A Spectral Dai-Yuan-Type Conjugate Gradient Method for Unconstrained Optimization

A new spectral conjugate gradient method (SDYCG) is presented for solving unconstrained optimization problems in this paper. Our method provides a new expression of spectral parameter. This formula ensures that the sufficient descent condition holds. The search direction in the SDYCG can be viewed as a combination of the spectral gradient and the Dai-Yuan conjugate gradient. The global convergence of the SDYCG is also obtained. Numerical results show that the SDYCG may be capable of solving large-scale nonlinear unconstrained optimization problems

Life Cycle Assessment of Large-scale Compressed Bio-natural Gas Production in China: A Case Study on Manure Co-digestion with Corn Stover

Compressed bio-natural gas (CBG) production from large-scale systems has been recognized as promising because of the abundance of manure and crop residue feedstocks and its environmental friendliness. This study is a life cycle assessment using the local database of an operating large-scale CBG system of manure co-digestion with corn stover in China and eBalance software. The results showed that the system’s Primary Energy Input to Output (PEIO) ratio was 20%. Its anaerobic digestion process was the main contributor to energy consumption, accounting for 76%. Among the six environmental impacts investigated in this study, the global warming potential (GWP) was the major environmental impact, and the digestate effluent management process was the main contributor to the GWP, accounting for 60%. The mitigation potential of the system, compared with reference case for GWP, was 3.19 kg CO2-eq for 1 m3 CBG production. In the future, the GWP mitigation could be 479 × 106 metric tons CO2-eq with 150 × 109 m3 yr−1 CBG production from the entire China. This study provides a reference on large-scale CBG production system for establishing a localized life cycle assessment inventory database in China

The psychological outcomes of COVID-19 affected the pandemic-after risk perceptions of nurse clinicians: a latent profile analysis

Abstract Background Risk perception among nurses after the COVID-19 pandemic is a crucial factor affecting their attitudes and willingness to work in clinics. Those with poor psychological status could perceive risks sensitively as fears or threats that are discouraging. This article aimed to determine whether psychological outcomes, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and insomnia, following the COVID-19 pandemic were differentially related to the risk perceptions of nurses working in clinics and increased perceived risk. Method The participants were 668 nurse clinicians from five local hospitals. Risk perceptions and psychological outcomes were measured by adapted questionnaires via the Internet. Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified subgroups of individuals who showed similar profiles regarding the perceived risks in nursing. Multinomial regression and probit regression were used to examine the extent to which sociodemographic and psychological outcomes predicted class membership. Results LPA revealed four classes: groups with low-, mild-, moderate-, and high-level risk perceptions. Membership of the high-level risk perception class was predicted by the severity of psychological outcomes. Anxiety significantly accounted for a moderate increase in risk perceptions, while the symptoms of insomnia, depression, and PTSD accelerated the increase to the high level of risk perception class. Conclusions By classifying groups of nurse clinicians sharing similar profiles regarding risk perceptions and then exploring associated predictors, this study shows the psychological outcomes after COVID-19 significantly impacted pandemic-associated risk perceptions and suggests intervening in nurses' psychological outcomes while simultaneously focusing on work-related worries is important following the outbreak of COVID-19

Synchronous Microwave Ablation Combined With Cisplatin Intratumoral Chemotherapy for Large Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

BackgroundMicrowave ablation (MWA) and intratumoral chemotherapy (ITC) are useful for treating tumors in animal models; however, their clinical use in patients with large non−small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unknown. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate preliminary outcomes of MWA + ITC for large NSCLC.MethodsFrom November 2015 to April 2020, a total of 44 NSCLC patients with a mean lesion diameter of 6.1 ± 1.5 cm were enrolled and underwent synchronous MWA + ITC procedures. The primary endpoint was local progression-free survival (LPFS); secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), complications, overall survival (OS), and associated prognostic factors.ResultsThe median follow-up time was 19.0 months. At the 1-month CT scan, complete tumor ablation was observed in 47.7% of cases. Median LPFS was 12.1 months; 1-, 2-, and 3-year LPFS rates were 51.2%, 27.9%, and 13.6%, respectively. A shorter LPFS was significantly associated with large lesions (HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.02–1.49; p = 0.032). Median PFS was 8.1 months; 1-, 2-, and 3-year PFS rates were 29.5%, 18.2%, and 9.1%, respectively. LPFS was significantly superior to PFS (p = 0.046). Median OS was 18.8 months. The 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 65.9%, 43.2%, 26.4%, and 10.0%, respectively. In univariate comparisons, high performance status (PS) score, smoking, and larger lesions were significantly correlated with poor survival. In multivariate analysis, advanced age, higher PS score, higher stage, larger lesion, and prior systematic treatment were independent prognostic factors for shorter OS. Adverse events were well tolerated and all patients recovered after appropriate intervention.ConclusionsMWA + ITC is a safe and effective new modality of local treatment for large NSCLC and can significantly prolong LPFS

