Enterprise Collaborative Business Innovation

In innovative eras, business models (BMs) are the key factor driving business success. However, implementing innovative BMs is time-consuming and high-risk. Therefore, conducting BM feasibility evaluations after their initial design is important, but some unsolved problems remain in the assessment of the feasibility of BMs. Deciding whether to implement innovative BMs is difficult for all enterprises. The business model canvas (BMC) methodology has been widely adopted by enterprises that are designing innovative BMs. This study proposes a BMC-based feasibility evaluation method geared towards SMEs or new entrepreneurs. The study verifies the proposed method by designing BMs for a non-profit organization and an innovative coffee shop. The rationality of each dimension of the two BMs is calculated to generate a radar chart, and based on the results, advantages and disadvantages are discussed. The proposed method can be used to guide designers of innovative for-profit and non-profit BMs in evaluating feasibility and identifying strengths and weaknesses in each BM block.

Detection of Dental Apical Lesions Using CNNs on Periapical Radiograph

Apical lesions, the general term for chronic infectious diseases, are very common dental diseases in modern life, and are caused by various factors. The current prevailing endodontic treatment makes use of X-ray photography taken from patients where the lesion area is marked manually, which is therefore time consuming. Additionally, for some images the significant details might not be recognizable due to the different shooting angles or doses. To make the diagnosis process shorter and efficient, repetitive tasks should be performed automatically to allow the dentists to focus more on the technical and medical diagnosis, such as treatment, tooth cleaning, or medical communication. To realize the automatic diagnosis, this article proposes and establishes a lesion area analysis model based on convolutional neural networks (CNN). For establishing a standardized database for clinical application, the Institutional Review Board (IRB) with application number 202002030B0 has been approved with the database established by dentists who provided the practical clinical data. In this study, the image data is preprocessed by a Gaussian high-pass filter. Then, an iterative thresholding is applied to slice the X-ray image into several individual tooth sample images. The collection of individual tooth images that comprises the image database are used as input into the CNN migration learning model for training. Seventy percent (70%) of the image database is used for training and validating the model while the remaining 30% is used for testing and estimating the accuracy of the model. The practical diagnosis accuracy of the proposed CNN model is 92.5%. The proposed model successfully facilitated the automatic diagnosis of the apical lesion.

A web-based self-management program to improve lifestyle and blood pressure control in patients with primary hypertension: a randomized controlled trial

Background

Hypertension contributes to the main risk factor of the high incidence of cardiovascular diseases and mortality. Successful control of blood pressure requires behavioral changes; therefore, it is of considerable importance to develop a web-based self-management program that assist patients to tailor their lifestyle and empower them manage their disease.

Objective

Our primary aims were to evaluate the effects of a web-based self-management program for improving blood pressure and blood lipids control in patients with primary hypertension. Our secondary aims were to evaluate the effects of the web-based self-management program on enhancing patients' lifestyle, medication adherence and self-efficacy.

Methods

This randomized controlled trial used permuted block randomization design and randomly divided the 222 patients into the intervention group (n=111) and control group (n=111). Patients in the intervention group received the web-based self-management program, and the control group received standard care. Lifestyle and medication adherence were assessed by using the Hypertension Self-Care Activity Level Effects Scale (H-SCALE). Self-efficacy was measured through using the Chinese version of the Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease 6-Item Scale (SES6C). The data of blood pressure and serum lipids were collected through web-based self-report and chart review. We used the generalized estimating equations to evaluate the effects of the intervention.

Results

There were no statistically significant differences of the baseline demographic characteristics and antihypertensive dosages from both groups. The intervention group received the web-based self-management program and showed a decrease in systolic blood pressures (−19.82 mmHg vs 7.99 mmHg, p&lt;0.001) and diastolic blood pressures at 6 months (−9.17 mmHg vs 0.48 mmHg, p&lt;0.001) compared to the control group. Regarding the H-SCALE scores measured at 6 months, the intervention group achieved a higher Medication Adherence Subscale scores (p&lt;0.001), Diet Subscale scores (p&lt;0.001), and Weight Management Subscale scores (p&lt;0.001) than those of the control group. The intervention group achieved a higher SES6C scores than that of the control group (p&lt;0.001) at 6 months. Finally, the intervention group had significantly lower serum levels of triglycerides and low-density lipoproteins than the control group at 6 months (−11.38 mg/dL vs 16.31 mg/dL, −9.93 mg/dL vs 3.12 mg/dL, respectively, p&lt;0.001).

