A simulation data-driven design approach for rapid product optimization

Traditional design optimization is an iterative process of design, simulation, and redesign, which requires extensive calculations and analysis. The designer needs to adjust and evaluate the design parameters manually and continually based on the simulation results until a satisfactory design is obtained. However, the expensive computational costs and large resource consumption of complex products hinder the wide application of simulation in industry. It is not an easy task to search the optimal design solution intelligently and efficiently. Therefore, a simulation data-driven design approach which combines dynamic simulation data mining and design optimization is proposed to achieve this purpose in this study. The dynamic simulation data mining algorithm—on-line sequential extreme learning machine with adaptive weights (WadaptiveOS-ELM)—is adopted to train the dynamic prediction model to effectively evaluate the merits of new design solutions in the optimization process. Meanwhile, the prediction model is updated incrementally by combining new “good” data set to reduce the modeling cost and improve the prediction accuracy. Furthermore, the improved heuristic optimization algorithm—adaptive and weighted center particle swarm optimization (AWCPSO)—is introduced to guide the design change direction intelligently to improve the search efficiency. In this way, the optimal design solution can be searched automatically with less actual simulation iterations and higher optimization efficiency, and thus supporting the rapid product optimization effectively. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach

Vitamin D status in tuberculosis patients with diabetes, prediabetes and normal blood glucose in China: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: The association between tuberculosis (TB), diabetes mellitus (DM) and vitamin D status is poorly characterised. We therefore: (1) determined vitamin D status in patients with TB in relation to whether they had normal fasting blood glucose (FBG), pre-DM or DM and (2) assessed whether baseline characteristics in patients with TB, including their DM status, were associated with vitamin D deficiency. METHODS: In patients with TB consecutively attending six clinics or hospitals in China, we measured 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-(OH)D3) at the time of registration using electrochemiluminescence in a COBASE 601 Roche analyser by chemiluminescence immunoassay. Data analysis was performed using the χ2 test, ORs and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: There were 306 eligible patients with TB, including 96 with smear positive pulmonary TB, 187 with smear negative pulmonary TB and 23 with extrapulmonary TB. Of these, 95 (31%) had normal blood glucose, 83 (27%) had pre-DM and 128 (42%) had DM. Median serum vitamin D levels were 16.1 ng/mL in patients with TB with normal FBG, 12.6 ng/mL in patients with TB with pre-DM and 12.1 ng/mL in patients with TB with DM (p<0.001). The study highlighted certain baseline characteristics associated with vitamin D deficiency (25-(OH)D3<20 ng/mL). After adjusting for confounders, serum vitamin D deficiency was significantly more common in patients being registered in the cold season (November to April) (p=0.006) and in those with DM (p=0.003). CONCLUSION: Vitamin D levels are lower in patients with TB with pre-DM and DM and are also affected by certain baseline characteristics that include being registered in the cold season and having DM. TB programmes need to pay more attention to vitamin D status in their patients, especially if there is coexisting pre-DM or DM

Solute Carrier Family 1 (SLC1A1) Contributes to Susceptibility and Psychopathology Symptoms of Schizophrenia in the Han Chinese Population

Objective: Schizophrenia (SZ) is a common and complex psychiatric disorder that has a significant genetic component. The glutamate hypothesis describes one possible pathogenesis of SZ. The solute carrier family 1 gene (SLC1A1) is one of several genes thought to play a critical role in regulating the glutamatergic system and is strongly implicated in the pathophysiology of SZ. In this study, we identify polymorphisms of the SLC1A1 gene that may confer susceptibility to SZ in the Han Chinese population. Methods: We genotyped 36 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using Illumina GoldenGate assays on a BeadStation 500G Genotyping System in 528 paranoid SZ patients and 528 healthy controls. Psychopathology was rated by the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale. Results: Significant associations were found in genotype and allele frequencies for SNPs rs10815017 (p = 0.002, 0.030, respectively) and rs2026828 (p = 0.020, 0.005, respectively) between SZ and healthy controls. There were significant associations in genotype frequency at rs6476875 (p = 0.020) and rs7024664 (p = 0.021) and allele frequency at rs3780412 (p = 0.026) and rs10974573 (p = 0.047) between SZ and healthy controls. Meanwhile, significant differences were found in genotype frequency at rs10815017 (p = 0.015), rs2026828 (p = 0.011), and rs3780411 (p = 0.040) in males, and rs7021569 in females (p = 0.020) between cases and controls when subdivided by gender. Also, significant differences were found in allele frequency at rs2026828 (p = 0.003), and rs7021569 (p = 0.045) in males, and rs10974619 in females (p = 0.044). However, those associations disappeared after Bonferroni\u27s correction (p\u27s \u3e 0.05). Significant associations were found in the frequencies of four haplotypes (AA, CA, AGA, and GG) between SZ and healthy controls (chi (2) = 3.974, 7.433, 4.699, 4.526, p = 0.046, 0.006, 0.030, 0.033, respectively). There were significant associations between rs7032326 genotypes and PANSS total, positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and general psychopathology in SZ (p = 0.002, 0.011, 0.028, 0.008, respectively). Conclusion: The present study provides further evidence that SLC1A1 may be not a susceptibility gene for SZ. However, the genetic variations of SLC1A1 may affect psychopathology symptoms

