Prosodic disambiguation of wh-indeterminates in Mandarin Chinese

This study focuses on naturally occurring ambiguous utterances like “Zhōngguóduì shuí yě dǎ-bù-guò” in Mandarin to study if/how prosody is used for disambiguation of wh-indeterminates. The results of our production study suggest that wh-indeterminates are disambiguated prosodically. For the wh-region, interrogative readings are distinguished from indefinite readings by having a longer duration and higher maximum pitch. For the pre-wh region, longer duration was observed when the wh-word received interrogative readings and left-dislocated. For the post-wh region, significantly greater pitch excursion was observed for indefinite reading than for interrogative reading. In particular, the novel finding of post-wh pitch compression for wh-interrogatives in Mandarin is in line with what has been attested in other wh-in-situ languages, such as Japanese and Korean, which suggests shared prosodic mechanisms for disambiguating wh-indeterminates in wh-in-situ languages

Energetic deposition of metal ions: Observation of self-sputtering and limited sticking for off-normal angles of incidence

The deposition of films under normal and off-normal angle of incidence has been investigated to show the relevance of non-sticking of and self-sputtering by energetic ions, leading to the formation of neutral atoms. The flow of energetic ions was obtained using a filtered cathodic arc system in high vacuum and therefore the ion flux had a broad energy distribution of typically 50-100 eV per ion. The range of materials included Cu, Ag, Au, Ti, and Ni. Consistent with molecular dynamics simulations published in the literature, the experiments show, for all materials, that the combined effects of non-sticking and self-sputtering are very significant, especially for large off-normal angles. Modest heating and intentional introduction of oxygen background affect the results

Measurements of the asymmetric, dynamic sheath around a pulse biased sphere immersed in flowing metal plasma

A long-probe technique was utilized to record the expansion and retreat of the dynamic sheath around a spherical substrate immersed in pulsed cathode arc metal plasma. Positively biased, long cylindrical probes were placed on the side and downstream of a negatively pulsed biased stainless steel sphere of 1" (25.4 mm) diameter. The amplitude and width of the negative high voltage pulses (HVP) were 2 kV, 5 kV, 10 kV, and 2 mu s, 4 mu s, 10 mu s, respectively. The variation of the probe (electron) current during the HVP is a direct measure for the sheath expansion and retreat. Maximum sheath sizes were determined for the different parameters of the HVP. The expected rarefaction zone behind the biased sphere (wake) due to the fast plasma flow was clearly established and quantified

Rational design of hydrogels for immunomodulation

The immune system protects organisms against endogenous and exogenous harm and plays a key role in tissue development, repair and regeneration. Traditional immunomodulatory biologics exhibit limitations including degradation by enzymes, short half-life and lack of targeting ability. Encapsulating or binding these biologics within biomaterials is an effective way to address these problems. Hydrogels are promising immunomodulatory materials because of their prominent biocompatibility, tuneability and versatility. However, to take advantage of these opportunities and optimize material performance, it is important to more specifically elucidate, and leverage on, how hydrogels affect and control the immune response. Here, we summarize how key physical and chemical properties of hydrogels affect the immune response. We first provide an overview of underlying steps of the host immune response upon exposure to biomaterials. Then, we discuss recent advances in immunomodulatory strategies where hydrogels play a key role through (i) physical properties including dimensionality, stiffness, porosity and topography; (ii) chemical properties including wettability, electric property and molecular presentation;and (iii) the delivery of bioactive molecules via chemical or physical cues. Thus, this review aims to build a conceptual and practical toolkit for the design of immune-instructive hydrogels capable of modulating the host immune response

Abundant and Rare Microbial Biospheres Respond Differently to Environmental and Spatial Factors in Tibetan Hot Springs

Little is known about the distribution and ecological functions of abundant, intermediate, and rare biospheres and their correlations with environmental factors in hot springs. Here, we explored the microbial community composition of total, abundant, intermediate, and rare biospheres in 66 Tibetan hot springs (pairwise geographic distance 0–610 km, temperature 32–86°C, pH 3.0–9.5, and salinity 0.13–1.32 g/L) with the use of Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that the abundant sub-communities were mainly composed of Chloroflexi, Proteobacteria, Deinococcus-Thermus, Aquificae, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes. In contrast, the rare sub-communities mainly consisted of most newly proposed or candidate phyla of Dictyoglomi, Hydrogenedentes, Atribacteria, Hadesarchaea, Aminicenantes, Microgenomates, Calescamantes, Omnitrophica, Altiarchaeales, and Chlamydiae. However, the abundant and rare sub-communities shared some common phyla (e.g., Crenarchaeota, Bathyarchaeota, and Chlorobi), which were composed of different OTUs. The abundant, intermediate, and rare sub-communities were mainly influenced by different environmental variables, which could be ascribed to the fact that they may have different growth and activity and thus respond differently to these variables. Spatial factors showed more contribution to shaping of the intermediate and rare communities than to abundant sub-community, suggesting that the abundant taxa were more easily dispersed than their rare counterparts among hot springs. Microbial ecological function prediction revealed that the abundant and rare sub-communities responded differently to the measured environmental factors, suggesting they may occupy different ecological niches in hot springs. The rare sub-communities may play more important roles in organic matter degradation than their abundant counterparts in hot springs. Collectively, this study provides a better understanding on the microbial community structure and potential ecological functions of the abundant and rare biospheres in hot spring ecosystems. The identified rare taxa provide new opportunities of ecological, taxonomic and genomic discoveries in Tibetan hot springs

Dawning public health services dogma:An indigenous Southwest Chinese perspective in managing hypertension-with or without the “BPHS”?