Conclusion

The greatest benefit of this program was allowing participants to consult dietary issues with us immediately. Since lifestyles vary among different individuals, we considered the individuality of each participant when providing feedback and involving them in the devising of interventions to increase their confidence in hypertension self-care and ultimately achieve the optimal control of blood pressure and blood lipid levels.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

[Molecular epidemiological characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus during 2017-2018 at a hospital in Shanghai]

Objective: To identify the epidemic clones of MRSA isolates at a hospital in shanghai. Methods: A total of 72 MRSA isolates have been isolated from a second grade hospital between 2017 and 2018, including 32 CA-MRSA isolates, 13 HA-MRSA isolates and 26 MRSA isolates from environment. In this study, MLST and PFGE typing methods were used to analyze the molecular epidemiology of the MRSA isolates. Results: A total of 72 MRSA isolates have been obtained including 46 isolates from clinical specimens, 26 isolates from environments. The 46 MRSA isolates from clinical specimens consisted of 33 CA-MRSA (community-acquired MRSA) and 13 HA-MRSA (hospital-acquired MRSA). Furthermore, these patients infected with MRSA isolates were mostly distributed in the department of geriatrics (34.8%, 16/46), internal medicine (26.1%, 12/46) and surgery (26.1%, 12/46). MLST typing results showed that ST764 was predominant in isolates from both clinical specimens and hospital environments. Furthermore, PFGE typing results showed that most ST764 MRSA had high homolog (>90%). Conclusion: ST764 MRSA isolates might spread in community, hospital and environments. Therefore, continuous monitoring of MRSA and its variation may be useful in understanding the involvement of epidemic clone, and in searching new strategies to control MRSA infection.

A Status Property Classifier of Social Media User's Personality for Customer-Oriented Intelligent Marketing Systems

Enterprises need to obtain information about not only specific customer preferences, but also, more importantly, customers' psychological characteristics that significantly influence their consumption behaviors and response to intelligent-based marketing activities. If enterprises want to implement more precise intelligent selling activities for customers, customers' personality information will serve as a highly valued reference. The automatic detection method proposed in this study is based on techniques such as text semantic mining and machine learning to conduct personality type prediction on the target by collecting and analyzing the target's social media data. In the test, 5,858 statuses were obtained, 815 of which were labeled, with 122 effective tags. In general, when n = 5, the labeling rate can reach 60-80%. The status property classifier (SPC) proposed in this study can predict the personality type (PT) of the user publishing the status set with a high degree of accuracy by conducting text semantic mining on the status set.

Polyoxometalate adsorbed in a metal–organic framework for electrocatalytic dopamine oxidation

A redox-active polyoxometalate, V₁₀O₂₈, was immobilized into a water-stable zirconium-based metal–organic framework, NU-902. The V₁₀O₂₈@NU-902 can show redox hopping-based charge transport and electrocatalytic activity for dopamine sensing.

Prevention of Postdental Procedure Bacteremia: A Network Meta-analysis

Postdental procedure bacteremia is common and troublesome. The comparative efficacy of multiple prophylactic interventions is unclear. We compared the efficacy of interventions for the prevention of postdental procedure bacteremia. We conducted a review of ClinicalKey, Cochrane CENTRAL, Embase, ProQuest, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to December 4, 2018. Randomized controlled trials that evaluated prophylactic interventions for the prevention of postdental procedure bacteremia were eligible. The primary outcome was the incidence of postdental procedure bacteremia. A total of 24 trials were included with 2,147 participants. Our network meta-analysis demonstrated that intravenous administration of 1,000/200 mg of amoxicillin/clavulanate provided the least incidence of postdental procedure bacteremia among all the prophylactic interventions (odds ratio = 0.03, 95% CI = 0.00 to 0.63) as compared with the placebo/controls. Oral 3 g of amoxicillin had the least incidence of postdental procedure bacteremia among all oral or topical forms of prophylactic interventions (odds ratio = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.02 to 0.44) as compared with the placebo/controls. No serious adverse events, such as anaphylactic shock, mortality, and the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, were reported. None of the included subjects were of high risk of infectious endocarditis. Our network meta-analysis demonstrates that intravenous amoxicillin/clavulanate and oral amoxicillin might be the best prophylactic interventions in preventing postdental procedure bacteremia among all the oral/topical forms of interventions for the overall populations.

[Predictive value of single nucleotide polymorphisms of HLA-C and UBE2L3 in evaluating the effect of telbivudine antiviral therapy during pregnancy]

Objective: To investigate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of rs3130542 and rs4821116 in the HLA-C and UBE2L3 genes and the effect of telbivudine antiviral therapy during pregnancy in HBeAg-positive mothers through a large-sample control study, and to provide a basis for the development of individualized blocking strategies for pregnant women with a high viral load. Methods: The genotypes of rs3130542 and rs4821116 were determined for 312 pregnant women with a high viral load who received telbivudine antiviral therapy during the second or third trimester of pregnancy, and the dominant model, recessive model, and additive model were used to analyze the association between the genotypes of these two loci and the reduction in HBV DNA load. The Shapiro-Wilk test and the Levene test were used to evaluate data normality and homogeneity of variances, and the t-test or the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test was selected based on data type and was used for the comparison of means between groups. The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was used to determine the genotype of SNPs, and the dominant model, recessive model, and additive model were used for analysis. Results: Mothers with an AA/AG genotype of rs3130542 in the HLA-C gene had a significantly higher probability of HBV DNA load ≥10(3) IU/ml at the time of delivery (P < 0.05) and a significantly higher risk of failure in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission, no matter whether they started to take telbivudine at week 24 or 28 of pregnancy. The association between the genotype of rs4821116 in the UBE2L3 gene and the reduction in viral load in pregnant women needed to be confirmed by studies with a larger sample size. Conclusion: Pregnant women with a high viral load and an AA/AG genotype of rs3130542 in the HLA-C gene tend to have poor response to antiviral therapy during pregnancy, and early antiviral intervention is recommended for such patients.

