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Sheng Wu Yi Xue Gong Cheng Xue Za Zhi =... Oct 2023The Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) is often used to calculate the radiation dose during computed tomography (CT) scans. However, the physical calculation process of the...
The Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) is often used to calculate the radiation dose during computed tomography (CT) scans. However, the physical calculation process of the model is complicated, the input file structure of the program is complex, and the three-dimensional (3D) display of the geometric model is not supported, so that the researchers cannot establish an accurate CT radiation system model, which affects the accuracy of the dose calculation results. Aiming at these two problems, this study designed a software that visualized CT modeling and automatically generated input files. In terms of model calculation, the theoretical basis was based on the integration of CT modeling improvement schemes of major researchers. For 3D model visualization, LabVIEW was used as the new development platform, constructive solid geometry (CSG) was used as the algorithm principle, and the introduction of editing of MCNP input files was used to visualize CT geometry modeling. Compared with a CT model established by a recent study, the root mean square error between the results simulated by this visual CT modeling software and the actual measurement was smaller. In conclusion, the proposed CT visualization modeling software can not only help researchers to obtain an accurate CT radiation system model, but also provide a new research idea for the geometric modeling visualization method of MCNP.
Topics: Radiation Dosage; Software Design; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Software; Algorithms; Phantoms, Imaging; Monte Carlo Method
PubMed: 37879929
DOI: 10.7507/1001-5515.202201053 -
Sheng Wu Gong Cheng Xue Bao = Chinese... Oct 2023Anti-reflective nanocoatings that mimic the eyes of fruit flies are biodegradable materials with great market potential for a variety of optical devices that require...
Anti-reflective nanocoatings that mimic the eyes of fruit flies are biodegradable materials with great market potential for a variety of optical devices that require anti-reflective properties. Microbial expression of retinin provides a new idea for the preparation of nanocoatings under mild conditions compared to physicochemical methods. However, the current expression level of retinin, the key to anti-reflective coating, is low and difficult to meet mass production. In this study, we analyzed and screened the best expression hosts for -derived retinin protein, and optimized its expression. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were identified as the efficient expression host of retinin, and purified retinin protein was obtained. At the same time, the preparation method of lanolin nanoemulsion was explored, and the best anti-reflective ability of the nano-coating was determined when the ratio of specific concentration of retinin protein and wax emulsion was 16:4, the pH of the nano-coating formation system was 7.0, and the temperature was 30 ℃. The enhanced antireflective ability and reduced production cost of artificial antireflective nanocoatings by determining the composition of nanocoatings and optimizing the concentration, pH and temperature of system components may facilitate future application of artificial green degradable antireflective coatings.
Topics: Animals; Cricetinae; CHO Cells; Emulsions; Cricetulus; Drosophila; Eye Proteins; Drosophila Proteins
PubMed: 37877404
DOI: 10.13345/j.cjb.230119 -
Sheng Wu Gong Cheng Xue Bao = Chinese... Oct 2023The biofilms formed by pathogenic microorganisms seriously threaten human health and significantly enhance drug resistance, which urgently call for developing drugs...
The biofilms formed by pathogenic microorganisms seriously threaten human health and significantly enhance drug resistance, which urgently call for developing drugs specifically targeting on biofilms. Chitooligosaccharides extracted from shrimp and crab shells are natural alkaline oligosaccharides with excellent antibacterial effects. Nevertheless, their inhibition efficacy on biofilms still needs to be improved. (SP) is a microalga with negatively charged surface, and its spiral structure facilitates colonization in the depth of the biofilm. Therefore, the complex of and chitooligosaccharides may play a synergistic role in killing pathogens in the depth of biofilm. This research first screened chitooligosaccharides with significant bactericidal effects. Subsequently, @Chitooligosaccharides (SP@COS complex was prepared by combining chitooligosaccharides with through electrostatic adsorption. The binding of the complex was characterized by zeta potential, z-average size, and fluorescence labeling. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) showed the encapsulation efficiency and the drug loading efficiency reached up to 90% and 16%, respectively. The prepared SP@COS2 exhibited a profound synergistic inhibition effect on bacterial and fungal biofilms, which was mainly achieved by destroying the cell structure of the biofilm. These results demonstrate the potential of -chitooligosaccharides complex as a biofilm inhibitor and provide a new idea for addressing the harm of pathogenic microorganisms.
Topics: Humans; Spirulina; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Chitosan; Biofilms; Chitin
PubMed: 37877396
DOI: 10.13345/j.cjb.230146 -
Gesundheitswesen (Bundesverband Der... Oct 2023Health services research examines the structures and processes of health care under everyday conditions. Routine data of the statutory health insurance (SHI) - the...
