Sweet potato leaf tips have high nutritional value,and exploring the differences in the metabolic profiles of leaf tips among different sweet potato varieties can provide information to improve their qualities.In this...Sweet potato leaf tips have high nutritional value,and exploring the differences in the metabolic profiles of leaf tips among different sweet potato varieties can provide information to improve their qualities.In this study,a UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS-based untargeted metabolomics method was used to evaluate the metabolites in leaf tips of 32 sweet potato varieties.Three varieties with distinct overall metabolic profiles(A01,A02,and A03),two varieties with distinct profiles of phenolic acids(A20 and A18),and three varieties with distinct profiles of flavonoids(A05,A12,and A16)were identified.In addition,a total of 163 and 29 differentially expressed metabolites correlated with the color and leaf shape of sweet potato leaf tips,respectively,were identified through morphological characterization.Group comparison analysis of the phenotypic traits and a metabolite-phenotypic trait correlation analysis indicated that the color differences of sweet potato leaf tips were markedly associated with flavonoids.Also,the level of polyphenols was correlated with the leaf shape of sweet potato leaf tips,with lobed leaf types having higher levels of polyphenols than the entire leaf types.The findings on the metabolic profiles and differentially expressed metabolites associated with the morphology of sweet potato leaf tips can provide useful information for breeding sweet potato varieties with higher nutritional value.展开更多
Recently,the application of Bayesian updating to predict excavation-induced deformation has proven successful and improved prediction accuracy significantly.However,updating the ground settlement profile,which is cruc...Recently,the application of Bayesian updating to predict excavation-induced deformation has proven successful and improved prediction accuracy significantly.However,updating the ground settlement profile,which is crucial for determining potential damage to nearby infrastructures,has received limited attention.To address this,this paper proposes a physics-guided simplified model combined with a Bayesian updating framework to accurately predict the ground settlement profile.The advantage of this model is that it eliminates the need for complex finite element modeling and makes the updating framework user-friendly.Furthermore,the model is physically interpretable,which can provide valuable references for construction adjustments.The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through two field case studies,showing that it can yield satisfactory predictions for the settlement profile.展开更多
Conventional numerical solutions developed to describe the geomechanical behavior of rock interfaces subjected to differential load emphasize peak and residual shear strengths.The detailed analysis of preand post-peak...Conventional numerical solutions developed to describe the geomechanical behavior of rock interfaces subjected to differential load emphasize peak and residual shear strengths.The detailed analysis of preand post-peak shear stress-displacement behavior is central to various time-dependent and dynamic rock mechanic problems such as rockbursts and structural instabilities in highly stressed conditions.The complete stress-displacement surface(CSDS)model was developed to describe analytically the pre-and post-peak behavior of rock interfaces under differential loads.Original formulations of the CSDS model required extensive curve-fitting iterations which limited its practical applicability and transparent integration into engineering tools.The present work proposes modifications to the CSDS model aimed at developing a comprehensive and modern calibration protocol to describe the complete shear stressdisplacement behavior of rock interfaces under differential loads.The proposed update to the CSDS model incorporates the concept of mobilized shear strength to enhance the post-peak formulations.Barton’s concepts of joint roughness coefficient(JRC)and joint compressive strength(JCS)are incorporated to facilitate empirical estimations for peak shear stress and normal closure relations.Triaxial/uniaxial compression test and direct shear test results are used to validate the updated model and exemplify the proposed calibration method.The results illustrate that the revised model successfully predicts the post-peak and complete axial stressestrain and shear stressedisplacement curves for rock joints.展开更多
This article investigates a multi-circular path-following formation control with reinforced transient profiles for nonholonomic vehicles connected by a digraph.A multi-circular formation controller endowed with the fe...This article investigates a multi-circular path-following formation control with reinforced transient profiles for nonholonomic vehicles connected by a digraph.A multi-circular formation controller endowed with the feature of spatial-temporal decoupling is devised for a group of vehicles guided by a virtual leader evolving along an implicit path,which allows for a circumnavigation on multiple circles with an anticipant angular spacing.In addition,notice that it typically imposes a stringent time constraint on time-sensitive enclosing scenarios,hence an improved prescribed performance control(IPPC)using novel tighter behavior boundaries is presented to enhance transient capabilities with an ensured appointed-time convergence free from any overshoots.The significant merits are that coordinated circumnavigation along different circles can be realized via executing geometric and dynamic assignments independently with modified transient profiles.Furthermore,all variables existing in the entire system are analyzed to be convergent.Simulation and experimental results are provided to validate the utility of suggested solution.展开更多