Imaging Validation of Drug-Eluting Beads Transarterial Chemoembolization of Hepatocellular Carcinomas in Living Donor Liver Transplantation

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to determine whether post-transarterial chemoembolization imaging (computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging) could accurately predict the tumors' necrosis on pathologic specimens.

BACKGROUND

Transarterial chemoembolization with drug-eluting beads has been proven to be an effective way to bridge patients with hepatocellular carcinomas to liver transplantation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From September 2012 to June 2017, 59 patients with a total of 78 hepatocellular carcinomas, who received transarterial chemoembolization with drug-eluting beads before liver transplantation in Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, were included in the study. All patients and hepatocellular carcinomas have pre-transarterial chemoembolization and post-transarterial chemoembolization images (computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging) and pathological findings for correlation. Tumor response was evaluated according to modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. The ranges of necrotic percentage are 100%, 91-99%, 51-90%, and <50%.

RESULTS

The accuracy rate between the imaging and pathology correlation was 40% for computed tomography and 42% for magnetic resonance imaging. The recurrent rate of the complete respond group is 11.5%, the partial respond group is 16.0%, and the stationary group is 28.6%.

CONCLUSION

Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging sensitivity is not satisfactory for microscopic evaluation of residual tumors after transarterial chemoembolization with drug-eluting beads. However, survival is good after liver transplantation no matter what the microscopic findings were.

[Primary prevention by hepatitis B vaccine on liver cancer in high incidence area of China]

Objective: Incidence of primary liver cancer (PLC) in China is mostly related to chronic infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Qidong was one of the endemic areas with high incidence of PLC in China before 2000. We conducted a series of studies regarding on PLC etiological prevention during the past decades to develop better primary prevention strategies for PLC. Methods: Qidong Hepatitis B Intervention Study was conducted in 1983-1990. A total of 41 182 newborns were randomly assigned to vaccination group and 40 211 (97.64%) of them completed the three-dose, 5 µg-plasma-derived hepatitis B (HB) vaccination series at age 0, 1, 6 month. Among them, 28 988 participants received one-dose 10 µg recombinant HB booster vaccination at age 10-14 years. A total of 41 730 newborns were randomly assigned to the control group. When they were at age 10-14 years, 23 368 participants received the catch-up vaccination with three-dose, 10 µg-recombinant HB vaccine. Two cross-sectional HBV serology surveys were conducted in 1996-2000 and 2008-2012. Information on PLC incidence and mortality of chronic liver diseases were collected through cancer registry and vital statistics until December 31, 2016. Cox proportional hazard models were employed to compute hazard ratio (HR) of PLC and other liver diseases for the participants with neonatal HB vaccination or catch-up vaccination, and the protective efficacy was also calculated. Results: During serologic survey in 1996-2000, a total of 22 689 participants in vaccination group and 12 395 participants in control group donated blood samples. The HBsAg seropositive rates in the vaccination group was 2.16% (491/22 689), which is significantly lower than that of control group (9.08%, 1 126/12 395) (χ²=896.61, P<0.001). During serologic survey in 2008-2012, a total of 17 386 participants in vaccination group and 18 060 participants in control group donated blood samples. The HBsAg seropositive rates in the vaccination group was 1.83% (319/17 386), which is still significantly lower than that of control group (6.77%,1 222/18 060) (χ²=518.05, P<0.001). By December 31, 2016, 4 cases of PLC in the vaccination group and 17 cases of PLC were identified in the vaccination and control group, respectively. The estimated efficacy of neonatal HB vaccination on HBsAg seroprevalence in childhood (at age 10-11 years), early adulthood (at age 19-28 years) and incidence rate of PLC at age below 33 years was 79% (95%CI: 76%-81%), 74% (95%CI: 71%-78%) and 79% (95%CI: 36%-93%), respectively. The estimated efficacy of three-dose, 10 µg-recombinant HB catch-up vaccination in early adulthood is 21% (95%CI: 11%-30%), which is significantly lower than that of neonatal HB vaccination. Conclusion: HB vaccination to neonates/infants is crucial against chronic HBV infection in childhood through young adulthood, and subsequently reduced the risk of PLC in young adults.

Safety and efficacy of sofosbuvir-based treatment of acute hepatitis C in end-stage renal disease patients undergoing haemodialysis

BACKGROUND

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients undergoing haemodialysis is prevalent and aggressive. The treatment of chronic hepatitis C has been revolutionised by the advent of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). However, the safety, efficacy, and tolerance of DAAs in the treatment of acute HCV infection in patients with end-stage renal disease who are on haemodialysis are unknown.

