Enhanced Crystal Nucleation in Glass-Forming Liquids by Tensile Fracture in the Glassy State

Crystal nucleation in a supercooled liquid typically attains its maximal rate near the glass transition temperature Tg and slows down with further cooling, becoming exceedingly slow in the glassy state. We report that cooling a liquid well below its Tg can actually increase the rate of nucleation because of tensile fracture. Cooling liquid griseofulvin (an antifungal drug) approximately 80 K below its Tg induces extensive network fracture due to tensile stress from a thermally less expansive container, and reheating the sample above Tg leads to crystallization that otherwise would not occur. An extensive statistical study revealed a direct connection between fracture and crystal nucleation. This phenomenon explains puzzling results in the literature concerning anomalous nucleation in deeply supercooled liquids and is relevant for selecting storage conditions to ensure the physical stability of amorphous drugs

Fault Detection and Diagnosis for Nonlinear and Non-Gaussian Processes Based on Copula Subspace Division

A novel copula subspace division strategy is proposed for fault detection and diagnosis. High-dimensional industrial data are analyzed in two elemental subspaces: margin distribution subspace (MDS) modeled by joint margin distribution, and dependence structure subspace (DSS) modeled by copula. The highest density regions of two submodels are introduced and quantified using probability indices. To improve the robustness of the monitoring index, a hyperrectangular control boundary in MDS is designed, and the equivalent univariate control limits are estimated. Two associated contribution indices are also constructed for fault diagnosis. The interactive relationships among the root-cause variables are investigated via a proposed state chart. The effectiveness and superiority of the proposed approaches (double-subspace and multisubspace) are validated using a numerical example and the Tennessee Eastman chemical process. Better monitoring performance is achieved compared with some conventional approaches such as principal component analysis, independent component analysis, kernel principal component analysis and vine copula-based dependence description. The proposed multisubspace approach fully utilizes univariate-based alarm data with a dependence restriction modulus, which is promising for industrial application

DataSheet1_Asymmetric stem-loop–mediated isothermal amplification of nucleic acids for DNA diagnostic assays by simple modification of canonical PCR primers.docx

Nucleic acid–based assays have been adopted as mainstream tools for clinical diagnostics, food safety, and environment monitoring with the merits of accuracy, rapidity, and sensitivity. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a well-established method to rapidly identify nucleic acids and has gained recognition and been developed for clinical applications in resource-limited areas. However, the needs for specifically designed primer sets and non-specific amplification hinder the development of LAMP-based nucleic acid tests. Here, a promoted method, termed asymmetric stem-loop–mediated isothermal amplification (ASLAMP) by simple modification of canonical PCR primers, was developed to attempt to overcome those drawbacks. The two primers in the ASLAMP reaction can be easily obtained by adding a stem-loop sequence part to one PCR primer at 5′-ends to get the folding primer (FP), then adding the same primer to the counter canonical PCR primer at 5′-ends to get the turn-back primer (TP). The ASLAMP method was demonstrated in detecting the H1N1 gene fragment with merits of simple primer design, short target sequence, and high amplification efficiency. In addition, the ASLAMP method showed similar efficacy compared with LAMP targeting at the same H1N1 gene sequence. Furthermore, Shigella detection monitored by real-time fluorescence and endpoint colorimetric approaches were taken as examples for evaluation of the practical application of the ASLAMP method, both offered 100% sensitivity and specificity. In conclusion, the novel ASLAMP method with simplicity of primer design, low requirement of equipment, efficiency, and rapidity has exhibited its great prospect for establishment of DNA isothermal amplification in point of care application.</p

DataSheet_1_Short-term and long-term alterations of gastrointestinal microbiota with different H. pylori eradication regimens: A meta-analysis.zip

Background and AimsThe impacts of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication on the gastrointestinal microbiota are controversial, and whether the short-term and long-term changes in the gastrointestinal microbiota following different eradication regimens are consistent remains inconclusive. This study aimed to examine the effects of various eradication regimens on the gastrointestinal microflora at follow-up evaluations within 7 days, at 1–3 months, and over 6 months changes in the gastrointestinal microbiota.Materials and MethodsStudies reported on the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrails.gov databases before March 2022 were collected. Data analysis and visualization were conducted using Review Manager 5.4.1. The tool of the Cochrane Collaboration to assess the risk of bias was suitable for randomized controlled trials with the Newcastle–Ottawa scale for nonrandomized controlled trials. In addition, the process was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement.ResultsAfter a series of rigorous screenings, a total of 34 articles with 1,204 participants were included for this review analysis. The results showed changes in the gut microflora at the phylum level or the family and genus levels. After metronidazole-containing triple therapy, the number of Enterobacteriaceae increased at 1–3 months follow-up. After Metronidazole-free triple therapy, Actinobacteria decreased significantly, and this trend lasted for more than 6 months. Within 7 days after eradication treatment, the follow-up results showed a decrease in the number of Lactobacillus. After Bismuth-containing quadruple therapy, the changes in Actinobacteria fluctuated with the follow-up time. The changes in Proteobacteria showed a downward trend lasting for 1–3 months after eradication but returned to baseline levels over 6 months after eradication. Subgroup analyses indicated that host age could influence changes in the gut microbiota.ConclusionDifferent eradication regimens had varied effects on the short-term and long-term abundance of the gastrointestinal microbiota, but the decreasing trend of the microbiota diversity was the same for all regimens at the short-term follow-up. This study summarizes the changes of gut microbiota at different stages after different eradication regimens and hope to provide some references for supplementing probiotics, while further studies is needed to support these findings.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier: CRD42021292726</p

Average mean differences, t-values, degrees of freedom and p-values for paired t-tests of different PTA average combinations.

Average mean differences, t-values, degrees of freedom and p-values for paired t-tests of different PTA average combinations.</p

Average mean differences, t-values, degrees of freedom, p-values and Cohen’s d for paired t-test of the frequencies of interest.

Average mean differences, t-values, degrees of freedom, p-values and Cohen’s d for paired t-test of the frequencies of interest.</p

Percentage of ears outside of the limit of agreement (LOA) range for clinically significant differences of ≥ 10 dB HL and the percentage of ears outside of the statistical 95% LOA range for the frequencies of interest.

Percentage of ears outside of the limit of agreement (LOA) range for clinically significant differences of ≥ 10 dB HL and the percentage of ears outside of the statistical 95% LOA range for the frequencies of interest.</p

Correlation coefficients of Pearson’s r, Cronbach’s alpha and intraclass correlation with different PTA average combinations.

Correlation coefficients of Pearson’s r, Cronbach’s alpha and intraclass correlation with different PTA average combinations.</p

Guidelines for surgical treatments in children with persistent otitis media with effusion of more than 3 months duration.

Guidelines for surgical treatments in children with persistent otitis media with effusion of more than 3 months duration.</p