Health services research examines the structures and processes of health care under everyday conditions. Routine data of the statutory health insurance (SHI) - the so-called routine practice data - represent real health care and are therefore an important data source for health services research. This paper presents 5 key questions that researchers and data-holding institutions can use to assess the suitability of this data source for answering their health services research question. The aim of these guiding questions is to generate a common understanding between researchers and data-holding institutions of the research project, the research objective, and the feasibility of implementation in health services research. The five guiding questions cover the formulation of the research question, the planned method, the target population, the relevant study periods, and the required information from SHI data. These methodologically oriented guiding questions are supplemented by the question of how the results of the research project could improve care. Thus, for researchers, the five guiding questions provide an initial structuring for data requests; for data-holding institutions, they provide a framework for considering possible involvement in or support of a research idea in health services research.
PubMed: 37863050
DOI: 10.1055/a-2098-3039 -
IScience Oct 2023Honeybees can estimate quantities having different dimensions: continuous and uncountable such as the relative size of visual objects in an array, or discrete and...
Honeybees can estimate quantities having different dimensions: continuous and uncountable such as the relative size of visual objects in an array, or discrete and countable such as the number of objects of the array. Honeybees can transfer quantity discrimination (i.e., choosing the larger/smaller stimulus) from number to size. Here, we investigated whether honeybees could also generalize from the size (continuous) to the number (discrete) dimension. We trained free-flying foragers to discriminate between large- and small-size elements. At test, bees were presented with a comparison between larger and smaller numerosities controlled for different continuous variables covarying with numerosity such as total area, total perimeter, convex hull, and element size. Results showed that bees generalized from the size to the numerical dimension of the stimuli. This cross-dimensional transfer supports the idea of a universal mechanism for the encoding of abstract magnitudes in invertebrate species comparable to that of vertebrate species.
PubMed: 37860770
DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108035 -
Lin Chuang Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai... Oct 2023By detecting the levels of proteins in the Toll-like receptor-4/nuclear factor-κB (TLR4/NF-κB) signaling pathway and downstream proinflammatory cytokines in...
By detecting the levels of proteins in the Toll-like receptor-4/nuclear factor-κB (TLR4/NF-κB) signaling pathway and downstream proinflammatory cytokines in peripheral blood of patients with Meniere's disease (MD), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores were collected to investigate the correlation between sleep disorders and MD and the role of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway in mediating sleep disorders inducing MD. Thirty-two MD patients and 20 family members of patients without middle ear and inner ear related diseases were selected. Basic data, PSQI and fasting peripheral blood of all subjects were collected. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.The levels of interleukin-1β(IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), monocyte chemokine-1(MCP-1), Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4) and nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB) in peripheral blood were detected by ELISA, and the data were statistically analyzed. ①PSQI score of MD group was higher than that of normal control group, and the difference was statistically significant(<0.01); The scores of every factors of PSQI in MD group were higher than those in normal control group, and the scores of factors 2, 4 and 6 were significantly different from those in normal control group. ②In the MD group, there were 18 patients with sleep disorders, with a prevalence rate of 56.25%, including 6 males with a prevalence rate of 50.00% and 12 females with a prevalence rate of 60.00%. ③The levels of five test indexes in MD group, sleep disorder group and non-sleep disorder group were higher than those in control group, and the levels of TLR4 and NF-κB in MD group were significantly different from those in control group(<0.05). The levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, TLR4 and NF-κB in sleep disorder group were significantly different from those in control group(<0.05). The levels of five test indexes in non-sleep disorder group were not statistically significant compared with those in control group. The levels of five test indexes in the MD sleep disorder group were higher than those in the MD group and the non-sleep disorder group, with no statistical significance. The levels of five test indexes in MD group were higher than those in non-sleep disorder group, with no statistical significance(>0.05). ①Sleep disorders may be one of the important predisposing factors of some MD, and the effects of sleep disorders on MD are different between the sexes. ②Sleep disorders may activate TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway to induce MD. The selection of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway related proteins and downstream pro-inflammatory factor inhibitors to intervene MD may provide a new idea for protecting the hearing balance function of MD.
Topics: Female; Humans; Male; Meniere Disease; NF-kappa B; Signal Transduction; Sleep Deprivation; Toll-Like Receptor 4; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
PubMed: 37828881
DOI: 10.13201/j.issn.2096-7993.2023.10.005 -
Soins; La Revue de Reference Infirmiere Oct 2023Considering that it's always a good idea to know where we've come from, in order to better envision where we're going, it's appropriate to look at the evolution of the... (Review)
Review
Considering that it's always a good idea to know where we've come from, in order to better envision where we're going, it's appropriate to look at the evolution of the relationship to care by following the thread of nurses' professional construction and the concomitant transformation of practices. Indeed, if we are to approach the discipline of nursing with serenity, we must first identify the key to its cultural heritage, which defines the way it comes into contact with illness at the patient's bedside.
