Personalized local heating neutralizing individual, spatial and temporal thermo-physiological variances in extreme cold environments

In this paper, we investigate the feasibility, robustness and optimization of introducing personal comfort systems (PCS), apparatuses that promises in energy saving and comfort improvement, into a broader range of environments. We report a series of laboratory experiments systematically examining the effect of personalized heating in neutralizing individual, spatial and temporal variations of thermal demands. The experiments were conducted in an artificial climate chamber at -15 degC in order to simulate extreme cold environments. We developed a heating garment with 20 pieces of 20 * 20 cm2 heating cloth (grouped into 9 regions) comprehensively covering human body. Surface temperatures of the garment can be controlled independently, quickly (within 20 seconds), precisely (within 1 degC) and easily (through a tablet) up to 45 degC. Participants were instructed to adjust surface temperatures of each segment to their preferences, with their physiological, psychological and adjustment data collected. We found that active heating could significantly and stably improve thermal satisfaction. The overall TSV and TCV were improved 1.50 and 1.53 during the self-adjustment phase. Preferred heating surface temperatures for different segments varied widely. Further, even for the same segment, individual differences among participants were considerable. Such variances were observed through local heating powers, while unnoticeable among thermal perception votes. In other words, all these various differences could be neutralized given the flexibility in personalized adjustments. Our research reaffirms the paradigm of "adaptive thermal comfort" and will promote innovations on human-centric design for more efficient PCSs

Methylprednisolone as Adjunct to Endovascular Thrombectomy for Large-Vessel Occlusion Stroke

Importance It is uncertain whether intravenous methylprednisolone improves outcomes for patients with acute ischemic stroke due to large-vessel occlusion (LVO) undergoing endovascular thrombectomy. Objective To assess the efficacy and adverse events of adjunctive intravenous low-dose methylprednisolone to endovascular thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke secondary to LVO. Design, Setting, and Participants This investigator-initiated, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was implemented at 82 hospitals in China, enrolling 1680 patients with stroke and proximal intracranial LVO presenting within 24 hours of time last known to be well. Recruitment took place between February 9, 2022, and June 30, 2023, with a final follow-up on September 30, 2023.InterventionsEligible patients were randomly assigned to intravenous methylprednisolone (n = 839) at 2 mg/kg/d or placebo (n = 841) for 3 days adjunctive to endovascular thrombectomy. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary efficacy outcome was disability level at 90 days as measured by the overall distribution of the modified Rankin Scale scores (range, 0 [no symptoms] to 6 [death]). The primary safety outcomes included mortality at 90 days and the incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage within 48 hours. Results Among 1680 patients randomized (median age, 69 years; 727 female [43.3%]), 1673 (99.6%) completed the trial. The median 90-day modified Rankin Scale score was 3 (IQR, 1-5) in the methylprednisolone group vs 3 (IQR, 1-6) in the placebo group (adjusted generalized odds ratio for a lower level of disability, 1.10 [95% CI, 0.96-1.25]; P = .17). In the methylprednisolone group, there was a lower mortality rate (23.2% vs 28.5%; adjusted risk ratio, 0.84 [95% CI, 0.71-0.98]; P = .03) and a lower rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (8.6% vs 11.7%; adjusted risk ratio, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.55-0.99]; P = .04) compared with placebo. Conclusions and Relevance Among patients with acute ischemic stroke due to LVO undergoing endovascular thrombectomy, adjunctive methylprednisolone added to endovascular thrombectomy did not significantly improve the degree of overall disability.Trial RegistrationChiCTR.org.cn Identifier: ChiCTR210005172

Application and Research of Ultrasonic Horn in Ultrasonic Ranging System

Aiming at the problem that echo signal is hard to recognize caused by ultrasonic energy’s overquick dispersion and attenuation, a kind of ultrasonic horn is designed. According to the acoustic theory analysis, the ultrasonic horn can increase its radiation energy by improving impedance matching. The ultrasonic horn can make the directivity of sound source sharper and energy more centralized because of the large outlet. The simulation calculation and experiment results prove the effectiveness of ultrasonic horn to improve the scope of ultrasonic ranging

