Storage time affects the level and diagnostic efficacy of plasma biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases

Several promising plasma biomarker proteins,such as amyloid-β(Aβ),tau,neurofilament light chain,and glial fibrillary acidic protein,are widely used for the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases.However,little is known about the long-term stability of these biomarker proteins in plasma samples stored at-80°C.We aimed to explore how storage time would affect the diagnostic accuracy of these biomarkers using a large cohort.Plasma samples from 229 cognitively unimpaired individuals,encompassing healthy controls and those experiencing subjective cognitive decline,as well as 99 patients with cognitive impairment,comprising those with mild cognitive impairment and dementia,were acquired from the Sino Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Decline project.These samples were stored at-80°C for up to 6 years before being used in this study.Our results showed that plasma levels of Aβ42,Aβ40,neurofilament light chain,and glial fibrillary acidic protein were not significantly correlated with sample storage time.However,the level of total tau showed a negative correlation with sample storage time.Notably,in individuals without cognitive impairment,plasma levels of total protein and tau phosphorylated protein threonine 181(p-tau181)also showed a negative correlation with sample storage time.This was not observed in individuals with cognitive impairment.Consequently,we speculate that the diagnostic accuracy of plasma p-tau181 and the p-tau181 to total tau ratio may be influenced by sample storage time.Therefore,caution is advised when using these plasma biomarkers for the identification of neurodegenerative diseases,such as Alzheimer's disease.Furthermore,in cohort studies,it is important to consider the impact of storage time on the overall results.

The burden of upper motor neuron involvement is correlated with the bilateral limb involvement interval in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis:a retrospective observational study

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a rare neurodegenerative disease characterized by the involvement of both upper and lower motor neurons.Early bilateral limb involvement significantly affects patients'daily lives and may lead them to be confined to bed.However,the effect of upper and lower motor neuron impairment and other risk factors on bilateral limb involvement is unclear.To address this issue,we retrospectively collected data from 586 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients with limb onset diagnosed at Peking University Third Hospital between January 2020 and May 2022.A univariate analysis revealed no significant differences in the time intervals of spread in different directions between individuals with upper motor neuron-dominant amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and those with classic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.We used causal directed acyclic graphs for risk factor determination and Cox proportional hazards models to investigate the association between the duration of bilateral limb involvement and clinical baseline characteristics in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients.Multiple factor analyses revealed that higher upper motor neuron scores(hazard ratio[HR]=1.05,95%confidence interval[CI]=1.01–1.09,P=0.018),onset in the left limb(HR=0.72,95%CI=0.58–0.89,P=0.002),and a horizontal pattern of progression(HR=0.46,95%CI=0.37–0.58,P<0.001)were risk factors for a shorter interval until bilateral limb involvement.The results demonstrated that a greater degree of upper motor neuron involvement might cause contralateral limb involvement to progress more quickly in limb-onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients.These findings may improve the management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients with limb onset and the prediction of patient prognosis.

An analytical model to estimate the time delay to reach spontaneous ignition considering heat loss in oil reservoirs

During air injection into an oil reservoir,an oxidation reaction generates some heat to raise the reservoir temperature.When the reservoir temperature reaches an ignition temperature,spontaneous ignition occurs.There is a time delay from the injection to ignition.There are mixed results regarding the feasibility of spontaneous ignition in real-field projects and in laboratory experiments.No analytical model is available in the literature to estimate the oxidation time required to reach spontaneous ignition with heat loss.This paper discusses the feasibility of spontaneous ignition from theoretical points and experimental and field project observations.An analytical model considering heat loss is proposed.Analytical models with and without heat loss investigate the factors that affect spontaneous ignition.Based on the discussion and investigations,we find that it is more difficult for spontaneous ignition to occur in laboratory experiments than in oil reservoirs;spontaneous ignition is strongly affected by the initial reservoir temperature,oil activity,and heat loss;spontaneous ignition is only possible when the initial reservoir temperature is high,the oil oxidation rate is high,and the heat loss is low.