PubMed: 37778861
DOI: 10.1016/j.soin.2023.08.018 -
Revista Medica Del Instituto Mexicano... Sep 2023The World Kidney Day was founded in 2003 by doctor Joel D. Kopple, American nephrologist, who in the session in the Congress of the International Federation of Kidney...
The World Kidney Day was founded in 2003 by doctor Joel D. Kopple, American nephrologist, who in the session in the Congress of the International Federation of Kidney Foundations explained the need to implement the celebration on a day that alludes to this organ, in order to direct preventive actions for kidney disease and raise awareness in the medical community and the general population on the importance of caring for the kidneys. 3 years later, the proposal was accepted and as of 2006 World Kidney Day is celebrated. The diffusion is found throughout the world and in each place there are talks, courses, workshops, cultural activities and even marathons related to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of kidney disease. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a disorder with a chronic, degenerative, and lethal evolution. Managing CKD requires a large amount of human, financial, and infrastructure resources. It impairs the quality of life and negatively affects survival. On the other hand, it leads to dialysis and kidney transplant treatments, which are expensive enough to put any health institution at financial risk, especially those most vulnerable. The main idea of these non-profit international organizations is to promote the well-being and improve the quality of life of people with CKD with and without dialysis, and to promote kidney transplantation as the first treatment option.
Topics: Humans; Quality of Life; Kidney; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Kidney Transplantation; Renal Dialysis
PubMed: 37769134
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.8316457 -
NeuroImage Nov 2023There is considerable debate over how visual speech is processed in the absence of sound and whether neural activity supporting lipreading occurs in visual brain areas....
There is considerable debate over how visual speech is processed in the absence of sound and whether neural activity supporting lipreading occurs in visual brain areas. Much of the ambiguity stems from a lack of behavioral grounding and neurophysiological analyses that cannot disentangle high-level linguistic and phonetic/energetic contributions from visual speech. To address this, we recorded EEG from human observers as they watched silent videos, half of which were novel and half of which were previously rehearsed with the accompanying audio. We modeled how the EEG responses to novel and rehearsed silent speech reflected the processing of low-level visual features (motion, lip movements) and a higher-level categorical representation of linguistic units, known as visemes. The ability of these visemes to account for the EEG - beyond the motion and lip movements - was significantly enhanced for rehearsed videos in a way that correlated with participants' trial-by-trial ability to lipread that speech. Source localization of viseme processing showed clear contributions from visual cortex, with no strong evidence for the involvement of auditory areas. We interpret this as support for the idea that the visual system produces its own specialized representation of speech that is (1) well-described by categorical linguistic features, (2) dissociable from lip movements, and (3) predictive of lipreading ability. We also suggest a reinterpretation of previous findings of auditory cortical activation during silent speech that is consistent with hierarchical accounts of visual and audiovisual speech perception.
Topics: Humans; Lipreading; Speech Perception; Brain; Auditory Cortex; Phonetics; Visual Perception
PubMed: 37757989
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120391 -
HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine 2023It has been reported that children experience less severe COVID-19 symptoms than adults; however, the literature that supports this idea is evolving. The purpose of this...
BACKGROUND
It has been reported that children experience less severe COVID-19 symptoms than adults; however, the literature that supports this idea is evolving. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively characterize hospitalized COVID-19-positive pediatric patients with a focus on the assessment of risk factors for poorer outcomes, mortality, and evaluation of interventions utilized and associated clinical outcomes.
METHODS
We conducted a multi-center retrospective chart review of patients 18 years old or younger who were COVID-19 positive and admitted to any US HCA Healthcare Pediatric service line between January 1, 2020, and November 30, 2020. We identified 6081 children across 4 states and included them in our data analysis. Negative Binomial Regression was used to measure the associations between characteristics abstracted from medical records and length of hospital stay.
RESULTS
Of the total cohort, 2.7% had at least one comorbidity. The majority of patients were discharged shortly after admission with 93.6% of patients spending less than 48 hours as an inpatient. The mortality rate during the study period was 0.1%. Factors found to be significantly associated with an increased length of stay were time in the intensive care unit (ICU), surgeries, developmental disorders, diabetes, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal ideation, and type of admission.
CONCLUSION
The results of this cohort show there was a low disease burden at baseline and during hospitalization in pediatric patients positive for COVID-19. However, as the pandemic continues, future studies that further describe COVID-19 in children will be crucial to fully understand the disease course.
PubMed: 37753411
DOI: 10.36518/2689-0216.1522