We present a modification of Matrix Product State time evolution to simulate the propagation of signal fronts on infinite one-dimensional systems. We restrict the calculation to a window moving along with a signal, which by the Lieb-Robinson bound is contained within a light cone. Signal fronts can be studied unperturbed and with high precision for much longer times than on finite systems. Entanglement inside the window is naturally small, greatly lowering computational effort. We investigate the time evolution of the transverse field Ising (TFI) model and of the S = 1/2 XXZ antiferromagnet in their symmetry broken phases after several different local quantum quenches. In both models, we observe distinct magnetisation plateaus at the signal front for very large times, resembling those previously observed for the particle density of tight binding (TB) fermions. We show that the normalised difference to the magnetisation of the ground state exhibits similar scaling behaviour as the density of TB fermions. In the XXZ model there is an additional internal structure of the signal front due to pairing, and wider plateaus with tight binding scaling exponents for the normalised excess magnetisation. We also observe parameter dependent interaction effects between individual plateaus, resulting in a slight spatial compression of the plateau widths. In the TFI model, we additionally find that for an initial Jordan-Wigner domain wall state, the complete time evolution of the normalised excess longitudinal magnetisation agrees exactly with the particle density of TB fermions.

The present study aims to examine the correlation of body dysmorphic disorder, with metacognitive subscales, metaworry and thought-fusion. The study was conducted in a correlation framework. Sample included 155 high school students in Isfahan, Iran in 2013-2014, gathered through convenience sampling. To gather data about BDD, Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale Modified for BDD was applied. Then, Meta Cognitive Questionnaire, Metaworry Questionnaire, and Thought-Fusion Inventory were used to assess metacognitive subscales, metaworry and thought-fusion. Data obtained from this study were analyzed using Pearson correlation and multiple regressions in SPSS 18. Result indicated YBOCS-BDD scores had a significant correlation with scores from MCQ (P<0.05), MWG (P<0.05), and TFI (P<0.05). Also, multiple regressions were run to predict YBOCS from TFI, MWQ, and MCQ-30. These variables significantly predicted YBOCS [F (3,151) =32.393, R(2)=0.57]. Findings indicated that body dysmorphic disorder was significantly related to metacognitive subscales, metaworry, and thought fusion in high school students in Isfahan, which is in line with previous studies. A deeper understanding of these processes can broaden theory and treatment of BDD, thereby improve the lives of sufferers and potentially protect others from developing this devastating disorder.

The morphogen FGF8 plays a pivotal role in neocortical area patterning through its inhibitory effect on COUP-TFI/Nr2f1 anterior expression, but its mechanism of action is poorly understood. We established an in vitro model of mouse embryonic stem cell corticogenesis in which COUP-TFI protein expression is inhibited by the activation of FGF8 in a time window corresponding to cortical area patterning. Interestingly, overexpression of the COUP-TFI 3'UTR reduces the inhibitory effect of FGF8 on COUP-TFI translation. FGF8 induces the expression of few miRNAs targeting COUP-TFI 3'UTR in silico. We found that the functional inhibition of miR-21 can effectively counteract the inhibitory effect of FGF8 in vitro and regulate COUP-TFI protein levels in vivo. Accordingly, miR-21 expression is complementary to COUP-TFI expression during corticogenesis. These data support a translational control of COUP-TFI gradient expression by FGF8 via miR-21 and contribute to our understanding of how regionalized expression is established during neocortical area mapping.

BACKGROUND

Autocrine motility factor (AMF) is a multifunctional cytokine that promotes cellular adhesion, proliferation, motility, anti-apoptosis, and tissue repair. Direct nerve implantation (DNI) is considered to be effective in peripheral motor nerve injuries with disuse of the distal nerve; however, the repaired muscle function is not satisfactory. In our study, purified AMF was injected in reinnervated muscle after DNI with the intention of assessing if AMF, as a malignant tumor-related cytokine, could improve motor plate regeneration and neuromuscular function restoration.