BACKGROUND: To alleviate the rising mortality burden due to hypertension and other non-communicable diseases, a new public health policy initiative in 2009 called the Basic Public Health Services (BPHS). Program was introduced by the Chinese government. The goal of the study is to assess the feasibility and impact of a nationwide health care service—the “BPHS”. METHODS: From January to December 2021, a stratified multistage random sampling method in the survey was conducted to select 6,456 people from 8 cities/districts in Yunnan Province, China, who were above the age of 35 years. 1,521 hypertensive patients were previously aware of their high blood pressure status were matched to the BPHS program database based on ID number and then further divided into BPHS group and non-BPHS (control) group. The results of the current study are based on their responses to a short structured questionnaire, a physical examination, and laboratory tests. The association between BPHS management and its effect on the control of hypertension was estimated using multivariable logistic regression models. We evaluated the accessibility and efficacy of BPHS health care services by analyzing various variables such as blood pressure, BMI, lifestyle modification, anti-hypertensive drugs taken, and cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS: Among the 1,521 hypertensive patients included in this study, 1,011 (66.5%) were managed by BPHS programme. The multivariable logistic regression model demonstrated that the BPHS facilitated hypertension control (OR = 1.640, 95% CI: 1.237–2.175). A higher proportion of participants receiving lifestyle guidance from the BPHS management showed lowering of total cholesterol. In comparison to the non-BPHS group, those under BPHS management adhered better to antihypertensive medications either single drug (54.3%) or in combination (17.3%) of drugs. Additionally, we also noticed that urban areas with centralized and well-established digital information management system had better hypertension treatment and control. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly two-thirds of the hypertensive patients in Yunnan Province were included in BPHS management. The impact of the national BPHS program was evident in lowering risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, promoting healthy lifestyles, lowering blood pressure, increasing medication adherence, and the better control rate of hypertension

Radiological Imaging for Assessing the Respectability of Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCC) remains one of the most difficult tumors to stage and treat. The aim of the study was to assess the diagnostic efficiency of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography/computer tomography (PET/CT) in evaluating the resectability of HCC. A systematic search was performed of the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and diagnostic accuracy were calculated for individual studies and pooled data as well as test for heterogeneity and public bias. Our data showed that CT had the highest pooled sensitivity at 95% (95% CI: 91-97), whereas PET/CT had the highest pooled specificity at 81% (95% CI: 69-90). The area under the curve (AUC) of CT, MRI, and PET/CT was 0.9269, 0.9194, and 0.9218, respectively. In conclusion, CT is the most frequently used imaging modality to assess HCC resectability with a good sensitivity and specificity. MRI was generally comparable with that of CT and can be used as an alternative imaging technique. PET/CT appears to be the best technique in detecting lymph node and distant metastasis in HCC but has no clear role in helping to evaluate issues of local resectability

A comprehensive census of microbial diversity in hot springs of Tengchong, Yunnan Province China using 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing

The Rehai and Ruidian geothermal fields, located in Tengchong County, Yunnan Province, China, host a variety of geochemically distinct hot springs. In this study, we report a comprehensive, cultivation-independent census of microbial communities in 37 samples collected from these geothermal fields, encompassing sites ranging in temperature from 55.1 to 93.6°C, in pH from 2.5 to 9.4, and in mineralogy from silicates in Rehai to carbonates in Ruidian. Richness was low in all samples, with 21–123 species-level OTUs detected. The bacterial phylum Aquificae or archaeal phylum Crenarchaeota were dominant in Rehai samples, yet the dominant taxa within those phyla depended on temperature, pH, and geochemistry. Rehai springs with low pH (2.5–2.6), high temperature (85.1–89.1°C), and high sulfur contents favored the crenarchaeal order Sulfolobales, whereas those with low pH (2.6–4.8) and cooler temperature (55.1–64.5°C) favored the Aquificae genus Hydrogenobaculum. Rehai springs with neutral-alkaline pH (7.2–9.4) and high temperature (>80°C) with high concentrations of silica and salt ions (Na, K, and Cl) favored the Aquificae genus Hydrogenobacter and crenarchaeal orders Desulfurococcales and Thermoproteales. Desulfurococcales and Thermoproteales became predominant in springs with pH much higher than the optimum and even the maximum pH known for these orders. Ruidian water samples harbored a single Aquificae genus Hydrogenobacter, whereas microbial communities in Ruidian sediment samples were more diverse at the phylum level and distinctly different from those in Rehai and Ruidian water samples, with a higher abundance of uncultivated lineages, close relatives of the ammonia-oxidizing archaeon “Candidatus Nitrosocaldus yellowstonii”, and candidate division O1aA90 and OP1. These differences between Ruidian sediments and Rehai samples were likely caused by temperature, pH, and sediment mineralogy. The results of this study significantly expand the current understanding of the microbiology in Tengchong hot springs and provide a basis for comparison with other geothermal systems around the world