Switzerland Replaces United States at Top of Competitiveness Rankings

On Sep. 8,2009,Switzerland tops the overall ranking in The Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010, released by the World Economic Forum ahead of its Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2009 in Dalian.

When Does Sora Show:The Beginning of TAO to Imaginative Intelligence and Scenarios Engineering

DURING our discussion at workshops for writing“What Does ChatGPT Say:The DAO from Algorithmic Intelligence to Linguistic Intelligence”[1],we had expected the next milestone for Artificial Intelligence(AI)would be in the direction of Imaginative Intelligence(II),i.e.,something similar to automatic wordsto-videos generation or intelligent digital movies/theater technology that could be used for conducting new“Artificiofactual Experiments”[2]to replace conventional“Counterfactual Experiments”in scientific research and technical development for both natural and social studies[2]-[6].Now we have OpenAI’s Sora,so soon,but this is not the final,actually far away,and it is just the beginning.

Emerging strategies for nerve repair and regeneration in ischemic stroke:neural stem cell therapy

Ischemic stroke is a major cause of mortality and disability worldwide,with limited treatment options available in clinical practice.The emergence of stem cell therapy has provided new hope to the field of stroke treatment via the restoration of brain neuron function.Exogenous neural stem cells are beneficial not only in cell replacement but also through the bystander effect.Neural stem cells regulate multiple physiological responses,including nerve repair,endogenous regeneration,immune function,and blood-brain barrier permeability,through the secretion of bioactive substances,including extracellular vesicles/exosomes.However,due to the complex microenvironment of ischemic cerebrovascular events and the low survival rate of neural stem cells following transplantation,limitations in the treatment effect remain unresolved.In this paper,we provide a detailed summary of the potential mechanisms of neural stem cell therapy for the treatment of ischemic stroke,review current neural stem cell therapeutic strategies and clinical trial results,and summarize the latest advancements in neural stem cell engineering to improve the survival rate of neural stem cells.We hope that this review could help provide insight into the therapeutic potential of neural stem cells and guide future scientific endeavors on neural stem cells.

Generation of mitochondrial replacement monkeys by female pronucleus transfer

Mutations in mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA)are maternally inherited and have the potential to cause severe disorders.Mitochondrial replacement therapies,including spindle,polar body,and pronuclear transfers,are promising strategies for preventing the hereditary transmission of mtDNA diseases.While pronuclear transfer has been used to generate mitochondrial replacement mouse models and human embryos,its application in non-human primates has not been previously reported.In this study,we successfully generated four healthy cynomolgus monkeys(Macaca fascicularis)via female pronuclear transfer.These individuals all survived for more than two years and exhibited minimal mtDNA carryover(3.8%–6.7%),as well as relatively stable mtDNA heteroplasmy dynamics during development.The successful establishment of this nonhuman primate model highlights the considerable potential of pronuclear transfer in reducing the risk of inherited mtDNA diseases and provides a valuable preclinical research model for advancing mitochondrial replacement therapies in humans.

Which approach of total hip arthroplasty is the best efficacy and least complication?

