Continuance Intention on Mobile Social Networking Service: Examine the Effects of Habit and Gratifications

By integrating the uses and gratifications theory and habit theory, this study develops a theoretical model to explore factors affecting continuance intention of mobile social networking service. 218 valid data were collected in China. The empirical results show that, cognitive need and affective need have significant impacts on continuance intention. In addition, habit is significantly determined by affective need, tension-release need and prior use, which further significantly influences continuance intention

An accurate time constant parameter determination method for the varying condition equivalent circuit model of lithium batteries.

An accurate estimation of the state of charge for lithium battery depends on an accurate identification of the battery model parameters. In order to identify the polarization resistance and polarization capacitance in a Thevenin equivalent circuit model of lithium battery, the discharge and shelved states of a Thevenin circuit model were analyzed in this paper, together with the basic reasons for the difference in the resistance capacitance time constant and the accurate characterization of the resistance capacitance time constant in detail. The exact mathematical expression of the working characteristics of the circuit in two states were deduced thereafter. Moreover, based on the data of various working conditions, the parameters of the Thevenin circuit model through hybrid pulse power characterization experiment was identified, the simulation model was built, and a performance analysis was carried out. The experiments showed that the accuracy of the Thevenin circuit model can become 99.14% higher under dynamic test conditions and the new identification method that is based on the resistance capacitance time constant. This verifies that this method is highly accurate in the parameter identification of a lithium battery model

Acute and acute-on-chronic kidney injury of patients with decompensated heart failure: impact on outcomes

BACKGROUND: Acute worsening of renal function, an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), occurs as a consequence of new onset kidney injury (AKI) or acute deterioration of pre-existed chronic kidney disease (CKD) (acute-on-chronic kidney injury, ACKI). However, the possible difference in prognostic implication between AKI and ACKI has not been well established. METHODS: We studied all consecutive patients hospitalized with ADHF from 2003 through 2010 in Nanfang Hospital. We classified patients as with or without pre-existed CKD based on the mean estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) over a six-month period before hospitalization. AKI and ACKI were defined by RIFLE criteria according to the increase of the index serum creatinine. RESULTS: A total of 1,005 patients were enrolled. The incidence of ACKI was higher than that of AKI. The proportion of patients with diuretic resistance was higher among patients with pre-existed CKD than among those without CKD (16.9% vs. 9.9%, P = 0.002). Compared with AKI, ACKI was associated with higher risk for in-hospital mortality, long hospital stay, and failure in renal function recovery. Pre-existed CKD and development of acute worsening of renal function during hospitalization were the independent risk factors for in-hospital death after adjustment by the other risk factors. The RIFLE classification predicted all-cause and cardiac mortality in both AKI and ACKI. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with ACKI were at greatest risk of adverse short-term outcomes in ADHF. Monitoring eGFR and identifying CKD should not be ignored in patients with cardiovascular disease

Long-lived magmatic evolution and mineralization resulted in formation of the giant Cuonadong Sn-W-Be polymetallic deposit, southern Tibet

