Quantum metallic state in the titanium sesquioxide heterointerface superconductor

The emergence of the quantum metallic state marked by a saturating finite electrical resistance in the zero-temperature limit in a variety of two-dimensional superconductors injects a new momentum to the realm of unconventional superconductivity. Despite much research efforts over last few decades, there is not yet a general consensus on the nature of this unexpected quantum metal. Here, we report the unique quantum metallic state within the hallmark of Bose-metal characterized by the saturated resistance and simultaneously vanished Hall resistance in the titanium sesquioxide heterointerface superconductor Ti$_2$O$_3$/GaN. Strikingly, the quantum bosonic metallic state proximate to the two-dimensional superconductivity-metal transition tuned by magnetic fields persists in the normal phase, suggesting that the existence of composite bosons formed by electron Cooper pairs survives even in the normal phase. Our work marks the observation of the preformed electron Cooper pairs in heterointerface superconductor and sheds new light on understanding the underlying pairing mechanism of unconventional superconductivity.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Research Progress on Structure, Function and Application of Tremella fuciformis Polysaccharide

Tremella fuciformis is rich in nutrients, and Tremella fuciformis polysaccharide is the most important functional active component with a variety of biological activities. Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides can be prepared by various methods, and the research on its structure is mainly focused on molecular weight, monosaccharide components, and glycosidic bond type. This review summarizes the preparation, structure, and biological activities of Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides, such as antioxidant, anti-tumor, immune regulation, memory improvement, anti-inflammation, blood sugar and blood lipid lowering, and its development and application in food, cosmetics, and medicine. In the future, it is necessary to optimize the preparation technology of Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides, analyze the advanced structure of Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides with modern analytical techniques, and conduct in-depth research on the function and mechanism of action of Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides, so as to provide theoretical reference for the deep processing and product development of Tremella fuciformis fuciformis

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for treatment of limb spasticity following multiple sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Pilot trials have suggested that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may reduce limb spasticity in multiple sclerosis (MS). We carried out the current meta-analysis to synthesize currently available evidence regarding such correlation. Up to November 2022, five international electronic databases (Cochrane CENTRAL, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and CINAHL) and four Chinese electronic databases (CBM, CNKI, WanFang Data, and VIP) were systematically searched to identify randomized trials comparing active rTMS and sham stimulation in patients with MS-related spasticity. Two reviewers independently selected studies and extracted data on study design, quality, clinical outcomes, and time points measured. The primary outcome was clinical spasticity relief after intervention. Secondary outcomes included spasticity at the follow-up visit 2 weeks later and post-treatment fatigue. Of 831 titles found, we included 8 studies (181 participants) in the quantitative analysis. Pooled analyses showed that rTMS therapy was associated with significant spasticity relief in the early post-intervention period [standardized mean differences (SMD): -0.67; 95%CI: -1.12 to -0.21], but there was insufficient evidence for rTMS in reducing spasticity at the follow-up visit 2 weeks later (SMD: -0.17; 95%CI: -0.52 to 0.17) and fatigue (SMD: -0.26; 95%CI: -0.84 to 0.31). This evidence supports the recommendations to treat MS-related spasticity with rTMS, but underlines the need for further large randomized trials

The Changing Landscape for Stroke\ua0Prevention in AF: Findings From the GLORIA-AF Registry Phase 2

Background GLORIA-AF (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation) is a prospective, global registry program describing antithrombotic treatment patterns in patients with newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation at risk of stroke. Phase 2 began when dabigatran, the first non\u2013vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC), became available. Objectives This study sought to describe phase 2 baseline data and compare these with the pre-NOAC era collected during phase 1. Methods During phase 2, 15,641 consenting patients were enrolled (November 2011 to December 2014); 15,092 were eligible. This pre-specified cross-sectional analysis describes eligible patients\u2019 baseline characteristics. Atrial fibrillation disease characteristics, medical outcomes, and concomitant diseases and medications were collected. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Of the total patients, 45.5% were female; median age was 71 (interquartile range: 64, 78) years. Patients were from Europe (47.1%), North America (22.5%), Asia (20.3%), Latin America (6.0%), and the Middle East/Africa (4.0%). Most had high stroke risk (CHA2DS2-VASc [Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age  6575 years, Diabetes mellitus, previous Stroke, Vascular disease, Age 65 to 74 years, Sex category] score  652; 86.1%); 13.9% had moderate risk (CHA2DS2-VASc = 1). Overall, 79.9% received oral anticoagulants, of whom 47.6% received NOAC and 32.3% vitamin K antagonists (VKA); 12.1% received antiplatelet agents; 7.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. For comparison, the proportion of phase 1 patients (of N = 1,063 all eligible) prescribed VKA was 32.8%, acetylsalicylic acid 41.7%, and no therapy 20.2%. In Europe in phase 2, treatment with NOAC was more common than VKA (52.3% and 37.8%, respectively); 6.0% of patients received antiplatelet treatment; and 3.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. In North America, 52.1%, 26.2%, and 14.0% of patients received NOAC, VKA, and antiplatelet drugs, respectively; 7.5% received no antithrombotic treatment. NOAC use was less common in Asia (27.7%), where 27.5% of patients received VKA, 25.0% antiplatelet drugs, and 19.8% no antithrombotic treatment. Conclusions The baseline data from GLORIA-AF phase 2 demonstrate that in newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients, NOAC have been highly adopted into practice, becoming more frequently prescribed than VKA in Europe and North America. Worldwide, however, a large proportion of patients remain undertreated, particularly in Asia and North America. (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation [GLORIA-AF]; NCT01468701