BACKGROUND Total hip arthroplasty is as an effective intervention to relieve pain and improve hip function.Approaches of the hip have been exhaustively explored about pros and cons.The efficacy and the complications of hip approaches remains inconclusive.This study conducted an umbrella review to systematically appraise previous meta-analysis(MAs)including conventional posterior approach(PA),and minimally invasive surgeries as the lateral approach(LA),direct anterior approach(DAA),2-incisions method,mini-lateral approach and the newest technique direct superior approach(DSA)or supercapsular percutaneouslyassisted total hip(SuperPath).AIM To compare the efficacy and complications of hip approaches that have been published in all MAs and randomized controlled trials(RCTs).METHODS MAs were identified from MEDLINE and Scopus from inception until 2023.RCTs were then updated from the latest MA to September 2023.This study included studies which compared hip approaches and reported at least one outcome such as Harris Hip Score(HHS),dislocation,intra-operative fracture,wound compliData were independently selected,extracted and assessed by two reviewers.Network MA and cluster rank and surface under the cumulative ranking curve(SUCRA)were estimated for treatment efficacy and safety.RESULTS Finally,twenty-eight MAs(40 RCTs),and 13 RCTs were retrieved.In total 47 RCTs were included for reanalysis.The results of corrected covered area showed high degree(13.80%).Among 47 RCTs,most of the studies were low risk of bias in part of random process and outcome reporting,while other domains were medium to high risk of bias.DAA significantly provided higher HHS at three months than PA[pooled unstandardized mean difference(USMD):3.49,95%confidence interval(CI):0.98,6.00 with SUCRA:85.9],followed by DSA/SuperPath(USMD:1.57,95%CI:-1.55,4.69 with SUCRA:57.6).All approaches had indifferent dislocation and intraoperative fracture rates.SUCRA comparing early functional outcome and composite complications(dislocation,intra-operative fracture,wound complication,and nerve injury)found DAA was the best approach followed by DSA/SuperPath.CONCLUSION DSA/SuperPath had better earlier functional outcome than PA,but still could not overcome the result of DAA.This technique might be the other preferred option with acceptable complications.

Corrigendum to“Towards a business model for second-life batteries:Barriers,opportunities,uncertainties,and technologies”[J.Energy Chem.78(2023)507–525]

In the Acknowledgments Section,please replace“Shell oil”for“TotalEnergies”.The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.For the sake of clarity(“Shell oil”should be removed and in boldblack“TotalEnergies”inserted),this section should say:The authors would like to thank Moura Batteries for the financial support.

ChatGPT and exercise prescription:Human vs.machine or human plus machine?

The power of artificial intelligence(AI)to create stories,music,art,and other creative projects has been demonstrated and criticized over recent decades in media,mainly because of the idea that AI will replace human jobs.Most recently,in November 2022,reactions to Chat Generative Pre-training Transformer(ChatGPT)release for public use reverberated in news and social media headlines,while its users exceeded100 million in just a few weeks.ChatGPT is a natural language processing program created by AI non-profit OpenAI Inc.

Role of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide in peripheral nerve regeneration:a cellular and molecular perspective

Neuro regeneration is a very complex phenomenon characterized by the generation of new neurons and synapses,involving connections between adjacent cells and axonal projections.Neuroregeneration supplies additional longterm resources to replace those altered by the injury and ensure lasting functional recovery.

Microglial autophagy in neurogenesis:a new player in Alzheimer's disease

While extensive studies have illuminated the impact of Alzheimer's disease(AD) on neuronal survival,there is growing evidence that abnormal postnatal neurogenesis in early AD brains contributes to disease progression.Postnatal neurogenesis serves as a mechanism to replace dead or damaged neurons.New neurons generated from neural stem cells(NSCs) in the subgranular zone(SGZ) of the dentate gyrus integrate into the existing hippocampal circuit.

Recent progress and future prospects of high-entropy materials for battery applications

Due to the energy crisis caused by limited fossil fuel reserves,extensive use of the renewable energy sources such as wind or solar energy is deemed to replace the use of traditional fossil fuels in the future^([1−3]).However,most renewable energy sources face the same problem,which is the intermittency of energy.For example,solar energy cannot be utilized at night.That means the continuous energy demand required for large-scale power grids can’t be satisfied by a single solar panel model.

Efficient cache replacement framework based on access hotness for spacecraft processors

A notable portion of cachelines in real-world workloads exhibits inner non-uniform access behaviors.However,modern cache management rarely considers this fine-grained feature,which impacts the effective cache capacity of contemporary high-performance spacecraft processors.To harness these non-uniform access behaviors,an efficient cache replacement framework featuring an auxiliary cache specifically designed to retain evicted hot data was proposed.This framework reconstructs the cache replacement policy,facilitating data migration between the main cache and the auxiliary cache.Unlike traditional cacheline-granularity policies,the approach excels at identifying and evicting infrequently used data,thereby optimizing cache utilization.The evaluation shows impressive performance improvement,especially on workloads with irregular access patterns.Benefiting from fine granularity,the proposal achieves superior storage efficiency compared with commonly used cache management schemes,providing a potential optimization opportunity for modern resource-constrained processors,such as spacecraft processors.Furthermore,the framework complements existing modern cache replacement policies and can be seamlessly integrated with minimal modifications,enhancing their overall efficacy.