METHODS

Purified AMF, which was extracted from AMF-transfected myoblast-conditioned medium, was regularly injected into the rat gastrocnemius in an established rat gastrocnemius denervation and reinnervation model. The nerve conduction velocity (NCV) of the tibial nerve, peak-to-peak value (PPV), area under the curve (AUC) of the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) and the Tibial Functional Index (TFI) were measured at 8, 16 and 24 weeks after injection. The regenerated endplates in gastrocnemius were examined by histochemical staining. In another group, an AMF-free solution was injected as the control.

RESULTS

After the AMF injection, the direct-nerve-implanted muscle function recovery was better in terms of both the nerve velocity and the quality. The endplates in the experimental group also had a quantitative advantage in restoration. After comparing the histochemical-stained tissues, no indications of tumorigenesis were detected.

CONCLUSIONS

AMF had positive effects on neuromuscular reparation and need more detailed research to determine the signalling pathways and side effects of AMF.

Purpose: This study aimed to establish which determinants had an effect on frailty among acutely admitted patients, where frailty was identified at discharge. In particular, our study focused on associations of sex with frailty.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed using a sample of 1267 people aged 65 years or older. The Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI), a user-friendly self-report questionnaire was used to measure multidimensional frailty (physical, psychological, social) and determinants of frailty (sex, age, marital status, education, income, lifestyle, life events, multimorbidity).

Results: The mean age of the participants was 76.8 years (SD 7.5; range 65-100). The bivariate regression analyses showed that all determinants were associated with total and physical frailty, and six determinants were associated with psychological and social frailty. Using multiple linear regression analyses, the explained variances differed from 3.5% (psychological frailty) to 20.1% (social frailty), with p values < 0.001. Of the independent variables age, income, lifestyle, life events, and multimorbidity were associated with three frailty variables, after controlling for all the other variables in the model. At the level of both frailty domains and components, females appeared to be more frail than men.

Conclusion: The present study showed that sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age, marital status, education, income), lifestyle, life events, and multimorbidity had a different effect on total frailty and its domains (physical, psychological, social) in a sample of acute admitted patients.

Keywords: Acutely admitted patients; Determinants; Frailty; Older people; Tilburg frailty indicator.

This study sought to validate the psychometric properties of a French-language version of the Psychological Characteristics of Developing Excellence Questionnaire (PCDEQ). Data were gathered from 305 athletes in French-speaking Switzerland (mean age: 16.6 yr, SD: 2.9). Translation of the PCDEQ followed established guidelines and included a standardized back-translation process. The psychometric properties were examined by descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alphas for internal reliability, confirmatory factor analysis, intraclass correlations and a paired t-test for test-retest reliability. The results provided evidence of validity of the French version of the PCDEQ. Two items were excluded for low factor loading, and the re-specified model was improved and confirmed the six-dimensional structure with acceptable fit using most criteria (χ2/df), RMSEA, SRMR, TFI, CFI). Cronbach's alpha also indicated that internal reliability was adequate for validation. Given the adequate psychometric properties, the French-version PCDEQ can be used with confidence for monitoring and designing interventions to enable aspiring athletes or artists to develop the psychological skills and characteristics that can act as important catalysts for their development.

OBJECTIVE

Over the past decades, transradial approach for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been increasingly adopted in clinical practice. Women represent a large population who will possibly benefit from PCI, but they are often under-represented in clinical studies. Therefore, the role of TRI in women remains to be further defined. This study sought to compare safety and efficacy for transradial intervention (TRI) and transfemoral intervention (TFI) in women undergoing PCI in China.

METHODS

The study population consisted of 5,067 women undergoing PCI at Fuwai Hospital, Beijing, China between 2006 and 2011 (TRI: n=4,105, TFI: n=962). Incidence rates of clinical outcomes during hospitalization and at 1-year follow-up were compared between TRI and TFI. In order to minimize potential biases, a 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was performed. A total of 899 pairs were matched.