Defining the association between the prolonged operative time and 90-day complications in patients undergoing radical cystectomy

Objective:Radical cystectomy is a complex lengthy procedure associated with postoperative morbidity.We aimed to assess the operative time(OT)in patients undergoing radical cystectomy and its impact on 90-day postoperative complications and readmission rates.Methods:The retrospective cohort study included 296 patients undergoing radical cystectomy and urinary diversion from May 2010 to December 2018 in our institution.The OT of 369 min was set as a cutoff value between short and long OT groups.The primary outcome was 90-day postoperative complication rates.Secondary outcomes were gastrointestinal recovery time,length of hospital stay,and 90-day readmission rates.Results:The overall incidence of 90-day postoperative complications was 79.7%where 43.2%representing low-grade complications according to the ClavieneDindo classification(Grade 1 and Grade 2),and 36.5%representing high-grade complications(Grade3).Gastrointestinal tract and infectious complications are the most common complications in our data set(45.9%and 45.6%,respectively).On multivariable analysis,prolonged OT was significantly associated with odds of high-grade complications(odds ratio 2.340,95%confidence interval 1.288e4.250,p=0.005).After propensity score-matched analysis,a higher incidence of major complications was identified in the long OT group 55(51.4%)compared to 35(32.7%)in the short OT group(p=0.006).A shorter gastrointestinal tract recovery time was noticed in the short OT group(p=0.009).Prolonged OT was associated with a higher 90-day readmission rate on univariate and multivariate analyses(p<0.001,p=0.001,respectively).

Geochemical and Isotopic Techniques Constraints on the Origin,Evolution,and Residence Time of Low-enthalpy Geothermal Water in Western Wugongshan,SE China

Geothermal resources are increasingly gaining attention as a competitive,clean energy source to address the energy crisis and mitigate climate change.The Wugongshan area,situated in the southeast coast geothermal belt of China,is a typical geothermal anomaly and contains abundant medium-and low-temperature geothermal resources.This study employed hydrogeochemical and isotopic techniques to explore the cyclic evolution of geothermal water in the western Wugongshan region,encompassing the recharge origin,water-rock interaction mechanisms,and residence time.The results show that the geothermal water in the western region of Wugongshan is weakly alkaline,with low enthalpy and mineralization levels.The hydrochemistry of geothermal waters is dominated by Na-HCO_(3)and Na-SO_(4),while the hydrochemistry types of cold springs are all Na-HCO_(3).The hydrochemistry types of surface waters and rain waters are NaHCO_(3)or Ca-HCO_(3).The δD and δ^(18)O values reveal that the geothermal waters are recharged by atmospheric precipitation at an altitude between 550.0 and 1218.6 m.Molar ratios of maj or solutes and isotopic compositions of^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr underscore the significant role of silicate weathering,dissolution,and cation exchange in controlling geothermal water chemistry.Additionally,geothermal waters experienced varying degrees of mixing with cold water during their ascent.Theδ^(13)C values suggest that the primary sources of carbon in the geothermal waters were biogenic and organic.Theδ^(34)S value suggests that the sulfates in geothermal water originate from sulfide minerals in the surrounding rock.Age dating using 3H and^(14)C isotopes suggests that geothermal waters have a residence time exceeding 1 kaBP and undergo a long-distance cycling process.

Intrinsic Spin Angular Momentum of Electron Relation to the Discrete Indivisible Quantum of Time Kshana or Moment

The frequency of any periodic event can be defined in terms of units of Time. Planck constructed a unit of time called the Plank time from other physical constants. Vyasa defined a natural unit of time, kshana, or moment based on the motion of a fundamental particle. It is the time taken by an elementary particle, to change its direction from east to north. According to Vyasa, kshana is discrete, exceedingly small, indivisible, and is a constant time quantum. When the intrinsic spin angular momentum of an electron was related to the angular momentum of a simple thin circular plate, spherical shell, and solid sphere model of an electron, we found that the value of kshana in seconds was equal to ten to a power of minus twenty-one second. The disc model for the spinning electron provides an accurate value of the number of kshanas per second as determined previously and compared with other spinning models of electrons. These results indicate that the disk-like model of spinning electrons is the correct model for electrons. Vyasa’s definition of kshana opens the possibility of a new foundation for the theory of physical time, and perspectives in theoretical and philosophical research.