Development of a Decision Aid for Family Surrogate Decision Makers of Critically Ill Patients Requiring Renal Replacement Therapy in ICU:A User-Centered Design for Rapid Prototyping

Objectives Renal replacement therapy(RRT)is increasingly adopted for critically ill patients diagnosed with acute kidney injury,but the optimal time for initiation remains unclear and prognosis is uncertain,leading to medical complexity,ethical conflicts,and decision dilemmas in intensive care unit(ICU)settings.This study aimed to develop a decision aid(DA)for the family surrogate of critically ill patients to support their engagement in shared decision-making process with clinicians.Methods Development of DA employed a systematic process with user-centered design(UCD)principle,which included:(i)competitive analysis:searched,screened,and assessed the existing DAs to gather insights for design strategies,developmental techniques,and functionalities;(ii)user needs assessment:interviewed family surrogates in our hospital to explore target user group's decision-making experience and identify their unmet needs;(iii)evidence syntheses:integrate latest clinical evidence and pertinent information to inform the content development of DA.Results The competitive analysis included 16 relevant DAs,from which we derived valuable insights using existing resources.User decision needs were explored among a cohort of 15 family surrogates,revealing four thematic issues in decision-making,including stuck into dilemmas,sense of uncertainty,limited capacity,and delayed decision confirmation.A total of 27 articles were included for evidence syntheses.Relevant decision making knowledge on disease and treatment,as delineated in the literature sourced from decision support system or clinical guidelines,were formatted as the foundational knowledge base.Twenty-one items of evidence were extracted and integrated into the content panels of benefits and risks of RRT,possible outcomes,and reasons to choose.The DA was drafted into a web-based phototype using the elements of UCD.This platform could guide users in their preparation of decision-making through a sequential four-step process:identifying treatment options,weighing the benefits and risks,clarifying personal preferences and values,and formulating a schedule for formal shared decision-making with clinicians.Conclusions We developed a rapid prototype of DA tailored for family surrogate decision makers of critically ill patients in need of RRT in ICU setting.Future studies are needed to evaluate its usability,feasibility,and clinical effects of this intervention.

Research on Performance Optimization of Spark Distributed Computing Platform

Spark,a distributed computing platform,has rapidly developed in the field of big data.Its in-memory computing feature reduces disk read overhead and shortens data processing time,making it have broad application prospects in large-scale computing applications such as machine learning and image processing.However,the performance of the Spark platform still needs to be improved.When a large number of tasks are processed simultaneously,Spark’s cache replacementmechanismcannot identify high-value data partitions,resulting inmemory resources not being fully utilized and affecting the performance of the Spark platform.To address the problem that Spark’s default cache replacement algorithm cannot accurately evaluate high-value data partitions,firstly the weight influence factors of data partitions are modeled and evaluated.Then,based on this weighted model,a cache replacement algorithm based on dynamic weighted data value is proposed,which takes into account hit rate and data difference.Better integration and usage strategies are implemented based on LRU(LeastRecentlyUsed).Theweight update algorithm updates the weight value when the data partition information changes,accurately measuring the importance of the partition in the current job;the cache removal algorithm clears partitions without useful values in the cache to releasememory resources;the weight replacement algorithm combines partition weights and partition information to replace RDD partitions when memory remaining space is insufficient.Finally,by setting up a Spark cluster environment,the algorithm proposed in this paper is experimentally verified.Experiments have shown that this algorithmcan effectively improve cache hit rate,enhance the performance of the platform,and reduce job execution time by 7.61%compared to existing improved algorithms.