RESULTS

Baseline and procedural characteristics were well-balanced between TRI and TFI groups after controlling for confounders using PSM. TRI was associated with reduced major post-PCI bleeding (odds ratio [OR], 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54-0.76; p<0.001) and access site complications (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.61-0.74; p<0.001) after PSM. There was no statistical differences in the incidence rates of major adverse cardiac events (a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization) both during hospitalization and at 1-year follow-up (p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

In this propensity score-based analysis of TRI versus TFI in Chinese women, TRI showed advantages of safety and feasibility over TFI. A wider adoption of TRI in women has the potential to improve outcomes in treatment of coronary artery diseases.

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) admissions are common and costly. The association between comprehensive ACS care pathways, outcomes, and costs are lacking. From 434,172 low-risk, uncomplicated ACS patients eligible for early discharge (STEMI 35%, UA/NSTEMI 65%) from the Premier database, we identified ACS care pathways, by stratifying low-risk, uncomplicated STEMI and UA/NSTEMI patients by access site for PCI (trans-radial intervention [TRI] vs transfemoral intervention [TFI]) and by length of stay (LOS). Associations with costs and outcomes (death, bleeding, acute kidney injury, and myocardial infarction at 1-year) were tested using hierarchical, mixed-effects regression, and projections of cost savings with change in care pathways were obtained using modeling. In low-risk uncomplicated STEMI patients, compared with TFI and LOS ≥3 days, a strategy of TRI with LOS <3 days and TFI with LOS <3 days were associated with cost savings of $6,206 and $4,802, respectively. Corresponding cost savings for UA/NSTEMI patients were $7,475 and $6,169, respectively. These care-pathways did not show an excess risk of adverse outcomes. We estimated that >$300 million could be saved if prevalence of the TRI with LOS <3 days and TFI with LOS <3 days strategies are modestly increased to 20% and 70%, respectively. In conclusion, we demonstrate the potential opportunity of cost savings by repositioning ACS care pathways in low-risk and uncomplicated ACS patients, toward transradial access and a shorter LOS without an increased risk of adverse outcomes.

BACKGROUND

While current medications used to treat patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) effectively produce sustained viral response (SVR), postponement of therapy is often times attributed to patient perceptions of unfavourable outcomes. However, an instrument to assess patient perceptions of therapy (i.e. treatment satisfaction) has not been developed.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the development and validation the chronic Hepatitis C Virus Treatment Satisfaction (HCVTSat) instrument.

METHODS

Focus groups, expert review and cognitive debriefing were used to develop a draft 37-item instrument (scale: 1 = not important at all; 5 = extremely important). The preliminary instrument was administered to a pre-test sample of 145 patients through Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. A refined HCVTSat was administered to a main sample of 333 participants with a chronic HCV diagnosis through Harris Interactive.

RESULTS

The HCVTSat was completed by 333 participants with an average age of 51 (s.d. = 12.1) years, 55% male, current or previous HCV treatment experience, and a diagnosis of HCV for approximately 12 (s.d. = 8.9) years. Twelve items for the 3 dimensions, Treatment Experience (TE), Side Effects (SE) and Social Aspects (SA), were internally consistent (Cronbach's α range: 0.70-0.90), responsive and valid. Confirmatory factor analysis (goodness-of-fit indexes: χ(2) = 20.9, df = 23, P = 0.59; CFI = 1.00, GFI = 0.99, TFI = 1.00, RMSEA = 0.001) revealed a better fit with 9 items. All path coefficients were significant (P < 0.05). SE and SA were strong predictors of TE, while TE was positively associated with the 1-item global measure of TS (path coefficient = 0.12).

CONCLUSIONS

The 10-item HCVTSat demonstrated valid psychometric properties and assessed patient satisfaction with HCV therapies. However, additional studies are needed to validate the HCVTSat in conjunction with SVR and in patients in underrepresented populations.