Effects of Standing Time during Pretreatment on the Nitrite Concentration Detected by Spectrophotometric Method

Food safety problems caused by excessive nitrite addition have been frequently reported and the detection of nitrite in food is particularly important. The standing time during the pretreatment of primary sample has a great influence on the concentration of nitrite tested by spectrophotometric method. In this context, three kinds of food samples are prepared, including canned mustard, canned fish and home-made pickled water. A series of standing times are placed during the sample pretreatments and the corresponding nitrite contents in these samples are detected by spectrophotometric method based on N-ethylenediamine dihydrochloride. This study aims to find out a reasonable standing time during the pretreatment of food sample, providing influence factor for precise detection of nitrite.

Time Dilation Cosmology 3: Mathematical Proof of the 3 Temporal and 2 Spatial Acceleration Factors

This is the fifth paper in a series on Time Dilation Cosmology, TDC. TDC is an eternal holographic model of the universe based on time dilation that ties astrophysics to quantum physics and resolves all the conundrums in astrophysics and serves as a model for the unified field. In the author’s previous four TDC papers, it was demonstrated that all gravitationally induced velocities are compensation for the apparent difference in the rates of time, “dRt”, due to mass/energy densities, and, vice-versa, in all force-induced velocities the dRt is compensation for the velocity, so the uniform evolution of the continuum at c is maintained at the invariant 1 s/s rate of time of the universe as a whole. These compensations make it impossible for an event to lag behind or get ahead of the evolving continuum. When the author did the first velocity formula derivations in “General Relativity: Effects in Time as Causation” [1], the author felt the explanations for the appearance of the 2spatial and the 3temporal acceleration factors in the formulas were correct, but poorly explained and incomplete. This paper is a proof of the temporal and spatial acceleration factors used in the time dilation-based velocity formula derivations in the Time Dilation Cosmology model.

Linking Perceived Risk of Public Health Emergency to Psychological Distress among Chinese College Students: The Chain Mediation Role of Balanced Time Perspective and Negative Coping Styles

Background:With public health emergencies(PHE)worldwide increasing,the perceived risk of PHE has been one of the critical factors influencing college students’psychological distress.However,the mechanisms by which the perceived risk of PHE affects college students’psychological distress are not clear.The study’s purpose was to investigate the mediation roles of deviation from a balanced time perspective(DBTP)and negative coping styles between the perceived risk of PHE and psychological distress.Methods:A convenience sampling method was used to survey 1054 Chinese college students with self-reporting.Data was collected using the Public Risk Perception Scale(PRPS),the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory(ZTPI),the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire(SCSQ),the PHE Anxiety Scale,and the Chinese version of the Patient Health Questionnaire(PHQ).The associations between the perceived risk of PHE,DBTP,negative coping styles,and psychological distress were clarified using the correlation analysis.Additionally,the mediating roles of DBTP and negative coping styles between the perceived risk of PHE and psychological distress were investigated using a structural equation model.Results:The findings revealed low to moderate correlations between the variables studied.Students’perceived risk of PHE was a positive predictor of their psychological distress(b=0.219,p<0.01).DBTP and negative coping styles played chain mediation roles between them with the effect being 0.009 and a 95%Boot CI of[0.003,0.023].This chain mediation model had an excellent fit index(χ^(2)/df=4.732,CFI=0.973,TLI=0.930,RMSEA=0.048,SRMR=0.047).Conclusion:These findings showed how the perceived risk of PHE affected college students’psychological distress.Specifically,these results suggested that improving students’mental ability to switch effectively among different time perspectives depending on task features and situational considerations and reducing their negative coping styles might be effective ways to promote their mental health.