High-resolution CT-scan data reveals the tooth replacement pattern of the Late Jurassic tyrannosauroid Guanlong wucaii (Dinosauria, Theropoda)

The Tyrannosauridae,which is characterized by specialized pachydont dentition and putative bone-cracking predatory strategies,is one of the most extensively studied theropod lineages.Although tooth replacement patterns,crucial for understanding feeding behaviors,have been thoroughly studied in this group,studies on non-tyrannosaurid tyrannosauroids are relatively scarce.This study utilizes high-resolution CT data to investigate the tooth replacement pattern in two specimens of Guanlong wucaii,a Late Jurassic tyrannosauroid,and provides insights into the evolution of tooth replacement across Tyrannosauroidea.Second-generation replacement teeth,a rarity observed mainly in giant predatory theropods(e.g.some tyrannosaurids),were detected in the dentary dentition of the juvenile Guanlong.Zahnreihen reconstructions display a consistent cephalad alternating tooth replacement pattern in the maxilla and the dentary of both of the examined individuals,with Z-spacing values exceeding 2.0.As Guanlong grows,the Z-spacing value in the maxillary dentition increases,resembling the ontogenetic changes documented in the Tyrannosauridae.Additionally,like Tarbosaurus,Guanlong also displays a discontinuity between the tooth replacement waves at the premaxilla-maxilla boundary.This study thus demonstrates that some tyrannosaurid-like tooth replacement patterns were acquired before the origin of the Tyrannosauridae.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement in low-risk young population:A double edge sword?

Since the advent of transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TAVR)in 2002,it has now become the default interventional strategy for symptomatic patients presenting with severe aortic stenosis,particularly in intermediate to highsurgical risk patients.In 2019,the United States Food and Drug Administration approved TAVR in low-risk patients based on two randomized trials.However,these breakthrough trials excluded patients with certain unfavorable anatomies and odd profiles.While currently there is no randomized study of TAVR in young patients,it may be preferred by the young population given the benefits of early discharge,shorter hospital stay,and expedite recovery.Nonetheless,it is important to ruminate various factors including lifetime expectancy,risk of pacemaker implantation,and the need for future valve or coronary interventions in young cohorts before considering TAVR in these patients.Furthermore,the data on long-term durability(>10 years)of TAVR is still unknown given most of the procedures were initially performed in the high or prohibitive surgical risk population.Thus,this editorial aims to highlight the importance of considering an individualized approach in young patients with consideration of various factors including lifetime expectancy while choosing TAVR against surgical aortic valve replacement.

Multidisciplinary approach toward enhanced recovery after surgery for total knee arthroplasty improves outcomes

Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative disorder of the knee,which leads to joint pain,stiffness,and inactivity and significantly affects the quality of life.With an increased prevalence of obesity and greater life expectancies,total knee arthroplasty(TKA)is now one of the major arthroplasty surgeries performed for knee osteoarthritis.When enhanced recovery after surgery(ERAS)was introduced in TKA,clinical outcomes were enhanced and the economic burden on the healthcare system was reduced.ERAS is an evidence-based scientific protocol aimed at ameliorating the surgical stress response.ERAS aims to enhance the recovery phase,which encompasses multidisciplinary strategies at every step of perioperative care,including the rehabilitation phase.Implementation of ERAS in TKA aids in reducing the length of hospital stay,improving pain management,reducing perioperative complications,and enhancing patient satisfaction.Multidisciplinary collaboration,integrating the expertise of anesthesiologists,orthopedic surgeons,nursing personnel,and other healthcare professionals,is the cornerstone of ERAS in patients undergoing TKA.

Gas Exchange Rates of Texas Persimmon (Diospyros texana) in Central Texas Woodlands

Diospyros texana (Texas persimmon) is a secondary species in most Juniperus ashei/Quercus fusiformis woodlands in central Texas. It has high density, but plants are mostly in the community understory. Light response curves at ambient and elevated levels of CO2 and temperature were measured for D. texana. The Anet (photosynthetic rate) increased significantly as both light level and CO2 levels increased but not temperature. The Amax (maximum photosynthetic rate) of D. texana in full sun at elevated levels of CO2 was increased for all treatments. Stomatal conductance increased with levels of CO2 but only if the interaction was removed from the model. Intercellular levels of CO2 increased with both temperature and CO2 treatments as did water use efficiency (WUE). Furthermore, light saturation (Lsat) increased with CO2 treatments and light compensation (Lcp) increased with temperature. The dark respiration (Rd) increased with both temperature and CO2 treatments. Markov population models suggested D. texana populations would remain ecologically similar in the future. However, sub-canopy light levels and herbivory should be considered when examining population projections. For example, Juniperus ashei juveniles are not recruited into any canopy unless there are high light levels. Herbivory reduces the success of Quercus juveniles from reaching the canopy. These factors do not seem to be a problem for D. texana juveniles which would allow them to reach the canopy without need of a high light gap and are not prevented by herbivory. Thus, Juniperus/Quercus woodlands will change in the future to woodlands with D. texana a more common species.