Transradial coronary intervention (TRI) lowers bleeding and mortality compared with transfemoral coronary intervention (TFI). There are limited data on outcomes as TFI operators transition to a default TRI practice. The aim of this study was to assess TFI and TRI outcomes before, during, and after the year TRI was first learned by femoral operators. Patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center from 2006 to 2012 were included. In 2009, TRI was learned by all operators and then used as the default PCI approach from 2010 to 2012. Baseline characteristics and outcomes were collected. Predictors of major bleeding, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), and mortality were determined by multivariable analysis; 1192 veterans were included. TRI rates were 9% (2006-2008), 65% (2009), and 90% (2010-2012). Incidence of 1-year MACE and mortality was 5.4% and 3.9%, respectively, in 2009, and 5.6% and 3%, respectively, during 2010 to 2012. Major bleeding remained at <1%. Age, glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, and ST-elevation myocardial infarction were independently associated with major bleeding, whereas TRI was protective. Transition to default TRI is feasible over a short time period and associated with low rates of MACE and mortality and very low rate of major bleeding.

Objective To compare hospital costs and clinical outcomes between transradial intervention (TRI) and transfemoral intervention (TFI) in elderly patients aged over 65 years. Methods We identified 1229 patients aged over 65 years who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in Fuwai Hospital, Beijing, China, between January 1 and December 31, 2010. Total hospital costs and in-hospital outcomes were compared between TRI and TFI. An inverse probability weighting (IPW) model was introduced to control potential biases. Results Patients who underwent TRI were younger, less often female, more likely to receive PCI for single-vessel lesions, and less likely to undergo the procedure for ostial lesions. TRI was associated with a cost saving of CNY7495 (95%CI: CNY4419-10 420). Such differences were mainly driven by lower PCI-related costs. TRI patients had shorter length of stay (1.9 days, 95%CI: 1.1-2.7 days), shorter post-procedural stay (0.7 days, 95%CI: 0.3-1.1 days), and fewer major adverse cardiac events (adjusted odds ratio = 0.47, 95%CI: 0.31-0.73). There was no statistical significance in the incidence of post-PCI bleeding between TRI and TFI (P>0.05). Such differences remained consistent in clinically relevant subgroups of acute myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, and stable angina. Conclusion The use of TRI in patients aged over 65 years was associated with significantly reduced hospital costs and more favorable clinical outcomes.

In this study, fouling index (FI) was introduced as a novel approach to investigate NOM fouling behavior during low pressure membrane ultrafiltration process. Three kinds of typical NOMs, humic acid (HA), bovine serum albumin (BSA) and sodium alginate (NaAlg), were used in the experiments. The results indicated that the fouling caused by NOM can be considered as two steps with different FI values. One is the fast fouling phase, and the other is the slow phase. Apparently, the total fouling index of the fast phase (TFI(F)) was much greater than that of the slow phase (TFI(S)), which means the initial interaction between NOM and membrane would play a significant role in the whole fouling process. A higher TFI(F) could lead to a faster fouling and the flux would decline more rapidly. After hydraulic washing, the flux was recovered and the resistance was reduced, indicating that physical cleaning could remove a part of foulants. Additionally, the results also represented that the sequences of NOM causing irreversible fouling and chemical clean irreversible fouling were BSA>> HA>> NaAlg and NaAlg>> BSA>> HA, respectively. Humic acid and protein tended to cause irreversible fouling and were easily removed by alkaline cleaning, while irreversible fouling caused by polysaccharide was difficult to remove by alkaline. The main cause of membrane fouling may be the interaction between foulants and membrane, which needs further research. Generally speaking, FI with a simple expression would play a significant role to describe the membrane fouling.

Background: This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-ɑ), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) in patients with primary and secondary tubal factor infertility (TFI) compared with fertile subjects, and to compare immune indexes in the serum and peritoneal fluid samples obtained from patients with TFI.

Methods: The pelvic fluid and peripheral blood of patients with TFI diagnosed by hysteroscopy and laparoscopy were taken as the study objects. The pelvic fluid and peripheral blood of patients who underwent hysteromyomectomy at the same time were taken as the control group. The contents of TNF-ɑ, IL-8, IL-6, and TGF-β1 in serum and peritoneal fluid were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the levels of these cytokines in serum and pelvic fluid were compared between the two groups.