AIM

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of sofosbuvir plus daclatasvir in this specific, difficult-to-treat population.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective and observational study of end-stage renal disease patients who were undergoing haemodialysis and were acutely infected with HCV. Patients received a half dose of sofosbuvir (200 mg) and a full dose of daclatasvir (60 mg) daily. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with sustained virological responses (SVRs); the other primary outcomes were safety and tolerability.

RESULTS

Thirty-three patients were enrolled in the study. The median HCV RNA viral load at baseline was 6.8 log₁₀ IU/mL. Twenty-four patients were infected with HCV genotype 2a, seven patients with 1b, and two patients with 2a+1b. All patients achieved a SVR at 12 weeks after the end of treatment. The treatment was well tolerated, and there were no drug-related serious adverse events.

CONCLUSION

A half dose of sofosbuvir (200 mg once daily) plus a full dose of daclatasvir (60 mg once daily) were suitable for the treatment of acute HCV-infected patients who were undergoing end-stage renal disease and were on haemodialysis.

Kernohan-Woltman Notch Phenomenon Caused by Acute Traumatic Subdural Haematoma

A 27-year-old man suffered from right hemiparesis after a closed head injury. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a right hemisphere subdural haematoma with midline structure shifted to the left. The CT finding was believed to be mislabeled because the site of haematoma did not correlate with an ipsilateral hemiparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a right transtentorial uncal herniation and a small lesion within left cerebral peduncle, suggesting Kernohan-Woltman notch phenomenon (KWNP). KWNP has been rarely seen in patients with acute traumatic subdural haemorrhage. Anatomical small maximum tentorial notch width is the possible anatomical factor predisposing our patient to this phenomenon. (Hong Kong j.emerg.med. 2014;21:116-119)

[Prognostic study of visceral pleural invasion by pulmonary adenocarcinoma with tumor size ≤3 cm]

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between visceral pleural invasion (VPI) and other clinicopathological features in lung adenocarcinoma with tumor size ≤3 cm, and to investigate the impact of VPI on the patients' prognosis. Methods: The clinical and pathological features were retrospectively reviewed in 231 cases of lung adenocarcinoma with the largest diameter of tumor ≤3 cm, following complete resection and systemic lymphadenectomy. VPI was divided into three grades, PL0, PL1 and PL2 according to modified Hammar classification for lung cancer upon elastic fiber staining. Survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier method, and the risk factors for prognosis were explored by Cox proportional hazards model. Patient prognosis was evaluated by progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: In all 231 cases, the number of patients with VPI was 70 (30.3%), of which 61 cases were PL1 and 9 cases were PL2. The remaining 161 cases (69.7%) had no VPI (PL0). The tumor size (P=0.003), histological grade (P<0.01), the presence of solid component (P=0.001) and micropapillary component (P=0.009), N stage (P<0.01) and TNM stage (P<0.01) were significantly correlated with VPI. Patients with VPI had significantly shorter PFS and OS than those without VPI (P<0.01). There were significant differences in PFS and OS between patients with different VPI levels (P<0.01). Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that VPI was not an independent prognostic factor, whereas PL2 was an independent prognostic factor for PFS (P=0.007), but not an independent prognostic factor for OS (P=0.052). Conclusions: For patients with lung adenocarcinoma of tumor size ≤3 cm, VPI is related to poor prognosis; However, only PL2 is an independent prognostic factor for PFS. It may be not necessary to separate PL0 and PL1 status in smaller lung adenocarcinomas. Therefore, the definition of VPI may need further modification through large cohort studies.

[Application of p16/Ki-67 immunocytochemistry in triage of patients with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance]

Objective: To investigate the clinical value of p16/Ki-67 immunocytochemistry in patients with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance(ASC-US). Methods: One hundred and seventy-one cases of thin-prep cytology test (TCT) diagnosed as ASC-US underwent p16/Ki-67 immunocytochemistry. All patients had colposcopy and biopsy from March 2015 to January 2016. Ninety of the 171 cases underwent high-risk HPV test at the same time. Results: p16/Ki-67 immunocytochemistry was positive in 43.9% (75/171) of the 171 cytology samples; the sensitivity and specificity of p16/Ki-67 immunocytochemistry were 77.6%(52/67) and 77.9%(81/104) in detecting CIN2+ , and the positive and negative predictive value were 69.3%(52/75) and 84.4%(81/96), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing CIN2+ were 100.0%(34/34) and 10.7%(6/56) for HPV test, and the positive and negative predictive value were 40.5%(34/84) and 6/6. p16/Ki-67 immunocytochemistry showed lower sensitivity but obviously higher specificity than high-risk HPV detection. Conclusion: p16/Ki-67 immunocytochemistry is a good triage test for identifying CIN2+ in ASC-US specimens.