Immune Responses in Pregnant Sows Induced by Recombinant <i>Lactobacillus johnsonii</i> Expressing the COE Protein of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Provide Protection for Piglets against PEDV Infection

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) induced by porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is an intestinal infectious disease in pigs that causes serious economic losses to the pig industry. To develop an effective oral vaccine against PEDV infection, we used a swine-origin Lactobacillus johnsonii (L. johnsonii) as an antigen delivery carrier. A recombinant strain pPG-T7g10-COE/L. johnsonii (L. johnsonii-COE) expressing COE protein (a neutralizing epitope of the viral spike protein) was generated. The immunomodulatory effect on dendritic cell in vitro and immunogenicity in pregnant sows was evaluated following oral administration. L. johnsonii-COE could activate monocyte-derived dendritic cell (MoDC) maturation and triggered cell immune responses. After oral vaccination with L. johnsonii-COE, levels of anti-PEDV-specific serum IgG, IgA, and IgM antibodies as well as mucosal secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) antibody were induced in pregnant sows. High levels of PEDV-specific SIgA and IgG antibodies were detected in the maternal milk, which provide effective protection for the piglets against PEDV infection. In summary, oral L. johnsonii-COE was able to efficiently activate anti-PEDV humoral and cellular immune responses, demonstrating potential as a vaccine for use in sows to provide protection of their piglets against PEDV

Gene-Viral Cancer Therapy Using Dual-Regulated Oncolytic Adenovirus with Antiangiogenesis Gene for Increased Efficacy.

Conditionally replicative adenovirus (CRAD) represents a promising approach for cancer therapy. Several CRADs controlled by the human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter have been developed. However, because of their replicative capacity, the importance of cancer specificity for CRADs needs to be further emphasized. In this study, we have developed a novel dual-regulated CRAD, CNHK500-mE, which has its E1a and E1b gene controlled by the human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter and the hypoxia response element, respectively. It also carries a mouse endostatin expression cassette controlled by the cytomegalovirus promoter. These properties allow for increased cancer cell targeting specificity and decreased adverse side effects. We showed that CNHK500-mE preferentially replicated in cancer cells. Compared with a replication-defective vector carrying the same endostatin expression cassette, CNHK500-mE-mediated transgene expression level was markedly increased via viral replication within cancer cells. In the nasopharyngeal tumor xenograft model, CNHK500-mE injection resulted in antitumor efficacy at day 7 after therapy. Three weeks later, it led to significant inhibition of xenograft tumor growth due to the combined effects of viral oncolytic therapy and antiangiogenesis gene therapy. Pathologic examination showed that most cancer cells were positive for adenoviral capsid protein and for apoptotic terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling in the CNHK500-mE-treated tumor tissues, and the microvessels in these tumor tissues were diminished in quantity and abnormal in morphology. These results suggest that, as a potential cancer therapeutic agent, the CNHK500-mE is endowed with higher specificity to cancer cells and low cytotoxicity to normal cells. (Mol Cancer Res 2008;6(4):OF1-8)

Wearable and interactive multicolored photochromic fiber display

Abstract Endowing flexible and adaptable fiber devices with light-emitting capabilities has the potential to revolutionize the current design philosophy of intelligent, wearable interactive devices. However, significant challenges remain in developing fiber devices when it comes to achieving uniform and customizable light effects while utilizing lightweight hardware. Here, we introduce a mass-produced, wearable, and interactive photochromic fiber that provides uniform multicolored light control. We designed independent waveguides inside the fiber to maintain total internal reflection of light as it traverses the fiber. The impact of excessive light leakage on the overall illuminance can be reduced by utilizing the saturable absorption effect of fluorescent materials to ensure light emission uniformity along the transmission direction. In addition, we coupled various fluorescent composite materials inside the fiber to achieve artificially controllable spectral radiation of multiple color systems in a single fiber. We prepared fibers on mass-produced kilometer-long using the thermal drawing method. The fibers can be directly integrated into daily wearable devices or clothing in various patterns and combined with other signal input components to control and display patterns as needed. This work provides a new perspective and inspiration to the existing field of fiber display interaction, paving the way for future human–machine integration