Nonlinear Time History Analysis for the Different Column Orientations under Seismic Wave Synthetic Approach

The significant impact of earthquakes on human lives and the built environment underscores the extensive human and economic losses caused by structural collapses. Over the years, researchers have focused on improving seismic design to mitigate earthquake-induced damages and enhance structural performance. In this study, a specific reinforced concrete (RC) frame structure at Kyungpook National University, designed for educational purposes, is analyzed as a representative case. Utilizing SAP 2000, the research conducts a nonlinear time history analysis to assess the structural performance under seismic conditions. The primary objective is to evaluate the influence of different column section designs, while maintaining identical column section areas, on structural behavior. The study employs two distinct seismic waves from Abeno (ABN) and Takatori (TKT) for the analysis, comparing the structural performance under varying seismic conditions. Key aspects examined include displacement, base shear force, base moment, joint radians, and layer displacement angle. This research is anticipated to serve as a valuable reference for seismic restraint reinforcement work on RC buildings, enriching the methods used for evaluating structures through nonlinear time history analysis based on the synthetic seismic wave approach.

Time Intervals of the Electron Transitions between the Energy States in the Hydrogen Atom Calculated in a Non-Probabilistic Way

Definitions of the mechanical parameters entering the Bohr model of the hydrogen atom allowed us to calculate the time intervals connected with the electron transitions between the nearest-neighbouring energy levels in the atom. This is done in a strictly non-probabilistic way. The time results are compared with those derived earlier on the basis of the classical Joule-Lenz law for the energy emission adapted to the case of the electron transfer in the quantum systems. A similar formalism has been next applied to the harmonic oscillator and a particle moving in the one-dimensional potential box.

p-d Orbital Hybridization Engineered Single-Atom Catalyst for Electrocatalytic Ammonia Synthesis

The rational design of metal single-atom catalysts(SACs)for electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction(NRR)is challenging.Two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks(2DMOFs)is a unique class of promising SACs.Up to now,the roles of individual metals,coordination atoms,and their synergy effect on the electroanalytic performance remain unclear.Therefore,in this work,a series of 2DMOFs with different metals and coordinating atoms are systematically investigated as electrocatalysts for ammonia synthesis using density functional theory calculations.For a specific metal,a proper metal-intermediate atoms p-d orbital hybridization interaction strength is found to be a key indicator for their NRR catalytic activities.The hybridization interaction strength can be quantitatively described with the p-/d-band center energy difference(Δd-p),which is found to be a sufficient descriptor for both the p-d hybridization strength and the NRR performance.The maximum free energy change(ΔG_(max))andΔd-p have a volcanic relationship with OsC_(4)(Se)_(4)located at the apex of the volcanic curve,showing the best NRR performance.The asymmetrical coordination environment could regulate the band structure subtly in terms of band overlap and positions.This work may shed new light on the application of orbital engineering in electrocatalytic NRR activity and especially promotes the rational design for SACs.

Development of a time-dependent energy model to calculate the mining-induced stress over gates and pillars

Generally, longwall mining-induced stress results from the stress relaxation due to destressed zone that occurs above the mined panel. Knowledge of induced stress is very important for accurate design of adjacent gateroads and intervening pillars which helps to raise the safety and productivity of longwall mining operations. This study presents a novel time-dependent analytical model for determination of the longwall mining-induced stress and investigates the coefficient of stress concentration over adjacent gates and pillars. The model is developed based on the strain energy balance in longwall mining incorporated to a rheological constitutive model of caved materials with time-varying parameters. The study site is the Tabas coal mine of Iran. In the proposed model, height of destressed zone above the mined panel, total longwall mining-induced stress, abutment angle, induced vertical stress, and coefficient of stress concentration over neighboring gates and intervening pillars are calculated. To evaluate the effect of proposed model parameters on the coefficient of stress concentration due to longwall mining, sensitivity analysis is performed based on the field data and experimental constants. Also, the results of the proposed model are compared with those of existing models. The comparative results confirm a good agreement between the proposed model and the in situ measurements. According to the obtained results, it is concluded that the proposed model can be successfully used to calculate the longwall mining-induced stress. Therefore, the optimum design of gate supports and pillar dimensions would be attainable which helps to increase the mining efficiency.