Hierarchical Micro/Mesoporous Carbons Synthesized with a ZnO Template and Petroleum Pitch via a Solvent-Free Process for a High-Performance Supercapacitor

Hierarchical micro/mesoporous carbons were prepared using ZnO nanoparticles as hard templates and a petroleum industrial-residual pitch as the carbon source via a solvent-free process. The ZnO templates can be easily removed using HCl(aq), thereby avoiding limitations present in conventional porous silica templating approaches that require highly corrosive HF(aq) for template removal. Notably, the proposed solvent-free synthetic method from low-cost pitch to high-value porous carbons is a friendly process with respect to our overexploited environment. With the combination of ZnO nanoparticles and pitch, the surface area (76-548 m² g^-1) of the resultant mesoporous carbons increases with an increase in the weight ratios of ZnO to pitch. Furthermore, the hierarchical micro/mesoporous carbons with a large surface area (854-1979 m² g^-1) can be feasibly fabricated by only adding an appropriate amount of an activating agent. Meanwhile, N-doped hierarchical porous carbons can be achieved by carbonizing the blend of these materials with melamine. For supercapacitor application, the resultant carbons exhibit a high capacitance up to 200.5 F g^-1 at 5 mV s^-1 using LiClO₄/PC as the electrolyte in a symmetrical two-electrode cell. More importantly, the coin-cell supercapacitor based on porous carbons achieved a capacitance of 94 F g^-1 at 5 mV s^-1 and 63% capacitance retention at 500 mV s^-1, thereby holding the potential for commercialization.

Exploring the Systematic Business Model Innovation

An electronic-based business model (BM) is the new paradigm in business model innovation (BMI). In order to adapt to an ever-changing and extremely volatile Internet environment, an enterprise needs a systematic approach and tools to improve its existing business model or create a new one. This study analyzes the issues and system requirements for collaborative business model innovation relating to (1) BM design, (2) BM innovative system design, and (3) moral and intellectual property. Focusing on level (1) BM design, this study develops a systematic business model innovation approach based on the business model canvas (BMC) with nine building blocks and integrates the innovation radar (IR) with twelve key dimensions. Based on level (2), the study proposes a suitable collaborative BMI environment to enable the planning of a BM innovative design support system through virtual innovation teams (VITs), and to understand the system's functional requirements. Using the designed environment, this study develops the architecture of a BM knowledge support service environment based on cloud technology. To verify the proposed method, a bookstore is used as a case study. This study engages in innovative research in order to design a conceptual and systematic BMI approach.

Lactational oestrus and reproductive performance following a delayed limited nursing schedule in primiparous sows

With conventional lactation management, sows only conceive after weaning. However, intermittent suckling (IS) enables follicle growth and ovulation during lactation by reducing the suckling-induced inhibition of gonadotrophins. The current study evaluated IS regimes initiated at Day 21 or Day 28 post farrowing compared to conventional weaning on Day 28, in primiparous sows. Sows (Large White and Large White x Landrace) were randomly allocated to Control (C28; n = 44), IS21 (n = 29) and IS28 (n = 34) treatments at Day 20. Sows in IS21 and IS28 were subjected to intermittent suckling from Day 21 or Day 28 post farrowing. During IS, sows were separated from their piglets for 8 h daily, then weaned 7 d later at Day 28 and Day 35 respectively, whereas piglets in the C28 treatment had continuous access to sows until weaning at Day 28. Percentage of IS sows that showed oestrus during lactation was 59% (16/27) in IS21 and 72% (21/29) in IS28 (P > 0.05). Cumulatively over the lactation and 7 d post-weaning period, 93% of IS21, 85% of IS28 and 93% (31/33) of C28 sows showed oestrus (P > 0.05). Pregnancy rate at Day 30 post mating, for sows that were mated during lactation was 93% (15/16) in IS21 and 95% (20/21) in IS28, whereas C28 sows had a 96% (30/31) pregnancy rate (P > 0.05). No difference was found in the time of oestrus relative to weaning (C28) or onset of IS (IS21 and IS28) (P > 0.05). The IS sows that did not ovulate before weaning all showed oestrus within 7 days from weaning, and the weaning to oestrus interval was similar to control sows (P > 0.05). However, for all IS sows (across IS treatments) that showed lactational ovulation, LH secretion pattern at onset of IS was different (P < 0.05) from the sows that did not ovulate in lactation. Plasma progesterone concentration tended to be lower in the IS21 treatment (P < 0.10) compared to the C28 sows at 4 d after ovulation. The subsequent litter size was not affected by treatments although numerically lower for IS21 (P > 0.05). The present study showed that in modern primiparous sows, lactational oestrus can be induced and pregnancy can be maintained at a similar rate and producing comparable subsequent litter sizes to conventionally weaned sows when IS commenced at four weeks post farrowing. However, when IS commences at three weeks post farrowing, this may affect the percentage of sows showing oestrus in lactation and may potentially influence subsequent litter size.

[Characteristics of HBV transmission in families with HBsAg-positive fathers and familial clustering of HBV infection]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the characteristics of hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission among family members in families with familial clustering of HBV infection and poor outcomes, as well as the prevalence and distribution characteristics of HBsAg in offspring with different parental HBsAg status.