Context: Antiretroviral therapies improve the prognosis of NeuroAIDS contrasting with a high frequency of Minor Neurocognitive Disorders (MND) even in aviremic subjects. Objective: The objective of this study is to pr...Context: Antiretroviral therapies improve the prognosis of NeuroAIDS contrasting with a high frequency of Minor Neurocognitive Disorders (MND) even in aviremic subjects. Objective: The objective of this study is to present the neurological and cognitive profile of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) initiating antiretroviral treatment in Kinshasa in the era of Dolutegravir (DTG). Methods: This is a multicenter, cross-sectional study with a descriptive aim carried out in 16 HIV Outpatient Treatment Centers (OTC) in Kinshasa from October 4, 2021 to February 15, 2022. The International HIV Dementia Scale (IHDS) correlated with the Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale facilitated the categorization of NeuroCognitive Disorders (NCD) of PLHIV evaluated after carrying out a summary neurological examination. Results: Of the 96 patients recruited, 56.3% were women with a sex ratio of 0.68. The average age was 40.1 ± 12.1 years. The secondary education level was the majority at 64.6%. Malaria (44.8%) and tuberculosis (32.3%) were more common as opportunistic infections. They were alcoholics in (30.2%). Their history was heart disease (15.6%), high blood pressure (18.8%);drug abuse (10.4%). The IHDS score was light in 55.2% of cases. The correlation between IHDS/IADL watches asymptomatic neurocognitive impairments (ANI) in 77.1%, almost all of subjects are found with normal overall functioning (94.8%) and a disturbed neurological examination in 53.1% of cases with a predominance of motor impairments in 79.1%. Conclusion: In view of these results, early and systematic screening of NCD and associated factors remains necessary in our context. .展开更多
Background: Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most frequent cancers and the leading cause of death from gynecological cancer in Low and middle income countries, Cameroon inclusive. Surgery is the primary treatment mo...Background: Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most frequent cancers and the leading cause of death from gynecological cancer in Low and middle income countries, Cameroon inclusive. Surgery is the primary treatment modality when the disease is diagnosed at early stage. Radical hysterectomy in cervical cancer has not been evaluated in recent years in Cameroon. The purpose of this study is thus to evaluate the epidemiological and clinical features and short term outcomes of patients who underwent surgery. Patients and methods: This retrospective study was conducted at the Douala Gynaeco-obstetric and Pediatric Hospital and the Douala General Hospital. Cervical cancer patients who underwent Radical hysterectomy between January 2015 and December 2020 were included. A pre-established data collection tool was used to record socio-demographic, clinical and outcomes information from patients’ files;additional outcome information was obtained from phone calls. Descriptive analysis was done using the SPSS version 26. Bivariate analysis was used to determine associations between disease and patients characteristics and occurrence of adverse postoperative outcome. P value of 0.05 was considered. Results: Sixty one patients were enrolled. Their ages ranged from 33 to 74 years with a mean age of 51.95 ± 10.29 years. Over 85% of women were married, 65.57% were unemployed and 86.88% were multiparous. Only 28% had never done cervical cancer screening. Most patients had stage IB1 to IB2 stage disease (57.1%). Less than 9% underwent radical hysterectomy and 8 of those (13.11%) suffered intraoperative complications. Twenty-five patients (40.98%) presented immediate and short term complications. There was no significant association between the disease or patients’ characteristics and adverse outcomes. Conclusion: Cervical cancer patients are relatively young in our settings and only 9% of them reach the hospital at early stage. Postoperative adverse outcomes rate is higher than that reported in the literature. Sensitization on screening and awareness of early symptoms can reverse the situation.展开更多
The purpose of this study was to understand the overall level of key competencies of medical students and explore the potential profile of key competencies, promoting quality education, and improving the quality talen...The purpose of this study was to understand the overall level of key competencies of medical students and explore the potential profile of key competencies, promoting quality education, and improving the quality talent cultivation in medical colleges. A stratified random sampling method selected 734 medical students from four medical colleges in Chongqing Province of China. A general information questionnaire and a key competencies survey questionnaire were used to conduct the survey. The overall score and scores of each dimension of key competencies were analyzed. Latent profile analysis was conducted to classify the key competencies of medical students and compare the distribution differences of demographic variables among different categories. The results showed that 26% of medical students have never heard of the concept of key competencies, and 59% of them are not familiar with the content related to key competencies. The score of key competencies is 3.66 ± 0.60, with the highest score in the dimension of responsibility and the lowest score in the dimension of humanistic accomplishment. The latent profile analysis classified them into three categories: “low key competencies group (14.71%)”, “medium key competencies group (36.79%)”, and “high key competencies group (48.50%)”. The R3STEP regression analysis results showed statistically significant differences in educational level and whether they served as student cadres among different key competencies categories of medical students. This paper discusses three different potential key competencies categories among medical students, and the overall level of key competencies is relatively good. However, medical students lack a comprehensive and systematic understanding of key competencies. Humanistic accomplishment, healthy living, and practical innovation are the three dimensions with lower scores and should be given more attention. Medical colleges should integrate the concept of key competencies into teaching and implement it in medical practice to cultivate more high-quality medical talents for society.展开更多