The Cuonadong Sn-W-Be polymetallic deposit is the first Cenozoic leucogranite-related rare-metal deposit with giant metallogenic potential in the Himalayan orogen. However, controlling factors for the supernormal enrichment of beryllium, tin and tungsten in this deposit remain vague. In this study, we carried out systematic geochronological, whole-rock geochemical, and Sr-Nd isotopic analysis for the Cuonadong leucogranites, as well as detailed ore-forming geochronological analysis. The monazite U-Th-Pb, cassiterite U-Pb and muscovite Ar-Ar dating results, together with previously reported geochronological data, indicate that the major Cuonadong leucogranites (including, from old to young, weakly-oriented two-mica, two-mica granite and muscovite) were formed during ∼21-15 Ma, whereas the Sn-W-Be mineralization mainly occurred at ∼18-14 Ma. The Cuonadong leucogranites show strong peraluminous (A/CNK=1.09-1.22) features, and have high SiO2 (71.62-75.97 wt.%) and Al2O3 (14.04-16.09 wt.%) and low MgO (0.07-0.33 wt.%), MnO (0.01-0.15 wt.%) and total Fe2O3 (0.36-1.01 wt.%) contents, and are enriched in large ion lithophile elements (e.g., Rb, U, K, and Pb). These geochemical features together with enriched Sr-Nd isotopes (εNd(t) = -15.7 to -11.7; (87Sr/86Sr)i=0.71957-0.76313) indicate that the Cuonadong leucogranites belong to S-type granite and were derived from muscovite-induced dehydration melting of metapelites of the Higher Himalayan Crystalline Sequence. Perceptible linear variations of some major elements (e.g., Na2O, K2O, MnO, Fe2O3T, TiO2 and A/CNK) with increasing Rb/Sr ratios suggest these leucogranites experienced different degrees of evolution. Quantitative simulation calculations based on the whole-rock Rb, Sr, and Ba contents imply that the Cuonadong leucogranites experienced increasingly-strong fractional crystallization of plagioclase, K-feldspar and biotite from the weakly-oriented two-mica granite to two-mica granite and muscovite granite. Importantly, intense fractional crystallization leaded to notable enrichment of Sn, W and Be, although these elements are not obviously high in the relatively primitive magma for the Cuonadong leucogranites. Significantly, evident REE tetrad effects and deviation of twin-element pair ratios (K/Rb, K/Ba, Zr/Hf, Nb/Ta, and Y/Ho) from the chondritic values demonstrate that intense interaction between melts and F-rich aqueous fluids occurred during magmatic evolution. This implies that the Cuonadong leucogranites were derived from a volatile-rich magmatic system. The abundant volatiles probably remarkably facilitated and extended the fractional crystallization though lowering the solidus and viscosity of the magma. Thus, we propose that long-lived crystal fractionation (∼21-15 Ma) and mineralization (∼18-14 Ma) collectively leaded to supernormal enrichment of Sn, W, and Be in the Cuonadong Sn-W-Be polymetallic deposit. In contrast, the enrichment of Sn, W, and Be during the partial melting was insignificant.publishedVersio

Trap-Assisted Charge Injection into Large Bandgap Polymer Semiconductors.

The trap-assisted charge injection in polyfluorene-poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) model systems with an Al or Al/LiF cathode is investigated. We find that inserting 1.3 nm LiF increases electron and hole injections simultaneously and the increase of holes is greater than electrons. The evolution of internal interfaces within polymer light-emitting diodes is observed by transmission electron microscopy, which reveals that the introduction of LiF improves the interface stability at both the cathode (cathode/polymer) and the anode (indium tin oxide (ITO)/PEDOT:PSS). Above-mentioned experimental results have been compared to the numerical simulations with a revised Davids model and potential physical mechanisms for the trap-assisted charge injection are discussed

Immobilization of Horseradish Peroxidase on Multi-Armed Magnetic Graphene Oxide Composite: Improvement of Loading Amount and Catalytic Activity

U ovom je radu po prvi puta sintetiziran novi tip zvjezdastog kompozita polietilen glikola (PEG) s grafen oksidom (GO@Fe3O4@6arm-PEG-NH2), te je upotrijebljen kao podloga za imobilizaciju peroksidaze iz hrena. Udjel peroksidaze iz hrena na kompozitu bio je relativno velik (186,34 mg/g) zbog velikog broja amino skupina iz 6arm-PEG-NH2 prisutnih na površini nosača. Brzina razgradnje fenolnih spojeva bila je bitno veća (95,4 %) zbog sinergijskog učinka slobodne peroksidaze (45,4 %) i podloge (13,6 %). Nakon imobilizacije povećala se toplinska stabilnost, te su se produljili vrijeme trajanja i iskoristivost enzima u usporedbi sa slobodnim enzimom. Imobilizirana peroksidaza je zadržala više od 68,1 % aktivnosti i nakon što je upotrijebljena osam puta. Rezultati pokazuju da se zvjezdasti magnetizirani kompozit može uspješno primijeniti za imobilizaciju enzima.In this study, a novel type of multi-armed polymer (poyltehylene glycol, PEG) magnetic graphene oxide (GO) composite (GO@Fe3O4@6arm-PEG-NH2) has been synthesized as a support for immobilization of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) for the first time. The loading amount of HRP was relatively high (186.34 mg/g) due to the surface of carrier material containing a large amount of amino groups from 6arm-PEG-NH2, but degradation rate of phenols was also much higher (95.4 %), which is attributed to the synergistic effect between the free HRP (45.4 %) and the support material of GO@Fe3O4@6arm-PEG-NH2 (13.6 %). Compared with the free enzyme, thermal, storage and operational stability of the immobilized HRP improved. The immobilized HRP still retained over 68.1 % activity after being reused 8 times. These results suggest that the multi-armed magnetic composite has good application prospect for enzyme immobilization