METHODS

The general information of each member in families with poor outcomes were collected from 2007 to 2010, and serological test was performed to analyze the prevalence and distribution of HBsAg in family members. The chi-square test or Fisher's exact test was used to analyze and compare the sex of offspring and the prevalence of HBsAg in them in 266 nuclear families with different paternal and maternal HBsAg status.

RESULTS

The positive rates of HBsAg in parents, siblings, children, and spouses of the probands were 20%, 88.2%, 76.8%, and 9.5%, respectively. The nuclear families with HBsAg-positive fathers and HBsAg-negative mothers had a significantly increased proportion of male offspring (male/female ratio = 2.02) compared with those with HBsAg-positive mothers and HBsAg-negative fathers (1.22) or those with HBsAg-negative fathers and mothers (0.96). In addition, in the nuclear families with HBsAg-positive fathers and HBsAg-negative mothers, the male offspring had a significantly higher HBsAg positive rate than female offspring (37.4% vs 13.8%), while in those with HBsAg-positive mothers and HBsAg-negative fathers or those with HBsAg-negative fathers and mothers, HBsAg positive rate showed no significant difference between male and female offspring.

CONCLUSION

In families with familial clustering of HBV infection and poor outcomes, mother-to-child transmission is still the major route of HBV transmission, but father-to-child transmission also plays a role in HBV transmission in this special population. Positive HBsAg in fathers is associated with the increased proportion of male offspring, and father-to-son transmission of HBV is higher than father-to-daughter transmission.

A user’s personality prediction approach by mining network interaction behaviors on Facebook

Purpose

For an enterprise, it is essential to win as many customers as possible. The key to successfully winning customers is often determined by understanding the personality characteristics of the object of communication in order to employ an effective communication strategy. An enterprise needs to obtain the personality information of target or potential customers. However, the traditional method for personality evaluation is extremely costly in terms of time and labor, and it cannot acquire customer personality information without their awareness. Therefore, the manner in which to effectively conduct automated personality predictions for a large number of objects is an important issue. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The diverse social media that have emerged in recent years represent a digital platform on which users can publicly deliver speeches and interact with others. Thus, social media may be able to serve the needs of automated personality predictions. Based on user data of Facebook, the main social media platform around the world, this research developed a method for predicting personality types based on interaction logs.

Findings

Experimental results show that the Naïve Bayes classification algorithm combined with a feature selection algorithm produces the best performance for predicting personality types, with 70-80 percent accuracy.

Research limitations/implications

In this research, the dominance, inducement, submission, and compliance (DISC) theory was used to determine personality types. Some specific limitations were encountered. As Facebook was used as the main data source, it was necessary to obtain related data via Facebook’s API (FB API). However, the data types accessible via FB API are very limited.

Practical implications

This research serves to build a universal model for social media interaction, and can be used to propose an efficient method for designing interaction features.

Originality/value

This research has developed an approach for automatically predicting the personality types of network users based on their Facebook interactions.

Elevating glucose and insulin secretion by carbohydrate formulation diets in late lactation to improve post-weaning fertility in primiparous sows

Primiparous (P1) sows commonly lose excessive body reserves to meet energy requirements for maintenance and milk production during lactation, and consequently, post-weaning reproductive performance may be compromised. The present studies determined whether ad libitum feeding a glucogenic carbohydrate diet (CHO) during late lactation could stimulate insulin and glucose secretion (experiment 1) and improve subsequent litter size (experiment 2). For experiment 1, 15 P1 sows, and for experiment 2, 99 P1 sows (198.5 ± 2.7 kg) were allocated randomly according to suckled litter size (≥10 piglets), either to a CHO diet (14.3 MJ DE/kg, 19.8% crude protein) or a standard lactation diet (control; 14.2 DE MJ/kg, 19.5% crude protein) at 8 days before weaning. The CHO diet aimed to provide glucogenic content (extruded wheat, dextrose and sugar) as energy sources instead of fat sources without changing total dietary energy. Pre-prandial plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were not influenced by treatments. However, post-prandial plasma glucose and insulin concentrations and their peaks were both higher (p < .05) compared to the control treatment. Body weight loss during lactation was relatively low at 3%-4% for both treatments and did not differ between control and CHO treatments (-7.6 ± 1.6 vs -5.4 ± 1.2 kg; p > .05). Second litter size was not influenced by diet (p > .05), but the weaning-to-mating interval was shorter in CHO sows (p < .05). This study demonstrates that providing an enriched CHO diet in late lactation did influence post-weaning follicle growth but did not improve subsequent litter size. This may be due to the primiparous sows in this study not experiencing severe negative energy balance and there was no second litter syndrome in this farm which limited the ability of diet to improve sow fertility.