Results: Patients with secondary TFI showed significantly higher levels of TNF-ɑ, IL-8, IL-6 and TGF-β1 in the serum (26.15 ± 3.51 vs. 19.61 ± 0.157, 32.18 ± 15.13 vs. 5.73 ± 1.99, 38.84 ± 3.46 vs. 30.48 ± 0.61, and 38.37 ± 3.14 vs. 32.25 ± 1.69, respectively) and peritoneal fluid samples (129.73 ± 183.4 vs. 34.63 ± 0.56, 111.44 ± 207.42 vs. 15.34 ± 0.41, 80.01 ± 109.91 vs. 15.67 ± 0.52, and 82.54 ± 115.99 vs. 45.34 ± 0.41, respectively) compared with the control group. Patients with primary TFI exhibited significantly elevated concentration of TNF-α, IL-8, IL-6 and TGF-β1 in the peritoneal fluid samples (36.88 ± 2.67 vs. 34.63 ± 0.56, 19.47 ± 3.51 vs. 15.34 ± 0.41, 80.01 ± 109.91 vs. 15.67 ± 0.52, and 82.54 ± 115.99 vs. 45.34 ± 0.41, respectively) when compared to the controls. In patients with secondary infertility, the levels of TNF-α (26.15 ± 3.51 vs. 129.73 ± 183.4), IL-8 (32.18 ± 15.13 vs. 111.44 ± 207.42), IL-6 (38.84 ± 3.46 vs. 80.01 ± 109.91) and TGF-β1 (38.37 ± 3.14 vs. 82.54 ± 115.99) in the serum were significantly lower than those in the peritoneal fluid, whereas no significant difference was observed in the primary TFI group between the serum and peritoneal fluid cytokines levels.

Conclusion: The expression of cytokines in the pelvic environment of patients with TFI is upregulated compared to patients who do not have infertility issues. The detection of cytokines TNF-ɑ, IL-6, IL-8, and TGF-β1 in the pelvic fluid of tubal infertility patients can allow for further understanding of the etiology of TFI.

Keywords: Cytokine; Etiology; Infertility; Pelvic environment; Tubal factor infertility.

Most higher-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (HR-MDS) patients will become transfusion-dependent, leading to potential complications, including infections or end-organ dysfunction. Data correlating achievement of transfusion-free intervals (TFIs) during first-line therapy (1LT) with survival are sparse. We evaluated HR-MDS patients receiving 1LT diagnosed from 1/1/2008 to 7/31/2015 and the impact of a TFI (≥60-day interval without transfusions) on progression-free and overall survival (PFS, OS) using Cox proportional-hazard models. Two hundred and twenty-nine HR-MDS patients received 1LT; overall, median PFS/OS were 8.4 months and 14.7 months, respectively. Two-year PFS/OS were 22.3% and 34.6%, respectively. Median PFS/OS were longer for patients with vs. without a TFI (16.9 vs. 6.1 months and 26.1 vs. 11.8 months, respectively; p < .01 [both]). Two-year PFS (43.0% vs. 3.9%; p < .01) and 2-year OS (51.8% vs. 22.5%; p < .01) were also longer in patients with a TFI vs. not. Achievement of a TFI during 1LT appears to positively affect PFS and OS in HR-MDS patients.