Using Corpus of Contemporary American English as the source data,this paper carries out a corpus-based behavioral profile study to investigate four near-synonymous adjectives(serious,severe,grave,and grievous),focusin...Using Corpus of Contemporary American English as the source data,this paper carries out a corpus-based behavioral profile study to investigate four near-synonymous adjectives(serious,severe,grave,and grievous),focusing on their register and the types of nouns they each modify.Although sharing core meaning,these adjectives exhibit variations in formality levels and usage patterns.The identification of fine-grained usage differences complements the current inadequacies in describing these adjectives.Furthermore,the study reaffirms the effectiveness of the corpus-based behavioral profile approach in examining synonym differences.展开更多
The shallow-water temperature profile is typically parameterized using a few empirical orthogonal function(EOF)coefficients.However,when the experimental area is poorly known or highly variable,the adaptability of the...The shallow-water temperature profile is typically parameterized using a few empirical orthogonal function(EOF)coefficients.However,when the experimental area is poorly known or highly variable,the adaptability of the EOFs will be significantly reduced.In this study,a new set of basis functions,generated by combining the internal-wave eigenmodes with the average temperature gradient,is developed for characterizing the temperature perturbations.Temperature profiles recorded by a thermistor chain in the South China Sea in 2015 are processed and analyzed.Compared to the EOFs,the new set of basis functions has higher reconstruction accuracy and adaptability;it is also more stable in ocean regions that have internal waves.展开更多
Accurate spectroscopic data for H_(2)^(16)O in the 1.1μm region are particularly important for the study of Earth's atmosphere.The pure water vapor molecular spectra were measured based on direct laser absorption...Accurate spectroscopic data for H_(2)^(16)O in the 1.1μm region are particularly important for the study of Earth's atmosphere.The pure water vapor molecular spectra were measured based on direct laser absorption spectroscopy using a narrow line-width external cavity diode laser combined with a high-precision Fabry-Pérot etalon.A total of 31 H_(2)^(16)O transitions were studied for the first time by using the speed-dependent Nelkin-Ghatak profile and the Hartmann-Tran profile.From an accurate line-shape analysis,we obtained the line intensities and the self-broadening coefficients,and they are compared with the available data reported in the HITRAN 2016 database and the HITRAN 2020 database.Finally,we obtained information on the influence of Dicke narrowing,as well as the correlations between Dicke narrowing and speed dependence,and of speed-dependent effects.展开更多
Context: Despite the new recommendations “Test and Treat”, the virological and molecular parameters remain important information for Antiretroviral Treatment and adequate for monitoring of patients infected with HIV...Context: Despite the new recommendations “Test and Treat”, the virological and molecular parameters remain important information for Antiretroviral Treatment and adequate for monitoring of patients infected with HIV/AIDS. Objective: the Objective of this study is to present the virological and molecular profile of People Living with HIV starting Antiretroviral Therapy in Kinshasa in the era of the Dolutegravir. Methods: This was a transversal study to determine virological and molecular profile of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) starting an ARV Treatment. The patient’s inclusion period was from October 04, 2021 to February 15, 2022. A sample of 5 ml of blood was taken in a tube with EDTA anticoagulant for Molecular Biology analyzes (Viral Load and Sequencing) in all HIV patients, after reading and signing informed consent. The population was made up of adult patients over the age of 18, infected with HIV and starting ART. Results: 119 patients (56.3% of women) were included in this study, thus a sex-ratio of 1.29. The average age of patients included was 39.87 ± 12.36 years. The most represented age group is that of 36 to 45 with 37 patients (31.9%) followed by that from 26 to 35 years with 24 patients (20.7%). Out of 119 patients, 21 patients had an undetectable Viral Load (VL). The median value of VL was 4.16 log10 RNA copies/ml. 114 samples were successfully amplified. Subtype A was dominant with 23 cases (20.2%);followed by the subtype C and CRF02_AG each with 14.0%, and D (10.5 %). K65R (1.8%), T69P/N (4.4%), K70R (7.9%) and M184V (7.0%) mutations were listed as existing mutations for Nucleotide Transcriptase Inhibitors. Conclusion: 38 patients (31.93%) started the TARV with a positive virological prognosis. The subtype A remains dominant in Kinshasa with 23 cases (20.2%);followed by the subtype C and CRF02_AG each with 14.0%. For Inhibitors of Transcriptase Reverse Nucleotide;K65R, T69P/N, K70E/R and M184V mutations were found in patients’ naive of ARV Treatment.展开更多
Horizontal gas-liquid two-phase flows widely exist in chemical engineering,oil/gas production and other important industrial processes.Slug flow pattern is the main form of horizontal gas-liquid flows and characterize...Horizontal gas-liquid two-phase flows widely exist in chemical engineering,oil/gas production and other important industrial processes.Slug flow pattern is the main form of horizontal gas-liquid flows and characterized by intermittent motion of film region and slug region.This work aims to develop the ultrasonic Doppler method to realize the simultaneous measurement of the velocity profile and liquid film thickness of slug flow.A single-frequency single-channel transducer is adopted in the design of the field-programmable gate array based ultrasonic Doppler system.A multiple echo repetition technology is used to improve the temporal-spatial resolution for the velocity profile.An experiment of horizontal gas-liquid two-phase flow is implemented in an acrylic pipe with an inner diameter of 20 mm.Considering the aerated characteristics of the liquid slug,slug flow is divided into low-aerated slug flow,high-aerated slug flow and pseudo slug flow.The temporal-spatial velocity distributions of the three kinds of slug flows are reconstructed by using the ultrasonic velocity profile measurement.The evolution characteristics of the average velocity profile in slug flows are investigated.A novel method is proposed to derive the liquid film thickness based on the instantaneous velocity profile.The liquid film thickness can be effectively measured by detecting the position and the size of the bubbles nearly below the elongated gas bubble.Compared with the time of flight method,the film thickness measured by the Doppler system shows a higher accuracy as a bubble layer occurs in the film region.The effect of the gas distribution on the film thickness is uncovered in three kinds of slug flows.展开更多