Metformin-associated lactic acidosis:A mini review of pathophysiology,diagnosis and management in critically ill patients

Metformin is a common diabetes drug that may reduce lactate clearance by inhibiting mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation,leading to metforminassociated lactic acidosis(MALA).As diabetes mellitus is a common chronic metabolic condition found in critically ill patients,pre-existing metformin use can often be found in critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care unit or the high dependency unit.The aim of this narrative mini review is therefore to update clinicians about MALA,and to provide a practical approach to its diagnosis and treatment.MALA in critically ill patients may be suspected in a patient who has received metformin and who has a high anion gap metabolic acidosis,and confirmed when lactate exceeds 5 mmol/L.Risk factors include those that reduce renal elimination of metformin(renal impairment from any cause,histamine-2 receptor antagonists,ribociclib)and excessive alcohol consumption(as ethanol oxidation consumes nicotinamide adenine dinucleotides that are also required for lactate metabolism).Treatment of MALA involves immediate cessation of metformin,supportive management,treating other concurrent causes of lactic acidosis like sepsis,and treating any coexisting diabetic ketoacidosis.Severe MALA requires extracorporeal removal of metformin with either intermittent hemodialysis or continuous kidney replacement therapy.The optimal time to restart metformin has not been well-studied.It is nonetheless reasonable to first ensure that lactic acidosis has resolved,and then recheck the kidney function post-recovery from critical illness,ensuring that the estimated glomerular filtration rate is 30 mL/min/1.73 m^(2) or better before restarting metformin.

Indication and surgical approach for reconstruction with endoprosthesis in bone-associated soft tissue sarcomas:Appropriate case management is vital

It is important for surgeons performing sarcoma surgery to know that bone resection and tumor prosthesis applications in soft tissue sarcomas(STS)have unique features in terms of indication,surgical approach and follow-up,in terms of the management of these cases.Some STS are associated with bone and major neurovascular structures.Bone-associated STS are generally relatively large and relatively deep-seated.Additionally,the tendency for metastasis is high.In some cases,the decision about which structures to resect is difficult.These cases are often accompanied by poor oncological and surgical outcomes.Management of cases should be done by a multidisciplinary team in advanced centers specialized in this field.The surgical team must have sufficient knowledge and experience in the field of limb-sparing surgery.Preoperative evaluation and especially good planning of bone and soft tissue reconstruction are vital.

Risk of permanent pacemaker implantation following transcatheter aortic valve replacement:Which factors are most relevant?

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TAVR)has emerged as a formidable treatment option for severe symptomatic aortic stenosis ahead of surgical aortic valve replacement.The encouraging results from large randomized controlled trials has resulted in an exponential rise in the use of TAVR even in the low-risk patients.However,this is not without challenges.Need for permanent pacemaker(PPM)post-TAVR remains the most frequent and clinically relevant challenge.Naturally,identifying risk factors which predispose an individual to develop high grade conduction block post-TAVR is important.Various demographic factors,electrocardiographic features,anatomic factors and procedural characteristics have all been linked to the development of advanced conduction block and need for PPM following TAVR.Amongst these electrophysiological variables,most notably a prolonged QRS>120 ms regardless of the type of conduction block seems to be one of the strongest predictors on logistic regression models.The index study by Nwaedozie et al highlights that patients requiring PPM post-TAVR had higher odds of having a baseline QRS>120 ms and were more likely to be having diabetes mellitus that those who did not require PPM.