The objective of the study is to establish recovery results of tibial nerve defects reconstructed using allogeneic and xenogeneic graft, in host immunosuppressed with Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and Lymphocyte Function Antigen-1 (LFA-1) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). A pilot study was conducted in fifteen Fischer rats by forming a 1 cm right tibial nerve gap, then reconstructing it with 1.2 cm long grafts, namely, Wistar allogeneic, Black mouse xenogeneic, and syngeneic (n = 5/group). The main study included forty-eight rats allocated to the following groups (n = 12/group): 1) Allograft without treatment as control group. 2) Allograft with intraperitoneal ICAM-1 and LFA-1 mAbs treatment. 3) Allograft preserved in Belzers' solution including ICAM-1 mAbs plus standard intraperitoneal treatment. 4) Syngraft as benchmark. At 3, 6 and 9 weeks postengraftment walking track analysis was performed and expressed as Tibial Functional Index (TFI). Motor and compound nerve action potential across the graft conduction velocities were measured at week 10. Xenograft did not show any functional recovery and was therefore excluded from main study. However, pilot and main study results showed recovery results in both treated allogeneic groups and were comparable to benchmark syngraft. Therefore, allogeneic nerve graft could be an alternative in peripheral nerve reconstruction and spinal cord grafting.

The transcutaneous fluorescent imaging (TFI) method was applied to the imaging of a small experimental animal such as a rat. The feasibility of the functional imaging in TFI was verified. To make this method more practical, a technique of scattering suppression was proposed. The depth-dependent PSF was derived as an analytical solution in a closed form. The applicability of this technique to the functional TFI and its usefulness were demonstrated in animal experiments.

Aim: Mindset has been found to be closely related to mental health symptoms. Yet no scale for the Mindsets of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress (MDASS) has been validated. This study developed a 12-item MDASS with four items in each domain and examined its psychometric properties among young adults and adolescents.

Methods: Young adults (Study 1: N = 1735, aged 18-25) and adolescents (Study 2, N = 1648, aged 9-16) completed socio-demographics information, MDASS (unidirectional items in Study 1 and bi-directional items in Study 2), and mental health symptoms measures. Both samples were randomly divided into two equal sub-samples, one for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to identify the factor structure, the other for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to assess the goodness-of-fit of EFA models. Spearman correlations were used to assess the convergent validity of MDASS with measures of depression, anxiety, and stress.

Results: In Study 1, EFA yielded a three-factor model with underlying factors of fixed mindsets on depression, anxiety, and stress; CFA revealed a good goodness-of-fit (CFI and TFI >0.95; RMSEA and SRMR <0.08). In Study 2 with reversed items, EFA and CFA yielded a complex model structure. Fixed mindsets were positively correlated with depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms (all absolute correlations >0.3) in both studies.

Conclusion: MDASS is a reliable scale with clear factor structure to measure mindsets of negative emotions among early adults. MDASS is suggested to use only fixed-mindset statements. The MDASS are highly associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.

Keywords: fixed mindset; growth mindset; implicit theory; mental health; validation.

OBJECTIVE

To study the mechanism of male infertility caused by varicocele by evaluating the effects of hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) therapy on the testicular tissue morphology and function of rabbit model with varicocele(VC).

METHODS

Twenty-four mature male rabbits were randomly divided into three groups: pseudo-operation, VC model and VC model administered by HBO. Experimental varicocele was induced by partial ligation of the left "lumbotesticular" trunk vein in rabbits. HBO was administered to one of the two groups of VC model rabbits after the operation. Weight and volume of both testes, parameters of seminal fluid, histological changes of testicular tissues, MTDs, TFI, and Sertoli cell index (SI) of seminiferous tubules were studied.

RESULTS

The average weight and volume of the left testes significantly increased in the rabbits treated by HBO. The semen quality was improved, and MTDs increased significantly compared with VC group(P < 0.0001). The testicular tissue morphology became nearly normal in VC + HBO group.

CONCLUSIONS

1. Both the structure and spermatogenetic function of testes can be damaged by the presence of varicocele; 2. Chronic ischemia, anoxia and microcircular dysfunction may be the key process and essential factor that make varicocele contributive to testicular damage and spermatogenetic dysfunction; 3. HBO can effectively alleviate, even eliminate, chronic ischemia, anoxia and microcircular dysfunction in testicular tissues with varicocele, and thus protect the structure and functions of testes.