Owing to extensive construction of dams, the impact of backwater on flow may lead to navigation or flood control issues in curved channels. To date, the impact of backwater on the water surface profile in curved chann...Owing to extensive construction of dams, the impact of backwater on flow may lead to navigation or flood control issues in curved channels. To date, the impact of backwater on the water surface profile in curved channels remains unknown and requires investigation. In this study, experiments were conducted in a glass-walled recirculating flume with a length of 19.4 m, a width of 0.6 m, and a depth of 0.8 m, and the impact of backwater on the water surface profile in a 90° channel bend was investigated. The experimental results showed that the backwater degree had a significant impact on the transverse and longitudinal flow depth distributions in the bend. The transverse slope of the flow (Jr) increased linearly with an increase in the Froude number of the approach flow upstream of the bend. Jr increased with the longitudinal location parameter ξ when −0.2 < ξ < 0.5, and decreased with ξ when 0.5 < ξ < 1.2. Furthermore, the results showed that Jr asymptotically decreased to zero with an increase in the degree of backwater. An equation was formulated to estimate the transverse slope of the flow in a 90° bend in backwater zones.展开更多
Background:Lactic acid bacteria(LAB)participating in milk fermentation naturally release and enrich the fermented dairy product with a broad range of bioactive metabolites,which has numerous roles in the intestinal he...Background:Lactic acid bacteria(LAB)participating in milk fermentation naturally release and enrich the fermented dairy product with a broad range of bioactive metabolites,which has numerous roles in the intestinal health-promot-ing of the consumer.However,information is lacking regarding the application prospect of LAB fermented milk in the animal industry.This study investigated the effects of lactic acid bacteria-fermented formula milk(LFM)on the growth performance,intestinal immunity,microbiota composition,and transcriptomic responses in weaned piglets.A total of 24 male weaned piglets were randomly divided into the control(CON)and LFM groups.Each group consisted of 6 replicates(cages)with 2 piglets per cage.Each piglet in the LFM group were supplemented with 80 mL LFM three times a day,while the CON group was treated with the same amount of drinking water.Results:LFM significantly increased the average daily gain of piglets over the entire 14 d(P<0.01)and the average daily feed intake from 7 to 14 d(P<0.05).Compared to the CON group,ileal goblet cell count,villus-crypt ratio,sIgA,and lactate concentrations in the LFM group were significantly increased(P<0.05).Transcriptomic analysis of ileal mucosa identified 487 differentially expressed genes(DEGs)between two groups.Especially,DEGs involved in the intestinal immune network for IgA production pathways,such as polymeric immunoglobulin receptor(PIGR),were significantly up-regulated(P<0.01)by LFM supplementation.Moreover,trefoil factor 2(TFF2)in the LFM group,one of the DEGs involved in the secretory function of goblet cells,was also significantly up-regulated(P<0.01).Sequenc-ing of the 16S rRNA gene of microbiota demonstrated that LFM led to selective enrichment of lactate-producing and short-chain fatty acid(SCFA)-producing bacteria in the ileum,such as an increase in the relative abundance of Entero-coccus(P=0.09)and Acetitomaculum(P<0.05).Conclusions:LFM can improve intestinal health and immune tolerance,thus enhancing the growth performance of weaned piglets.The changes in microbiota and metabolites induced by LFM might mediate the regulation of the secretory function of goblet cells.展开更多
The subject of this study is the microcredit market in the USA,more specifically in Florida.The justification for choosing this specific state is the massive presence of the Hispanic population.This will facilitate a ...The subject of this study is the microcredit market in the USA,more specifically in Florida.The justification for choosing this specific state is the massive presence of the Hispanic population.This will facilitate a generalization of the obtained results to the microcredit market in Latin American countries.Thus,the objective of this study is to analyze the profile of microcredit holders and their companies from socioeconomic and financial points of view.As our data also consider the degree of repayment of the microloans included in the sample,the clients’profile is related to the punctuality or default of their corresponding loan repayments using the methodology of multi-nomial logit regression.The variables used in this study refer to personal information concerning borrowers(gender,age,education level,and marital status),the economic situation of their respective companies(closeness to the lender,number of workers,and revenues),and the characteristics of granted loans(principal,term,and purpose).However,the results of the regression show that only two variables are significant at the 5%significance level:the borrower’s age,which has a positive effect on repay-ment punctuality,and the loan term,which exhibits a negative effect.The findings of this study have clear implications,as they can help lenders design suitable microloans adjusted to customer profiles.Finally,future research should include other demograph-ics and characteristics of affected companies.展开更多
基金This work was supported by grants from the construction and operation of the Food Nutrition and Health Research Center of Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences,China(XTXM 202205)the earmarked fund for CARS-10Sweetpotato,and the Guangdong Modern Agro-industry Technology Research System,China(2022KJ111).