Imaging and Pathological Features of Percutaneous Cryosurgery on Normal Lung Evaluated in a Porcine Model

Background and objective Lung cancer is one of the most commonly occurring malignancies and frequent causes of death in the world. Cryoablation is a safe and alternative treatment for unresectable lung cancer. Due to the lung being gas-containing organ and different from solid organs such as liver and pancreas, it is difficult to achieve the freezing range of beyond the tumor edge 1 cm safety border. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of different numbers of freeze cycles on the effectiveness of cryoablation on normal lung tissue and to create an operation guideline that gives the best effect. Methods Six healthy Tibetan miniature pigs were given a CT scan and histological investigation after percutaneous cryosurgery. Cryoablation was performed as 2 cycles of 10 min of active freezing in the left lung; each freeze followed by a 5 min thaw. In the right lung, we performed the same 2 cycles of 5 min of freezing followed by 5 min of thawing. However, for the right lung, we included a third cycle of consisting of 10 min of freezing followed by 5 min of thawing. Three cryoprobes were inserted into the left lung and three cryoprobes in the right lung per animal, one in the upper and two in the lower lobe, so as to be well away from each other. Comparison under the same experimental condition was necessary. During the experiment, observations were made regarding the imaging change of ice-ball. The lungs were removed postoperatively at 3 intervals: 4 h, 3 d of postoperation and 7 d of postoperation, respectively, to view microscopic and pathological change. Results The ice-ball grew gradually in relation to the increase in time, and the increase in number of cycles. The size of the cryolesion (hypothesis necrotic area) in specimens, over time, became larger in size than the size of the ice-ball during operation, regardless of whether 2 or 3 freeze-thaw cycles were performed. The area of necrosis was gradually increased over the course of time. The hypothesis necrotic area was equal to necrosis area 3 d after cryosurgery. Conclusion Percutaneous cryoablation of the lung can achieve complete ablation of target tissue. The freezing technique may be different depending on the individual circumstances of each tumor. In technology, 3 freeze-thaw cycles are recommended, and the range of cryoablation’s effective diameter may be not necessarily beyond the tumor edge at least 1 cm safe border during cryosurgery

Sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics of stillbirths in China: a census of nearly 4 million health facility births between 2012 and 2014

Background Very little is known about the burden and determinants of stillbirths in China. We used data from a national surveillance system for health facility births to compute a stillbirth rate representative of all facility births in China and to explore sociodemographic and obstetric factors associated with variation in the stillbirth rate. Methods We used data from China’s National Maternal Near Miss Surveillance System between Jan 1, 2012, and Dec 31, 2014, which covers 441 hospitals in 326 urban districts and rural counties. The surveillance aimed to enumerate all maternal deaths and near misses in health facilities, and collected data prospectively for all pregnant or post-partum women admitted to the obstetric department. We restricted the analysis to births of 28 or more completed weeks of gestation or 1000 g or heavier birthweight. We examined the strength of association between sociodemographic characteristics, gestational age, and obstetric complications and stillbirths using logistic regression, taking account of the sampling strategy and clustering of births within hospitals and in cases of more than one birth per woman. Findings There were 3 956 836 births and 37 855 stillbirths, giving a stillbirth rate of 8·8 per 1000 births (95% CI 8·8–8·9). The stillbirth rate was particularly high for women younger than 15 years of age (59·9 stillbirths per 1000 births), those who had not sought antenatal care (38·3 per 1000), the unmarried (32·5 per 1000), those with no education (26·9 per 1000), or those who had had four or more births (23·2 per 1000). A high proportion (29 319 [78·2%] of 37 514) of stillbirths occurred at gestational ages of younger than 37 weeks, and about two thirds (24 787 [66·1%] of 37 514) were in women without any maternal complication at the time of birth. Of babies born at normal gestations (37–41 weeks), maternal complications substantially increased the risk of stillbirth (odds ratio comparing antepartum or intrapartum complications with no complication 3·96 [95% CI 3·66–4·29]), but only a small proportion (1638 [4·4%] of 37 514) of stillbirths fell into this group. Interpretation Our analysis of nearly 4 million births in 441 health facilities in China suggests a stillbirth rate of 8·8 per 1000 births between 2012 and 2014. Stillbirths do not feature in the Chinese Government’s 5 year plans and most information systems do not include stillbirths. The Government need to start paying attention to stillbirths and invest strategically in antenatal care, particularly for the most disadvantaged women, including the very young, unmarried, and illiterate, and those at high parity