Time series prediction of reservoir bank landslide failure probability considering the spatial variability of soil properties

Historically,landslides have been the primary type of geological disaster worldwide.Generally,the stability of reservoir banks is primarily affected by rainfall and reservoir water level fluctuations.Moreover,the stability of reservoir banks changes with the long-term dynamics of external disastercausing factors.Thus,assessing the time-varying reliability of reservoir landslides remains a challenge.In this paper,a machine learning(ML)based approach is proposed to analyze the long-term reliability of reservoir bank landslides in spatially variable soils through time series prediction.This study systematically investigated the prediction performances of three ML algorithms,i.e.multilayer perceptron(MLP),convolutional neural network(CNN),and long short-term memory(LSTM).Additionally,the effects of the data quantity and data ratio on the predictive power of deep learning models are considered.The results show that all three ML models can accurately depict the changes in the time-varying failure probability of reservoir landslides.The CNN model outperforms both the MLP and LSTM models in predicting the failure probability.Furthermore,selecting the right data ratio can improve the prediction accuracy of the failure probability obtained by ML models.

Impact of time between meniscal injury and isolated meniscus repair on post-operative outcomes:A systematic review

BACKGROUND Meniscal tears are one of the most common knee injuries.After the diagnosis of a meniscal tear has been made,there are several factors physicians use to guide clinical decision-making.The influence of time between injury and isolated meniscus repair on patient outcomes is not well described.Assessing this relationship is important as it may influence clinical decision-making and can add to the preoperative patient education process.We hypothesized that increasing the time from injury to meniscus surgery would worsen postoperative outcomes.AIM To investigate the current literature for data on the relationship between time between meniscus injury and repair on patient outcomes.METHODS PubMed,Academic Search Complete,MEDLINE,CINAHL,and SPORTDiscus were searched for studies published between January 1,1995 and July 13,2023 on isolated meniscus repair.Exclusion criteria included concomitant ligament surgery,incomplete outcomes or time to surgery data,and meniscectomies.Patient demographics,time to injury,and postoperative outcomes from each study were abstracted and analyzed.RESULTS Five studies met all inclusion and exclusion criteria.There were 204(121 male,83 female)patients included.Three of five(60%)studies determined that time between injury and surgery was not statistically significant for postoperative Lysholm scores(P=0.62),Tegner scores(P=0.46),failure rate(P=0.45,P=0.86),and International Knee Documentation Committee scores(P=0.65).Two of five(40%)studies found a statistically significant increase in Lysholm scores with shorter time to surgery(P=0.03)and a statistically significant association between progression of medial meniscus extrusion ratio(P=0.01)and increasing time to surgery.CONCLUSION Our results do not support the hypothesis that increased time from injury to isolated meniscus surgery worsens postoperative outcomes.Decision-making primarily based on injury interval is thus not recommended.

A strategy for strengthening chaotic mixing of dual shaft eccentric mixers by changing non-Newtonian fluids kinetic energy distribution

Efficiently modulating the velocity distribution and flow pattern of non-Newtonian fluids is a critical challenge in the context of dual shaft eccentric mixers for process intensification,posing a significant barrier for the existing technologies.Accordingly,this work reports a convenient strategy that changes the kinetic energy to controllably regulate the flow patterns from radial flow to axial flow.Results showed that the desired velocity distribution and flow patterns could be effectively obtained by varying the number and structure of baffles to change kinetic energy,and a more uniform velocity distribution,which could not be reached normally in standard baffle dual shaft mixers,was easily obtained.Furthermore,a comparative analysis of velocity and shear rate distributions is employed to elucidate the mechanism behind the generation of flow patterns in various dual-shaft eccentric mixers.Importantly,there is little difference in the power number of the laminar flow at the same Reynolds number,meaning that the baffle type has no effect on the power consumption,while the power number of both unbaffle and U-shaped baffle mixing systems decreases compared with the standard baffle mixing system in the transition flow.Finally,at the same rotational condition,the dimensionless mixing time of the U-shaped baffle mixing system is 15.3%and 7.9%shorter than that of the standard baffle and the unbaffle mixing system,respectively,which shows the advantage of the U-shaped baffle in stirring rate.