文摘Sweet potato leaf tips have high nutritional value,and exploring the differences in the metabolic profiles of leaf tips among different sweet potato varieties can provide information to improve their qualities.In this study,a UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS-based untargeted metabolomics method was used to evaluate the metabolites in leaf tips of 32 sweet potato varieties.Three varieties with distinct overall metabolic profiles(A01,A02,and A03),two varieties with distinct profiles of phenolic acids(A20 and A18),and three varieties with distinct profiles of flavonoids(A05,A12,and A16)were identified.In addition,a total of 163 and 29 differentially expressed metabolites correlated with the color and leaf shape of sweet potato leaf tips,respectively,were identified through morphological characterization.Group comparison analysis of the phenotypic traits and a metabolite-phenotypic trait correlation analysis indicated that the color differences of sweet potato leaf tips were markedly associated with flavonoids.Also,the level of polyphenols was correlated with the leaf shape of sweet potato leaf tips,with lobed leaf types having higher levels of polyphenols than the entire leaf types.The findings on the metabolic profiles and differentially expressed metabolites associated with the morphology of sweet potato leaf tips can provide useful information for breeding sweet potato varieties with higher nutritional value.
基金the financial support from the Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology(Grant No.2022A0505030019)the Science and Technology Development Fund,Macao SAR,China(File Nos.0056/2023/RIB2 and SKL-IOTSC-2021-2023).
文摘Recently,the application of Bayesian updating to predict excavation-induced deformation has proven successful and improved prediction accuracy significantly.However,updating the ground settlement profile,which is crucial for determining potential damage to nearby infrastructures,has received limited attention.To address this,this paper proposes a physics-guided simplified model combined with a Bayesian updating framework to accurately predict the ground settlement profile.The advantage of this model is that it eliminates the need for complex finite element modeling and makes the updating framework user-friendly.Furthermore,the model is physically interpretable,which can provide valuable references for construction adjustments.The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through two field case studies,showing that it can yield satisfactory predictions for the settlement profile.
基金The authors acknowledge the financial support from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada through its Discovery Grant program(RGPIN-2022-03893)École de Technologie Supérieure(ÉTS)construction engineering research funding.
文摘Conventional numerical solutions developed to describe the geomechanical behavior of rock interfaces subjected to differential load emphasize peak and residual shear strengths.The detailed analysis of preand post-peak shear stress-displacement behavior is central to various time-dependent and dynamic rock mechanic problems such as rockbursts and structural instabilities in highly stressed conditions.The complete stress-displacement surface(CSDS)model was developed to describe analytically the pre-and post-peak behavior of rock interfaces under differential loads.Original formulations of the CSDS model required extensive curve-fitting iterations which limited its practical applicability and transparent integration into engineering tools.The present work proposes modifications to the CSDS model aimed at developing a comprehensive and modern calibration protocol to describe the complete shear stressdisplacement behavior of rock interfaces under differential loads.The proposed update to the CSDS model incorporates the concept of mobilized shear strength to enhance the post-peak formulations.Barton’s concepts of joint roughness coefficient(JRC)and joint compressive strength(JCS)are incorporated to facilitate empirical estimations for peak shear stress and normal closure relations.Triaxial/uniaxial compression test and direct shear test results are used to validate the updated model and exemplify the proposed calibration method.The results illustrate that the revised model successfully predicts the post-peak and complete axial stressestrain and shear stressedisplacement curves for rock joints.
基金supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos.62173312 and 61803348in part by the National Major Scientific Instruments Development Project under Grant No.61927807+3 种基金in part by the Program for the Innovative Talents of Higher Education Institutions of ShanxiShanxi Province Science Foundation for Excellent Youthsin part by the Shanxi"1331 Project"Key Subjects Construction(1331KSC)in part by Graduate Innovation Project of Shanxi Province under Grant No.2021Y617。
文摘This article investigates a multi-circular path-following formation control with reinforced transient profiles for nonholonomic vehicles connected by a digraph.A multi-circular formation controller endowed with the feature of spatial-temporal decoupling is devised for a group of vehicles guided by a virtual leader evolving along an implicit path,which allows for a circumnavigation on multiple circles with an anticipant angular spacing.In addition,notice that it typically imposes a stringent time constraint on time-sensitive enclosing scenarios,hence an improved prescribed performance control(IPPC)using novel tighter behavior boundaries is presented to enhance transient capabilities with an ensured appointed-time convergence free from any overshoots.The significant merits are that coordinated circumnavigation along different circles can be realized via executing geometric and dynamic assignments independently with modified transient profiles.Furthermore,all variables existing in the entire system are analyzed to be convergent.Simulation and experimental results are provided to validate the utility of suggested solution.