Association between organic cation transporter genetic polymorphisms and metformin response and intolerance in T2DM individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundVariants in organic cation transporter (OCT) genes play a crucial role in metformin pharmacokinetics and are critical for diabetes treatment. However, studies investigating the effect of OCT genetic polymorphisms on metformin response have reported inconsistent results. This review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the associations between OCT genetic polymorphisms and metformin response and intolerance in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodA systematic search was conducted on PubMed, EMBASE, CNKI, WANFANG DATA, and VIP database for identifying potential studies up to 10 November 2022. The Q-Genie tool was used to evaluate the quality of included studies. Pooled odds ratios (OR) or standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated to determine the associations between OCT genetic polymorphisms and metformin response and intolerance that were reflected by glycemic response indexes, such as glycated hemoglobin level (HbA1c%) or change in glycated hemoglobin level (ΔHbA1c%), fasting plasma level (FPG) or change in fasting plasma glucose level (ΔFPG), the effectiveness rate of metformin treatment, and the rate of metformin intolerance. A qualitative review was performed for the variants identified just in one study and those that could not undergo pooling analysis.ResultsA total of 30 related eligible studies about OCT genes (SLC22A1, SLC22A2, and SLC22A3) and metformin pharmacogenetics were identified, and 14, 3, and 6 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SLC22A1, SLC22A2, and SLC22A3, respectively, were investigated. Meta-analysis showed that the SLC22A1 rs622342 polymorphism was associated with a reduction in HbA1c level (AA vs. AC: SMD [95% CI] = −0.45 [−0.73–−0.18]; p = 0.001). The GG genotype of the SLC22A1 rs628031 polymorphism was associated with a reduction in FPG level (GG vs. AA: SMD [95 %CI] = −0.60 [−1.04–0.16], p = 0.007; GG vs. AG: −0.45 [−0.67–0.20], p < 0.001). No statistical association was found between the remaining variants and metformin response and intolerance.ConclusionSLC22A1 rs622342 and rs628031 polymorphisms were potentially associated with glycemic response to metformin. This evidence may provide novel insight into gene-oriented personalized medicine for diabetes

Temperature reconstructions for the last 1.74-Ma on the eastern Tibetan Plateau based on a novel pollen-based quantitative method

Terrestrial palaeo-temperature data are of great value in improving our understanding of past climate and they provide a basis for evaluating climate simulations. Such data are, however, poorly constrained for long time-scales. In addition to the scarcity of high-quality continuous time-series, finding proxies with a clear response to past temperature changes and developing appropriate reconstruction methods are major challenges. We present a new and robust method – Locally-weighted Weighted-average partial least squares (LW-WAPLS) to reconstruct quantitative temperature changes based on a high-resolution 1.74-Ma pollen record from the Zoige Basin on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, where the vegetation today is mainly controlled by temperature. The reconstructed mean annual (MAT) and warmest month (MTWM) temperatures reveal a general cooling trend with two major shifts at ~1.54 and 0.62 Ma BP, and regular glacial-interglacial variability ranging from ~ − 4 to 2 °C and from 8 to 16 °C, respectively. They indicate ~4–5 °C (MAT) and ~ 5–6 °C (MTWM) magnitudes of glacial-interglacial temperatures. Both statistical and ecological evaluations validate the reliability of the reconstructions. The reconstructions provide important insights into the spatial aspects of long-term terrestrial temperature change. LW-WAPLS shows advantages over both the traditional modern analogue technique and non-linear transfer-function methodologies such as WAPLS for reconstructing the broad-scale climate changes for the Zoige Basin, by combining the strength of both methods. The LW-WAPLS approach potentially provides a robust tool to develop pollen-based climate reconstructions over long time-scales