Mediator of DNA Damage Checkpoint 1 (MDC1) Contributes to High NaCl-Induced Activation of the Osmoprotective Transcription Factor TonEBP/OREBP

Background: Hypertonicity, such as induced by high NaCl, increases the activity of the transcription factor TonEBP/OREBP whose target genes increase osmoprotective organic osmolytes and heat shock proteins. Methodology: We used mass spectrometry to analyze proteins that coimmunoprecipitate with TonEBP/OREBP in order to identify ones that might contribute to its high NaCl-induced activation. Principal Findings: We identified 20 unique peptides from Mediator of DNA Damage Checkpoint 1 (MDC1) with high probability. The identification was confirmed by Western analysis. We used small interfering RNA knockdown of MDC1 to characterize its osmotic function. Knocking down MDC1 reduces high NaCl-induced increases in TonEBP/OREBP transcriptional and transactivating activity, but has no significant effect on its nuclear localization. We confirm six previously known phosphorylation sites in MDC1, but do not find evidence that high NaCl increases phosphorylation of MDC1. It is suggestive that MDC1 acts as a DNA damage response protein since hypertonicity reversibly increases DNA breaks, and other DNA damage response proteins, like ATM, also associate with TonEBP/OREBP and contribute to its activation by hypertonicity. Conclusions/Significance: MDC1 associates with TonEBP/OREBP and contributes to high NaCl-induced increase of tha

Opportunities and challenges in sustainable treatment and resource reuse of sewage sludge: A review

Sludge or waste activated sludge (WAS) generated from wastewater treatment plants may be considered a nuisance. It is a key source for secondary environmental contamination on account of the presence of diverse pollutants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins, furans, heavy metals, etc.). Innovative and cost-effective sludge treatment pathways are a prerequisite for the safe and environment-friendly disposal of WAS. This article delivers an assessment of the leading disposal (volume reduction) and energy recovery routes such as anaerobic digestion, incineration, pyrolysis, gasification and enhanced digestion using microbial fuel cell along with their comparative evaluation, to measure their suitability for different sludge compositions and resources availability. Furthermore, the authors shed light on the bio-refinery and resource recovery approaches to extract value added products and nutrients from WAS, and control options for metal elements and micro-pollutants in sewage sludge. Recovery of enzymes, bio-plastics, bio-pesticides, proteins and phosphorus are discussed as a means to visualize sludge as a potential opportunity instead of a nuisance

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Global variations in diabetes mellitus based on fasting glucose and haemogloblin A1c

Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) are both used to diagnose diabetes, but may identify different people as having diabetes. We used data from 117 population-based studies and quantified, in different world regions, the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes, and whether those who were previously undiagnosed and detected as having diabetes in survey screening had elevated FPG, HbA1c, or both. We developed prediction equations for estimating the probability that a person without previously diagnosed diabetes, and at a specific level of FPG, had elevated HbA1c, and vice versa. The age-standardised proportion of diabetes that was previously undiagnosed, and detected in survey screening, ranged from 30% in the high-income western region to 66% in south Asia. Among those with screen-detected diabetes with either test, the agestandardised proportion who had elevated levels of both FPG and HbA1c was 29-39% across regions; the remainder had discordant elevation of FPG or HbA1c. In most low- and middle-income regions, isolated elevated HbA1c more common than isolated elevated FPG. In these regions, the use of FPG alone may delay diabetes diagnosis and underestimate diabetes prevalence. Our prediction equations help allocate finite resources for measuring HbA1c to reduce the global gap in diabetes diagnosis and surveillance.peer-reviewe