Use of physiological and transcriptome analysis to infer the interactions between Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis isolated from Chinese traditional sourdoughs

This study aimed to explore the interaction between Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis during sourdough fermentation based on metabolic characteristics and transcriptional changes in pure and mixed cultures. Dough was prepared by using these species either as single cultures, or in combination. The cell counts, acidity and volatile compounds in sourdough samples were determined. The growth of S. cerevisiae and L. sanfranciscensis remained unaffacted in mixed culture. In addition, production of some volatile compounds, mainly associated with S. cerevisiae (ethanol, 2,3-pentanedione, 3-methyl-1-butanol, phenylethyl alcohol and 2-methyl-1-propanol) was negatively affected in mixed culture. On the other hand, S. cerevisiae stimulated the acetic acid production by L. sanfranciscensis, but did not have a significant effect on other metabolic traits of L. sanfranciscensis. The transcriptional profile of S. cerevisiae in pure and mixed cultures was analyzed using RNA sequencing. The results showed a significant effect of co-fermentation on S. cerevisiae carbohydrate and amino acids metabolism. The glycerol synthesis, arginine metabolism and glutamate metabolism increased, while the synthesis of ethanol and acetic acid and glutathione metabolism decreased in mixed culture when compared with results obtained from pure culture of S. cerevisiae

Investigation of microbial communities of Chinese sourdoughs using culture-dependent and DGGE approaches

Sourdough is typically characterized by the complex microbial communities mainly comprising of yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The objective of this study was to explore the microbiota of Chinese traditional sourdoughs collected from different areas of China using culture-dependent and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) methods. A total of 131 yeasts, 2 molds, and 106 LAB strains were isolated and identified. Based on the culture-dependent analysis, the populations of yeasts and LAB were at the level of 105 to 107 and 106 to 107 cfu/g, respectively. Similarly, the results of RT-qPCR showed that the values of total yeasts and LAB populations were in the range of 106 to 107 and 107 to 108 copies/g, respectively. Using culture-dependent method, a total of 7 yeasts, 2 molds and 7 LAB species were identified. Results showed that Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus plantarum were the predominant species among the yeasts and LAB microflora. Similarly, using PCR-DGGE approach, 7 yeasts, 1 mold and 9 LAB species were detected. The yeast, S. cerevisiae, represented the predominant, while the yeast Candida tropicalis represented the subdominant species of the yeast community. Among the LAB community, Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis was the predominant species, while Lactococcus qarvieae, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Enterococcus cecorum were among the less dominant species

Analysis of bacterial diversity and biogenic amines content during the fermentation processing of stinky tofu

Fermented foods may confer several benefits to human health and play an important role in a healthy and balanced diet. Stinky tofu is an important traditional fermented soy product in Asia. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of bacterial diversity in terms of rarefaction abundance, rank abundance, alpha diversity, and principal coordinates analysis was conducted using next-generation sequencing. The results obtained were further verified by culture-dependent methods. In addition, eight biogenic amines were also quantified to determine their levels in stinky tofu during conventional production. Our study revealed that lactobacillus was the major lactic acid bacteria throughout the fermentation process. Further, some potentially harmful bacterial belonging to the genera Halomonas and Solobacterium, were also found existing in the stinky tofu. In case of biogenic amines, the concentration of putrescine, cadaverine and histamine finally increased to high levels while spermine disappeared after the fermentation was completed. After the soaking step, putrescine, tryptamine and β-phenethylamine increased sharply. This work provided an improved understanding of microbes and biogenic amines content associated with the traditionally consumed fermented food. However, there is a need to understand microbial interactions related to biogenic amines during the fermentation, and the origin and survival strategies of two important pathogens detected in our study

Combinational Reasoning of Quantitative Fuzzy Topological Relations for Simple Fuzzy Regions

<div><p>In recent years, formalization and reasoning of topological relations have become a hot topic as a means to generate knowledge about the relations between spatial objects at the conceptual and geometrical levels. These mechanisms have been widely used in spatial data query, spatial data mining, evaluation of equivalence and similarity in a spatial scene, as well as for consistency assessment of the topological relations of multi-resolution spatial databases. The concept of computational fuzzy topological space is applied to simple fuzzy regions to efficiently and more accurately solve fuzzy topological relations. Thus, extending the existing research and improving upon the previous work, this paper presents a new method to describe fuzzy topological relations between simple spatial regions in Geographic Information Sciences (GIS) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Firstly, we propose a new definition for simple fuzzy line segments and simple fuzzy regions based on the computational fuzzy topology. And then, based on the new definitions, we also propose a new combinational reasoning method to compute the topological relations between simple fuzzy regions, moreover, this study has discovered that there are (1) 23 different topological relations between a simple crisp region and a simple fuzzy region; (2) 152 different topological relations between two simple fuzzy regions. In the end, we have discussed some examples to demonstrate the validity of the new method, through comparisons with existing fuzzy models, we showed that the proposed method can compute more than the existing models, as it is more expressive than the existing fuzzy models.</p></div