Rapid detection of porcine circovirus type 4 via multienzyme isothermal rapid amplification

Porcine circovirus type 4 (PCV4) is a newly emerging pathogen that was first detected in 2019 and is associated with diverse clinical signs, including respiratory and gastrointestinal distress, dermatitis and various systemic inflammations. It was necessary to develop a sensitive and specific diagnostic method to detect PCV4 in clinical samples, so in this study, a multienzyme isothermal rapid amplification (MIRA) assay was developed for the rapid detection of PCV4 and evaluated for sensitivity, specificity and applicability. It was used to detect the conserved Cap gene of PCV4, operated at 41°C and completed in 20 min. With the screening of MIRA primer-probe combination, it could detect as low as 101 copies of PCV4 DNA per reaction and was highly specific, with no cross-reaction with other pathogens. Further assessment with clinical samples showed that the developed MIRA assay had good correlation with real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for the detection of PCV4. The developed MIRA assay will be a valuable tool for the detection of the novel PCV4 in clinical samples due to its high sensitivity and specificity, simplicity of operation and short testing time

Exploring the clinical efficacy and mechanism of high-position colon dialysis combined with Traditional Chinese Medicine retention enema in real-world patients with stage 3–5 chronic kidney disease (non-dialysis) based on the theory of the Gut–Kidney axis

Background: With societal and economic development, the annual incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing. Current treatments for CKD are limited, and once patients progress to the uraemic stage, it places a significant economic burden on families and society. Based on the “gut–kidney axis” theory and real-world research, this study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy, safety, and potential mechanism of high-position colon dialysis combined with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) retention enema in treating stage 3–5 chronic kidney disease (non-dialysis). Additionally, it seeks to identify new therapeutic targets and approaches for CKD treatment.Methods: The TCM decoction was analyzed using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole-Orbitrap-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-HRMS). Participants meeting the inclusion criteria were divided into a control group (n = 153) and a treatment group (n = 159) based on their preferences and physicians’ recommendations. Both groups adhered to a high-quality low-protein, low-salt, low-phosphorus, and low-fat diet supplemented with essential amino acids, and were monitored for blood pressure, blood glucose, and blood lipids. The treatment group received high-position colon dialysis combined with TCM retention enemas (administered at least 12 times every other day).Results: Thirteen compounds were identified from the herbs by UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-HRMS. The CKD3–5 treatment group exhibited improvements in blood biochemistry and other laboratory indices, with significant enhancements in renal function-related indices for CKD4 and CKD5 stages (p &lt; 0.05). Following treatment, indoxyl sulfate (IS), endotoxin, and D-lactic acid levels decreased to a certain extent in both groups, with a statistically significant difference observed within the treatment group (p &lt; 0.05). The treatment group displayed a significant reduction in aerobic bacterial colonies, an increase in anaerobic bacterial colonies, a decrease in Escherichia coli colonies, and an increase in Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus colonies (p &lt; 0.05). No significant changes in colony numbers were observed in the control group.Conclusion: High-position colon dialysis combined with TCM retention enema may serve as an adjuvant treatment for CKD4-5 (non-dialysis), and its mechanism may be related to the reduction of uraemic toxins, improvement of intestinal mucosal barrier function, and regulation of intestinal microecology.Clinical Trial Registration:https://www.chictr.org.cn/, identifier ChiCTR2200062852

Impact of dienogest pretreatment on IVF-ET outcomes in patients with endometriosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background To comprehensively evaluate the influence of dienogest (DNG) versus non-DNG pretreatment on in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) outcomes for patients with endometriosis. Methods PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, WanFang, and VIP were comprehensively searched for relevant publications until September 14, 2022. Primary outcomes included clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate. Secondary outcomes included retrieved oocytes, mature oocytes, blastocysts, growing follicles, transferrable embryos, fertilization rate, implantation rate, and miscarriage rate. Subgroup analysis was performed according to different grouping methods and embryo types. Results Five studies of 568 females with endometriosis were involved in this systematic review and meta-analysis. DNG treatment exhibited similar effects to non-DNG treatment on either the primary or the secondary outcomes (all P > 0.05). The DNG group had a significantly greater clinical pregnancy rate than the non-hormonal treatment group (pooled relative risk [RR]: 2.055, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.275, 3.312, P = 0.003), and exhibited a significantly lower clinical pregnancy rate than the long gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) group (RR: 0.542, 95%CI: 0.321, 0.916, P = 0.022). For patients undergoing fresh embryo transfer, the DNG group displayed a significantly greater clinical pregnancy rate versus the non-DNG group (pooled RR: 1.848, 95%CI: 1.234, 2.767, P = 0.003). Patients receiving DNG had a significantly greater live birth rate than those with non-hormonal treatment (pooled RR: 2.136, 95%CI: 1.223, 3.734, P = 0.008), while having a significantly lower live birth rate than the long GnRH-a group (RR: 0.441, 95%CI: 0.214, 0.907, P = 0.026). While using fresh embryos, patients with DNG treatment had an increased live birth rate, compared with those without DNG treatment (pooled RR: 2.132, 95%CI: 1.090, 4.169, P = 0.027). Conclusion DNG treatment may have similar effects to non-DNG treatment on IVF-ET outcomes. The clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate after DNG treatment may be significantly higher than those after non-hormonal treatment. More evidence is warranted to corroborate these findings