文摘Context: Antiretroviral therapies improve the prognosis of NeuroAIDS contrasting with a high frequency of Minor Neurocognitive Disorders (MND) even in aviremic subjects. Objective: The objective of this study is to present the neurological and cognitive profile of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) initiating antiretroviral treatment in Kinshasa in the era of Dolutegravir (DTG). Methods: This is a multicenter, cross-sectional study with a descriptive aim carried out in 16 HIV Outpatient Treatment Centers (OTC) in Kinshasa from October 4, 2021 to February 15, 2022. The International HIV Dementia Scale (IHDS) correlated with the Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale facilitated the categorization of NeuroCognitive Disorders (NCD) of PLHIV evaluated after carrying out a summary neurological examination. Results: Of the 96 patients recruited, 56.3% were women with a sex ratio of 0.68. The average age was 40.1 ± 12.1 years. The secondary education level was the majority at 64.6%. Malaria (44.8%) and tuberculosis (32.3%) were more common as opportunistic infections. They were alcoholics in (30.2%). Their history was heart disease (15.6%), high blood pressure (18.8%);drug abuse (10.4%). The IHDS score was light in 55.2% of cases. The correlation between IHDS/IADL watches asymptomatic neurocognitive impairments (ANI) in 77.1%, almost all of subjects are found with normal overall functioning (94.8%) and a disturbed neurological examination in 53.1% of cases with a predominance of motor impairments in 79.1%. Conclusion: In view of these results, early and systematic screening of NCD and associated factors remains necessary in our context. .
文摘Background: Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most frequent cancers and the leading cause of death from gynecological cancer in Low and middle income countries, Cameroon inclusive. Surgery is the primary treatment modality when the disease is diagnosed at early stage. Radical hysterectomy in cervical cancer has not been evaluated in recent years in Cameroon. The purpose of this study is thus to evaluate the epidemiological and clinical features and short term outcomes of patients who underwent surgery. Patients and methods: This retrospective study was conducted at the Douala Gynaeco-obstetric and Pediatric Hospital and the Douala General Hospital. Cervical cancer patients who underwent Radical hysterectomy between January 2015 and December 2020 were included. A pre-established data collection tool was used to record socio-demographic, clinical and outcomes information from patients’ files;additional outcome information was obtained from phone calls. Descriptive analysis was done using the SPSS version 26. Bivariate analysis was used to determine associations between disease and patients characteristics and occurrence of adverse postoperative outcome. P value of 0.05 was considered. Results: Sixty one patients were enrolled. Their ages ranged from 33 to 74 years with a mean age of 51.95 ± 10.29 years. Over 85% of women were married, 65.57% were unemployed and 86.88% were multiparous. Only 28% had never done cervical cancer screening. Most patients had stage IB1 to IB2 stage disease (57.1%). Less than 9% underwent radical hysterectomy and 8 of those (13.11%) suffered intraoperative complications. Twenty-five patients (40.98%) presented immediate and short term complications. There was no significant association between the disease or patients’ characteristics and adverse outcomes. Conclusion: Cervical cancer patients are relatively young in our settings and only 9% of them reach the hospital at early stage. Postoperative adverse outcomes rate is higher than that reported in the literature. Sensitization on screening and awareness of early symptoms can reverse the situation.
文摘The purpose of this study was to understand the overall level of key competencies of medical students and explore the potential profile of key competencies, promoting quality education, and improving the quality talent cultivation in medical colleges. A stratified random sampling method selected 734 medical students from four medical colleges in Chongqing Province of China. A general information questionnaire and a key competencies survey questionnaire were used to conduct the survey. The overall score and scores of each dimension of key competencies were analyzed. Latent profile analysis was conducted to classify the key competencies of medical students and compare the distribution differences of demographic variables among different categories. The results showed that 26% of medical students have never heard of the concept of key competencies, and 59% of them are not familiar with the content related to key competencies. The score of key competencies is 3.66 ± 0.60, with the highest score in the dimension of responsibility and the lowest score in the dimension of humanistic accomplishment. The latent profile analysis classified them into three categories: “low key competencies group (14.71%)”, “medium key competencies group (36.79%)”, and “high key competencies group (48.50%)”. The R3STEP regression analysis results showed statistically significant differences in educational level and whether they served as student cadres among different key competencies categories of medical students. This paper discusses three different potential key competencies categories among medical students, and the overall level of key competencies is relatively good. However, medical students lack a comprehensive and systematic understanding of key competencies. Humanistic accomplishment, healthy living, and practical innovation are the three dimensions with lower scores and should be given more attention. Medical colleges should integrate the concept of key competencies into teaching and implement it in medical practice to cultivate more high-quality medical talents for society.