Human chorionic gonadotrophin in early gestation induces growth of estrogenic ovarian follicles and improves primiparous sow fertility during summer

Reduced summer farrowing rates may be due to inadequate corpora luteal (CL) support. Porcine CL become dependent on LH from 12 d of pregnancy and the embryonic estrogen signal for maternal recognition of pregnancy (MRP) is initiated at about 11-12 d after insemination. We hypothesised that injection of the LH analogue human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) would induce growth of estrogenic follicles and, by mimicking the signal for MRP and stimulating progesterone secretion, increase primiparous sow fertility. In Experiment 1, during a 28 d lactation 53 mixed parity sows were full-fed either throughout lactation (n=16) or until 18 d and then feed restricted during the last 10 d of lactation (n=36). At 12 d after mating restrict-fed sows were injected with 1000IU hCG (n=17) or were not injected (n=19); the full-fed sows acted as non-treated positive controls. Transrectal ovarian ultrasound exams were performed on days 12, 16, 20, 24, and 28; blood samples were obtained on days 12, 14, and 15 for estradiol and progesterone assay. For Experiment 2, during the summer months primiparous sows received 1000IU hCG 12 d after mating (n=28) or were non-injected controls (n=27). Pregnancy status was determined at 28 d and sows allowed to go to term to determine farrowing rates and litter sizes. In Experiment 1, injection of hCG increased (P<0.001) follicle diameter and serum concentrations of estradiol (P<0.01) and progesterone (P<0.05). There were no effects of lactation feeding level on wean-estrus interval, farrowing rate or subsequent litter size. In Experiment 2, hCG injection was associated with a higher pregnancy rate (P<0.05) and farrowing rate (P<0.08). There was no effect on litter size. These data confirm that hCG stimulates growth of estrogenic follicles and CL function, and improves primiparous sow fertility during the summer months.

A method of potential customer searching from opinions of network villagers in virtual communities

Purpose

– Customer acquisition and retention methods are the most critical issues for any enterprise. By identifying potential customers and targeting them through marketing activities, enterprises can minimize marketing costs and maximize transaction probability. However, because market surveys are labor- and time-consuming, and data mining is ineffective for obtaining competitor data, enterprises may be unable to understand real-time changes in market trends and consumer preferences. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study developed a mechanism that automatically searches for potential customers in virtual communities. In addition, a common product attribute (CPA) model was developed based on the five dimensions of the theory of consumption values and a questionnaire survey was conducted to verify the corresponding relationships. Subsequently, the authors quantified and applied the relationship between the proposed CPA model and consumption values theory.

Findings

– During the experiment, functional and social values yielded more accurate predictions. Contrary to our expectations, emotional value yielded an inaccurate prediction of potential customers. The overall precision was 0.74, with a threshold of 0.5.

Research limitations/implications

– Due to each industry including the distinctive characteristics and attributes regarding its products, the methods and models were only adopted in food industry for testing effectiveness.

Practical implications

– Considering the food industry as an example, this study adopted the case study method to screen potential customers based on 400 articles from virtual communities, and combined a latent semantic analysis method with a backpropagation neural network to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Originality/value

– By adopting the proposed enterprise-product profile model, enterprises can compile basic information related to their products and industry. The proposed system can be used by enterprises to identify potential customers in areas with potential for market development.

Difference between patients' and clinicians' perception of pouch dysfunction and its impact on quality of life following restorative proctocolectomy

AIM

The Pouch Dysfunction Score (PDS) is a five-item instrument that evaluates bowel function and quality of life following restorative proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis. The PDS includes items that have a significantly negative impact on quality of life from the patient's point of view. The study aimed to establish how pouch dysfunction is perceived by clinicians in relation to patients experience.

METHOD

Fifty-eight leading clinicians in the field of inflammatory bowel disease were invited to complete two PDS-based exercises. In part 1, they received a list of the 12 bowel symptoms from which the PDS had been developed and were asked to identify and rank (in order of severity) the five they thought had the most significantly negative impact on quality of life. In part 2, they were given the list of symptoms perceived by patients to be most troublesome and were then required to enter a score that they thought was appropriate for each item according to the impact on quality of life.

RESULTS

Forty-three clinicians responded, and each correctly identified one to three items selected by patients and included in the PDS. Severity of urgency was selected by 29 (67%) clinicians, and four (9%) rated it to be the most important. Incomplete emptying after defaecation was selected by 10 (23%). Frequency of defaecation and the use of anti-diarrhoeal medication were selected by 14 (33%) and three (7%) clinicians, respectively. Twenty-six (60%) did not include incomplete emptying and 25 (58%) did not include uncontrolled loss of stool in their selection.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that clinicians do not have a great understanding of the symptoms of pouch dysfunction that really matter to the patient.

Microfluidic Chip Coupled with Thermal Desorption Atmospheric Pressure Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Microfluidic chips have been used as platforms for a diversity of research purposes such as for separation and micro-reaction. One of the suitable detectors for microfluidic chip is mass spectrometry. Because microfluidic chips are generally operated in an open air condition, mass spectrometry coupled with atmospheric pressure ion sources can suit the requirement with minimum compromise. In this study, we develop a new interface to couple a microfluidic chip with mass spectrometry. A capillary tip coated with a layer of graphite, capable of absorbing energy of near-infrared (NIR) light is used to interface microfluidic chip with mass spectrometry. An NIR laser diode (λ=808 nm) is used to irradiate the capillary tip for assisting the generation of spray from the eluent of the microfluidic chip. An electrospray is provided to fuse with the spray generated from the microfluidic chip for post-ionization. Transesterification is used as the example to demonstrate the feasibility of using this interface to couple microfluidic chip with mass spectrometry.

