Initial Value Problems for the Second Order Mixed Monotone Type of Impulsive Differential Equations in Banach Spaces

AbstractIn this paper, we use the coupled fixed point theorem for mixed monotone condensing operators to obtain an existence and uniqueness theorem of solutions of initial value problems for the second order mixed monotone type of impulsive differential equations and its application

The role of the neutrophil Fcγ receptor I (CD64) index in diagnosing spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhotic patients

SummaryObjectiveTo investigate the role of the neutrophil Fcγ receptor I (CD64) index in the diagnosis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in cirrhotic patients.MethodsA total of 123 cirrhotic patients with ascites who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were enrolled in this study. Ascites and blood samples were collected; the polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) count, bacterial culture, and related laboratory tests were performed. The CD64 index was determined for each sample using flow cytometry.ResultsThe neutrophil CD64 index results were significantly higher in cirrhotic patients with SBP than in those without SBP (p<0.001). There was a positive correlation between the neutrophil CD64 index and the PMN count in ascites. In the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.894 (95% confidence interval 0.823–0.964, p<0.001). The optimal cut-off value for the neutrophil CD64 index was 2.02. The sensitivity and specificity of the neutrophil CD64 index for cirrhotic patients with SBP were 80.49% and 93.90%, respectively. The elevated neutrophil CD64 index was down-regulated by antibiotic therapy (p=0.002).ConclusionsThe neutrophil CD64 index could be used as a sensitive and specific indicator for the diagnosis of SBP in cirrhotic patients with ascites and is also modulated by antibiotic therapy

Comprehensive Evaluation of Fruit Quality of Actinidia arguta Based on Principal Component Analysis and Cluster Analysis

In order to scientifically evaluate the fruit quality of different Actinidia arguta varieties and establish the quality evaluation system, 10 Actinidia arguta varieties were used as experimental materials, and the indexes of fruit appearance quality and nutritional quality were measured and compared under edible conditions. The fruit quality of Actinidia arguta was comprehensively evaluated by correlation analysis, principal component analysis and cluster analysis. The results showed that the quality indexes of different varieties of Actinidia arguta were different and correlated. The difference of the content of Vitamin C was largest, and the coefficient of variation was 53.08%. The difference of fruit color brightness (L* value) was the smallest, and the coefficient of variation was 6.04%. By principal component analysis, 18 quality indicators were simplified into 6 principal components, and the cumulative variance contribution rate was 90.571%, which could reflect most of the information of the original quality indexes. The comprehensive scores of quality indexes of 10 Actinidia arguta varieties were ranked as ‘Longcheng No.2’, ‘Kuilü’, ‘Jialü’, ‘Wanlü’, ‘Tianxinbao’, ‘Lübao’, ‘Xinlü’, ‘Cuiyu’, ‘Fenglü’ and ‘Pingllü’. According to cluster analysis, 10 Actinidia arguta varieties were divided into five categories, among which ‘Longcheng No.2’ and ‘Kuilü’ in the first category had better comprehensive quality traits. The study provided a reference for the variety breeding, planting, extension and rational processing and utilization of Actinidia arguta

Combination of transbronchial cryobiopsy based clinic-radiologic-pathologic strategy and metagenomic next-generation sequencing for differential diagnosis of rapidly progressive diffuse parenchymal lung diseases

BackgroundThe complicated spectrum of rapidly progressive diffused parenchymal lung diseases (RP-DPLD) creates obstacles to the precise diagnosis and treatment. We evaluated the differential diagnostic value of transbronchial cryobiopsy (TBCB) based clinic-radiologic-pathologic (CRP) strategy combined with bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in RP-DPLD patients.MethodsRP-DPLD patients who underwent the diagnostic strategy of TBCB-based CRP combined with BALF mNGS at Shanghai East Hospital from May 2020 to Oct 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical characteristics were summarized, including demographic data, high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings, histopathology of TBCB and microbiological results. Diagnostic value of the combined strategy, as well as the sensitivity, specificity, and positive detection rates of mNGS were evaluated.ResultsA total of 115 RP-DPLD patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 64.4 years old and a male proportion of 54.8%. The pulmonary imaging findings in most patients were complex and diverse, with all patients showing bilateral lung diffuse lesions in HRCT, and progressively aggravated imaging changes within one month. After combining TBCB-based CRP strategy with mNGS, all participants received a corresponding diagnosis with 100% diagnostic yield. In these patients, 58.3% (67/115) were diagnosed with noninfectious RP-DPLD and 41.7% (48/115) with infection-related RP-DPLD. There were 86.1% of cases with known etiology according to the DPLD classification. BALF mNGS and traditional pathogen detection methods were performed in all patients, the positive detection rates were 50.4% (58/115) and 32.2% (37/115), respectively. Meanwhile, the mNGS showed significantly higher sensitivity and negative predictive value than the traditional pathogen detection methods for the diagnosis of infection-related RP-DPLD (100% vs 60.4% (p&lt;0.001), 100% vs 75.6% (p&lt;0.001), respectively). Among noninfectious RP-DPLD patients, the true negative rate of mNGS was 85.1% (57/67). All patients had their treatment regimen modified and the 30-day mortality was 7.0%.ConclusionThe novel strategy of TBCB-based CRP combined with mNGS provided dependable and sufficient evidence for the diagnosis, meanwhile further improved the accuracy of RP-DPLD treatment, as well as the prognosis of patients. Our results highlight the significant value of combined strategy in determining whether the RP-DPLD patients were infection associated or not

Transcriptomic Insights Into Root Development and Overwintering Transcriptional Memory of Brassica rapa L. Grown in the Field