文摘Using Corpus of Contemporary American English as the source data,this paper carries out a corpus-based behavioral profile study to investigate four near-synonymous adjectives(serious,severe,grave,and grievous),focusing on their register and the types of nouns they each modify.Although sharing core meaning,these adjectives exhibit variations in formality levels and usage patterns.The identification of fine-grained usage differences complements the current inadequacies in describing these adjectives.Furthermore,the study reaffirms the effectiveness of the corpus-based behavioral profile approach in examining synonym differences.
基金The Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province of China under contract Nos ZR2022MA051 and ZR2020MA090the Fund of China Postdoctoral Science Foundation under contract No.2020M670891+1 种基金the Shandong University of Science and Technology Research Fund under contract No.2019TDJH103the Talent Introduction Plan for Youth Innovation Team in Universities of Shandong Province(Innovation Team of Satellite Positioning and Navigation).
文摘The shallow-water temperature profile is typically parameterized using a few empirical orthogonal function(EOF)coefficients.However,when the experimental area is poorly known or highly variable,the adaptability of the EOFs will be significantly reduced.In this study,a new set of basis functions,generated by combining the internal-wave eigenmodes with the average temperature gradient,is developed for characterizing the temperature perturbations.Temperature profiles recorded by a thermistor chain in the South China Sea in 2015 are processed and analyzed.Compared to the EOFs,the new set of basis functions has higher reconstruction accuracy and adaptability;it is also more stable in ocean regions that have internal waves.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos.41805014 and 62205005)the Key Program of the Natural Science Research Fund of the Education Department of Anhui Province (Grant Nos.KJ2021A0637 and KJ2021A0638)the Key Program in the Youth Talent Support Plan in Universities of Anhui Province (Grant No.gxyqZD2020032)。
文摘Accurate spectroscopic data for H_(2)^(16)O in the 1.1μm region are particularly important for the study of Earth's atmosphere.The pure water vapor molecular spectra were measured based on direct laser absorption spectroscopy using a narrow line-width external cavity diode laser combined with a high-precision Fabry-Pérot etalon.A total of 31 H_(2)^(16)O transitions were studied for the first time by using the speed-dependent Nelkin-Ghatak profile and the Hartmann-Tran profile.From an accurate line-shape analysis,we obtained the line intensities and the self-broadening coefficients,and they are compared with the available data reported in the HITRAN 2016 database and the HITRAN 2020 database.Finally,we obtained information on the influence of Dicke narrowing,as well as the correlations between Dicke narrowing and speed dependence,and of speed-dependent effects.
文摘Context: Despite the new recommendations “Test and Treat”, the virological and molecular parameters remain important information for Antiretroviral Treatment and adequate for monitoring of patients infected with HIV/AIDS. Objective: the Objective of this study is to present the virological and molecular profile of People Living with HIV starting Antiretroviral Therapy in Kinshasa in the era of the Dolutegravir. Methods: This was a transversal study to determine virological and molecular profile of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) starting an ARV Treatment. The patient’s inclusion period was from October 04, 2021 to February 15, 2022. A sample of 5 ml of blood was taken in a tube with EDTA anticoagulant for Molecular Biology analyzes (Viral Load and Sequencing) in all HIV patients, after reading and signing informed consent. The population was made up of adult patients over the age of 18, infected with HIV and starting ART. Results: 119 patients (56.3% of women) were included in this study, thus a sex-ratio of 1.29. The average age of patients included was 39.87 ± 12.36 years. The most represented age group is that of 36 to 45 with 37 patients (31.9%) followed by that from 26 to 35 years with 24 patients (20.7%). Out of 119 patients, 21 patients had an undetectable Viral Load (VL). The median value of VL was 4.16 log10 RNA copies/ml. 114 samples were successfully amplified. Subtype A was dominant with 23 cases (20.2%);followed by the subtype C and CRF02_AG each with 14.0%, and D (10.5 %). K65R (1.8%), T69P/N (4.4%), K70R (7.9%) and M184V (7.0%) mutations were listed as existing mutations for Nucleotide Transcriptase Inhibitors. Conclusion: 38 patients (31.93%) started the TARV with a positive virological prognosis. The subtype A remains dominant in Kinshasa with 23 cases (20.2%);followed by the subtype C and CRF02_AG each with 14.0%. For Inhibitors of Transcriptase Reverse Nucleotide;K65R, T69P/N, K70E/R and M184V mutations were found in patients’ naive of ARV Treatment.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41974139,42274148,42074142)。
文摘Horizontal gas-liquid two-phase flows widely exist in chemical engineering,oil/gas production and other important industrial processes.Slug flow pattern is the main form of horizontal gas-liquid flows and characterized by intermittent motion of film region and slug region.This work aims to develop the ultrasonic Doppler method to realize the simultaneous measurement of the velocity profile and liquid film thickness of slug flow.A single-frequency single-channel transducer is adopted in the design of the field-programmable gate array based ultrasonic Doppler system.A multiple echo repetition technology is used to improve the temporal-spatial resolution for the velocity profile.An experiment of horizontal gas-liquid two-phase flow is implemented in an acrylic pipe with an inner diameter of 20 mm.Considering the aerated characteristics of the liquid slug,slug flow is divided into low-aerated slug flow,high-aerated slug flow and pseudo slug flow.The temporal-spatial velocity distributions of the three kinds of slug flows are reconstructed by using the ultrasonic velocity profile measurement.The evolution characteristics of the average velocity profile in slug flows are investigated.A novel method is proposed to derive the liquid film thickness based on the instantaneous velocity profile.The liquid film thickness can be effectively measured by detecting the position and the size of the bubbles nearly below the elongated gas bubble.Compared with the time of flight method,the film thickness measured by the Doppler system shows a higher accuracy as a bubble layer occurs in the film region.The effect of the gas distribution on the film thickness is uncovered in three kinds of slug flows.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2019YFC1510701)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.U20A20319).