Single-atom catalysts supported on graphene/electride heterostructures for the enhanced sulfur reduction reaction in lithium-sulfur batteries

Single-atom catalysts(SACs)hold great promise in addressing the sluggish kinetics of the sulfur reduction reaction(SRR)in lithium-sulfur(Li-S)batteries for their unique catalytic activity and maximum atom efficiency.While these SACs must be dispersed on solid substrates,the underlying support is usually limited to carbon materials that have a poor ability to modulate the coordination environment and electronic structures of single atoms,and consequently their catalytic activity toward the SRR is restricted.Here we propose two-dimensional(2D)graphene/electride heterostructu res as substrates to enhance the catalytic activities of SACs for Li-S batteries.2D electrides featuring the anionic electron gas on their surface enable efficient electron transfer to SACs,which alters their electronic structures,resulting in the shifts of the d orbital and Fermi levels.This unique electronic structure decreases the filling of antibonding states such that the bonding with adsorbates at active sites is enhanced.We demonstrate the enhanced catalytic performance of SACs in terms of the Gibbs free energy of SRR and Li_(2)S dissociation.In addition,a universal descriptor for the rapid screening of SACs is established by a linear regression fitting method.This work provides a new design strategy to modulate SAC activity through electrides for Li-S batteries.

Attosecond ionization time delays in strong-field physics

Electronic processes within atoms and molecules reside on the timescale of attoseconds. Recent advances in the laserbased pump-probe interrogation techniques have made possible the temporal resolution of ultrafast electronic processes on the attosecond timescale, including photoionization and tunneling ionization. These interrogation techniques include the attosecond streak camera, the reconstruction of attosecond beating by interference of two-photon transitions, and the attoclock. While the former two are usually employed to study photoionization processes, the latter is typically used to investigate tunneling ionization. In this review, we briefly overview these timing techniques towards an attosecond temporal resolution of ionization processes in atoms and molecules under intense laser fields. In particular, we review the backpropagation method, which is a novel hybrid quantum-classical approach towards the full characterization of tunneling ionization dynamics. Continued advances in the interrogation techniques promise to pave the pathway towards the exploration of ever faster dynamical processes on an ever shorter timescale.

The joint Laplace transforms for killed diffusion occupation times

The approach of Li and Zhou(2014)is adopted to find the Laplace transform of occupation time over interval(0,a)and joint occupation times over semi-infinite intervals(-∞,a)and(b,∞)for a time-homogeneous diffusion process up to an independent exponential time e_(q)for 0<a<b.The results are expressed in terms of solutions to the differential equations associated with the diffusion generator.Applying these results,we obtain explicit expressions on the Laplace transform of occupation time and joint occupation time for Brownian motion with drift.

Regulating the dopant clustering in LiZnAs-based diluted magnetic semiconductor

Tuning of the magnetic interaction plays the vital role in reducing the clustering of magnetic dopant in diluted magnetic semiconductors(DMS).Due to the not well understood magnetic mechanism and the interplay between different magnetic mechanisms,no efficient and universal tuning strategy is proposed at present.Here,the magnetic interactions and formation energies of isovalent-doped(Mn) and aliovalent(Cr)-doped LiZnAs are studied based on density functional theory(DFT).It is found that the dopant–dopant distance-dependent magnetic interaction is highly sensitive to the carrier concentration and carrier type and can only be explained by the interplay between two magnetic mechanisms,i.e.,superexchange and Zener’s p–d exchange model.Thus,the magnetic behavior and clustering of magnetic dopant can be tuned by the interplay between two magnetic mechanisms.The insensitivity of the tuning effect to U parameter suggests that our strategy could be universal to other DMS.