The acoustic radiation force impulse elastography evaluation of liver fibrosis in posttransplantation dysfunction of living donor liver transplantation

BACKGROUND

The acoustic radiation force impulse elastography (ARFI) is a new technology of elastography integrated into B-mode ultrasonography. It has been a reliable method to evaluate liver fibrosis of chronic liver disease in recent years, but less applied in the posttransplantation liver. The aim of the study was to evaluate liver fibrosis by the ARFI with correlation of pathological stages in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From August 2010 to August 2012, there were 57 LDLT patients with liver biopsy (LB) due to posttransplantation dysfunction; all patients also received posttransplantation ARFI liver stiffness measurement (LSM) after transplantation for liver fibrosis staging. The ARFI elastography was performed using a Siemens Acuson S2000 ultrasound system with 4V1 transducers (Acusion, Siemens Medical Systems Co. Ltd. Erlangen, Germany). The ARFI LSM value was presented by shear wave velocity (SWV, m/s). The fibrosis staging as F0 to F4 was in accordance with the Metavir scoring system.

RESULTS

A total of 57 patients had both posttransplantation LB and effective ARFI fibrosis staging for correlation. The ARFI LSM value increased with severity of liver fibrosis and had significant linear correlation with the results of histological fibrosis staging. The ARFI LSM sensitivities (Se), specificities (Sp), and cutoff values based on receiver-operator characteristic curve were F0: 0.75 m/s (Se: 93.8%, Sp: 4%), F1: 1.06 m/s (Se: 95.5%, Sp: 25.7%), F2: 1.81 m/s (Se: 50%, Sp: 83.6%) and F3: 2.33 m/s (Se: 100%, Sp: 92.9%). Predictive value of ARFI LSM reported a significant difference between early fibrosis stage (F0-F1) and advanced fibrosis stage (F ≧ 2) (P < .05).

CONCLUSION

In this study, ARFI demonstrated a strong linear correlation and severity of liver fibrosis with LB pathologic staging. ARFI can be an alternative and compensatory method for frequent LB in the posttransplantation liver.

Synergistic effects of arsenic trioxide combined with ascorbic acid in human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells: a systems biology analysis

OBJECTIVE

To further understand the synergistic mechanism of As2O3 and asscorbic acid (AA) in human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells by systems biology analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells were treated by As2O3 (1 µmol/L), AA (62.5 µmol/L) and combined drugs (1 µmol/L As2O3 plus 62.5 µmol/L AA). Dynamic morphological characteristics were recorded by Cell-IQ system, and growth rate was calculated. Illumina beadchip assay was used to analyze the differential expression genes in different groups. Synergic effects on differential expression genes (DEGs) were analyzed by mixture linear model and singular value decomposition model. KEGG pathway annotations and GO enrichment analysis were performed to figure out the pathways involved in the synergic effects.

RESULTS

We captured 1987 differential expression genes in combined therapy MG-63 cells. FAT1 gene was significantly upregulated in all three groups, which is a promising drug target as an important tumor suppressor analogue; meanwhile, HIST1H2BD gene was markedly downregulated in the As2O3 monotherapy group and the combined therapy group, which was found to be upregulated in prostatic cancer. These two genes might play critical roles in synergetic effects of AA and As2O3, although the exact mechanism needs further investigation. KEGG pathway analysis showed many DEGs were related with tight junction, and GO analysis also indicated that DEGs in the combined therapy cells gathered in occluding junction, apical junction complex, cell junction, and tight junction.

CONCLUSIONS

AA potentiates the efficacy of As2O3 in MG-63 cells. Systems biology analysis showed the synergic effect on the DEGs.

Undernutrition during early follicle development has irreversible effects on ovulation rate and embryos

This study assessed carry-over effects of energy level during the early antral phase and subsequent follicular phase on follicle recruitment and ovulation rate. Gilts (n=45) were fed a standard diet to a low (L, ~1.2kg day(-1)) or high (H, ~2.7kg day(-1)) level during the early antral (luteal) phase, and subsequently fed a H or L feed level during the follicular phase, resulting in four treatment groups (HH, HL, LH and LL). Follicle size at the end of the luteal phase was greater for gilts fed a high feed level previously (3.3vs3.0mm; P<0.05). During the follicular phase, high feeding increased follicle size at Day 5 (6.9vs6.2mm; P<0.005) and plasma oestradiol concentration (P<0.05). Nevertheless, a low feed level during the luteal phase reduced ovulation rate (14.4vs13.2; P<0.05) and embryo number (12.6vs10.5; P<0.05), and this was not counteracted by feed level during the follicular phase. Plasma progesterone concentration after ovulation was lower for LL gilts than for other treatments (P<0.05). These results indicate that undernutrition during early antral follicle development may have a residual effect on follicle recruitment and quality.