文摘Owing to extensive construction of dams, the impact of backwater on flow may lead to navigation or flood control issues in curved channels. To date, the impact of backwater on the water surface profile in curved channels remains unknown and requires investigation. In this study, experiments were conducted in a glass-walled recirculating flume with a length of 19.4 m, a width of 0.6 m, and a depth of 0.8 m, and the impact of backwater on the water surface profile in a 90° channel bend was investigated. The experimental results showed that the backwater degree had a significant impact on the transverse and longitudinal flow depth distributions in the bend. The transverse slope of the flow (Jr) increased linearly with an increase in the Froude number of the approach flow upstream of the bend. Jr increased with the longitudinal location parameter ξ when −0.2 < ξ < 0.5, and decreased with ξ when 0.5 < ξ < 1.2. Furthermore, the results showed that Jr asymptotically decreased to zero with an increase in the degree of backwater. An equation was formulated to estimate the transverse slope of the flow in a 90° bend in backwater zones.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31872362 and 32072688)the Agricultural Science and Technology Independent Innovation Fund Project of Jiangsu Province[CX(19)1006].
文摘Background:Lactic acid bacteria(LAB)participating in milk fermentation naturally release and enrich the fermented dairy product with a broad range of bioactive metabolites,which has numerous roles in the intestinal health-promot-ing of the consumer.However,information is lacking regarding the application prospect of LAB fermented milk in the animal industry.This study investigated the effects of lactic acid bacteria-fermented formula milk(LFM)on the growth performance,intestinal immunity,microbiota composition,and transcriptomic responses in weaned piglets.A total of 24 male weaned piglets were randomly divided into the control(CON)and LFM groups.Each group consisted of 6 replicates(cages)with 2 piglets per cage.Each piglet in the LFM group were supplemented with 80 mL LFM three times a day,while the CON group was treated with the same amount of drinking water.Results:LFM significantly increased the average daily gain of piglets over the entire 14 d(P<0.01)and the average daily feed intake from 7 to 14 d(P<0.05).Compared to the CON group,ileal goblet cell count,villus-crypt ratio,sIgA,and lactate concentrations in the LFM group were significantly increased(P<0.05).Transcriptomic analysis of ileal mucosa identified 487 differentially expressed genes(DEGs)between two groups.Especially,DEGs involved in the intestinal immune network for IgA production pathways,such as polymeric immunoglobulin receptor(PIGR),were significantly up-regulated(P<0.01)by LFM supplementation.Moreover,trefoil factor 2(TFF2)in the LFM group,one of the DEGs involved in the secretory function of goblet cells,was also significantly up-regulated(P<0.01).Sequenc-ing of the 16S rRNA gene of microbiota demonstrated that LFM led to selective enrichment of lactate-producing and short-chain fatty acid(SCFA)-producing bacteria in the ileum,such as an increase in the relative abundance of Entero-coccus(P=0.09)and Acetitomaculum(P<0.05).Conclusions:LFM can improve intestinal health and immune tolerance,thus enhancing the growth performance of weaned piglets.The changes in microbiota and metabolites induced by LFM might mediate the regulation of the secretory function of goblet cells.
基金funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness,Grant No.DER2016-76053R.
文摘The subject of this study is the microcredit market in the USA,more specifically in Florida.The justification for choosing this specific state is the massive presence of the Hispanic population.This will facilitate a generalization of the obtained results to the microcredit market in Latin American countries.Thus,the objective of this study is to analyze the profile of microcredit holders and their companies from socioeconomic and financial points of view.As our data also consider the degree of repayment of the microloans included in the sample,the clients’profile is related to the punctuality or default of their corresponding loan repayments using the methodology of multi-nomial logit regression.The variables used in this study refer to personal information concerning borrowers(gender,age,education level,and marital status),the economic situation of their respective companies(closeness to the lender,number of workers,and revenues),and the characteristics of granted loans(principal,term,and purpose).However,the results of the regression show that only two variables are significant at the 5%significance level:the borrower’s age,which has a positive effect on repay-ment punctuality,and the loan term,which exhibits a negative effect.The findings of this study have clear implications,as they can help lenders design suitable microloans adjusted to customer profiles.Finally,future research should include other demograph-ics and characteristics of affected companies.