As the only overwintering oil crop in the north area of China, living through winter is the primary feature of winter rapeseed. Roots are the only survival organ during prolonged cold exposure during winter to guarantee flowering in spring. However, little is known about its root development and overwintering memory mechanism. In this study, root collar tissues (including the shoot apical meristem) of three winter rapeseed varieties with different cold resistance, i.e., Longyou-7 (strong cold tolerance), Tianyou-4 (middle cold tolerance), and Lenox (cold-sensitive), were sampled in the pre-winter period (S1), overwintering periods (S2–S5), and re-greening stage (S6), and were used to identify the root development and overwintering memory mechanisms and seek candidate overwintering memory genes by measuring root collar diameter and RNA sequencing. The results showed that the S1–S2 stages were the significant developmental stages of the roots as root collar diameter increased slowly in the S3–S5 stages, and the roots developed fast in the strong cold resistance variety than in the weak cold resistance variety. Subsequently, the RNA-seq analysis revealed that a total of 37,905, 45,102, and 39,276 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), compared to the S1 stage, were identified in Longyou-7, Tianyou-4, and Lenox, respectively. The function enrichment analysis showed that most of the DEGs are significantly involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, plant hormone signal transduction, MAPK signaling pathway, starch and sucrose metabolism, photosynthesis, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, and spliceosome, ribosome, proteasome, and protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum pathways. Furthermore, the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and plant hormone signal transduction pathways were related to the difference in root development of the three varieties, DEGs involved in photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism processes may participate in overwintering memory of Longyou-7 and Tianyou-4, and the spliceosome pathway may contribute to the super winter resistance of Longyou-7. The transcription factor enrichment analysis showed that the WRKY family made up the majority in different stages and may play an important regulatory role in root development and overwintering memory. These results provide a comprehensive insight into winter rapeseed's complex overwintering memory mechanisms. The identified candidate overwintering memory genes may also serve as important genetic resources for breeding to further improve the cold resistance of winter rapeseed

Fluorescein-guided surgery for high-grade glioma resection: a five-year-long retrospective study at our institute

ObjectiveThis study investigates the extent of resection, duration of surgery, intraoperative blood loss, and postoperative complications in patients with high-grade glioma who received surgery with or without sodium fluorescein guidance.MethodsA single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted on 112 patients who visited our department and underwent surgery between July 2017 and June 2022, with 61 in the fluorescein group and 51 in the non-fluorescein group. Baseline characteristics, intraoperative blood loss, surgery duration, resection extent, and postoperative complications were documented.ResultsThe duration of surgery was significantly shorter in the fluorescein group than in the non-fluorescein group (P = 0.022), especially in patients with tumors in the occipital lobes (P = 0.013). More critically, the gross total resection (GTR) rate was significantly higher in the fluorescein group than in the non-fluorescein group (45.9% vs. 19.6%, P = 0.003). The postoperative residual tumor volume (PRTV) was also significantly lower in the fluorescein group than in the non-fluorescein group (0.40 [0.12-7.11] cm3 vs. 4.76 [0.44-11.00] cm3, P = 0.020). Particularly in patients with tumors located in the temporal and occipital lobes (temporal, GTR 47.1% vs. 8.3%, P = 0.026; PRTV 0.23 [0.12-8.97] cm3 vs. 8.35 [4.05-20.59] cm3, P = 0.027; occipital, GTR 75.0% vs. 0.0%, P = 0.005; PRTV 0.15 [0.13-1.50] cm3 vs. 6.58 [3.70-18.79] cm3, P = 0.005). However, the two groups had no significant difference in intraoperative blood loss (P = 0.407) or postoperative complications (P = 0.481).ConclusionsFluorescein-guided resection of high-grade gliomas using a special operating microscope is a feasible, safe, and convenient technique that significantly improves GTR rates and reduces postoperative residual tumor volume when compared to conventional white light surgery without fluorescein guidance. This technique is particularly advantageous for patients with tumors located in non-verbal, sensory, motor, and cognitive areas such as the temporal and occipital lobes, and does not increase the incidence of postoperative complications

Cassava genome from a wild ancestor to cultivated varieties

Cassava is a major tropical food crop in the Euphorbiaceae family that has high carbohydrate production potential and adaptability to diverse environments. Here we present the draft genome sequences of a wild ancestor and a domesticated variety of cassava and comparative analyses with a partial inbred line. We identify 1,584 and 1,678 gene models specific to the wild and domesticated varieties, respectively, and discover high heterozygosity and millions of single-nucleotide variations. Our analyses reveal that genes involved in photosynthesis, starch accumulation and abiotic stresses have been positively selected, whereas those involved in cell wall biosynthesis and secondary metabolism, including cyanogenic glucoside formation, have been negatively selected in the cultivated varieties, reflecting the result of natural selection and domestication. Differences in microRNA genes and retrotransposon regulation could partly explain an increased carbon flux towards starch accumulation and reduced cyanogenic glucoside accumulation in domesticated cassava. These results may contribute to genetic improvement of cassava through better understanding of its biology

Towards secure XML document with usage control

XML promoted by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is a de facto standard langage for a document representation and exchange on the Internet. XML documents may contain private information that cannot be shared by all user communities. Several approaches are designed to protect information in a website. However, these approaches typically are used at file system level, rather than for the data in XML documents that have to be protected from unauthorized access. Usage control has been considered as the next generation access control model with distinguishing properties of decision continuity. In this paper, we present a usage control model to protect information distributed on the web, which allows the access restrictions directly on structures and documents. The model not only supports complex constraints for XML components, such as elements, attributes and datatypes but also provides a mechanism to build rich reuse relationships bwtween models and documents. Finally, comaprisons with related works are analysed