Frailty is a pronounced symptom of aging associated with multiple comorbid states and adverse outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of 2 interventions, one based on prevention of falls and the other on prevention of loneliness, on total frailty and dimensions of frailty in urban community-dwelling elderly as well as associations with independent living.This prospective interventional study followed up 410 persons aged 75 to 95. The participants of the control and intervention groups were monitored through a public health intervention programme. The level of frailty was measured by the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) questionnaire and the factors of independent living were analyzed using validated questionnaires.After 1 year, physical frailty measured in the control group showed a statistically significant increase (r = -0.11), while in the intervention groups physical frailty did not increase (both P > .05). Psychological frailty measured after 1 year in the control group was significantly higher (r = -0.19), as well as in the group where the public health interventions to reduce loneliness were carried out (r = -0.19). Psychological frailty did not increase in the group in which public health interventions to prevent falls were carried out, and social frailty did not increase at all in the study period. The total level of frailty in the control group after 1 year was significantly increased (r = -0.19), while no increase was seen in the overall frailty in the intervention group. Multivariate analysis has shown that both interventions where independently associated with lower end frailty. Additionally, higher baseline frailty and visit to a physician in the last year were positively associated with higher end-study frailty level, while higher number of subjects in the household and higher total psychological quality of life (SF-12) were independently associated with lower end-study frailty. Only in the prevention of falls group there was no increase in restriction in the activities of daily living throughout study follow-up.Public health interventions to prevent falls and to prevent loneliness have a positive effect on the frailty and independent living of the elderly living in their own homes in an urban community.

This paper conducted fluorescent spectra of dissolved organic matter of Spring China North Yellow Sea by using three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy (EEMs) combined with parallel factors analysis (PARAFAC). The results showed that the fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) in colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) of North Yellow Sea could be resolved to four components. Two components, c1 (260,315/425) and c2 (295,355/490) were identified as humic-like fluorescence components while c3 (275/310) and c4 (230,290/345) were protein-like components. The different linear correlations showed different degrees of similarities in the source or the chemical constitution, the relationship of the humic-like fluorescence components were most closely, followed by protein-like components. Four fluorescent components and total fluorescence intensity (TFI) in the horizontal and vertical directions had a higher intensity in coastal area than that of the area far away from the coast. Additionally, besides terrestrial input, the seawater mass movement also affects the distribution of CDOM in North Yellow Sea. Cluster analysis not only further illustrated the TFI characteristics of different areas of the North Yellow Sea, but also reflects the overall uniformity of the CDOM. Fluorescence Index (FI), Humification Index (HIX) and Biological Index (BIX) at some extent indicated the source of North Yellow Sea CDOM and the conclusion was that the near shore side gets greater influence from terrigenous sources while the sea side is more impacted by biological activity, which matched with the prior distribution patterns of fluorescence components.

Scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) through-focus imaging (TFI) has been used to determine the three-dimensional atomic structure of Bi segregation-induced brittle Cu grain boundaries (GBs). With TFI, it is possible to observe single Bi atom distributions along Cu [001] twist GBs using an aberration-corrected STEM operating at 200 kV. The depth resolution is ~5 nm. Specimens with GBs intentionally inclined with respect to the microscope's optic axis were used to investigate Bi segregant atom distributions along and through the Cu GB. It was found that Bi atoms exist at most once per Cu unit cell along the GB, meaning that no continuous GB film is present. Therefore, the reduced fracture toughness of this particular Bi-doped Cu boundary would not be caused by fracture of Bi-Bi bonds.

Methotrexate (MTX) has the potential of eradicating small infiltrations of leukemic cells in the gonads. We examined the morphological changes in rabbit testes after a single dose (57.5 mg/kgBW) or repeated low doses (6 mg/kgBW once a week for 14 weeks) of MTX IV. Fertility rate and spermatogenic activity were evaluated using the tubular fertility index (TFI). Testicular MTX concentrations (measured by RIA) were in the same range in both groups. Only after repeated MTX application were reduction of TFI and signs of germinal cell line degeneration found. When given repetitively, MTX therapy may modify the fertility and tubular morphology. Long-term follow-up will show how these changes affect future fertility.