Assessment of the methodological quality of studies on core outcome sets for respiratory diseases: A systematic review and meta-research study.

Background: With increasing attention to core outcome sets (COS), the number of studies on COS for respiratory diseases (COS-RD) is on the rise. However, the methodological quality is still unclear. Therefore, we conducted a study to assess the methodological quality of studies on COS-RD.

Effects of LDPE and PBAT plastics on soil organic carbon and carbon-enzymes: A mesocosm experiment under field conditions.

Although the effects of plastic residues on soil organic carbon (SOC) have been studied, variations in SOC and soil carbon-enzyme activities at different plant growth stages have been largely overlooked. There remains a knowledge gap on how various varieties of plastics affect SOC and carbon-enzyme activity dynamics during the different growing stages of plants. In this study, we conducted a mesocosm experiment under field conditions using low-density polyethylene and poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) debris (LDPE-D and PBAT-D, 500-2000 μm (pieces), 0%, 0.

Floating-gate memristor based on a MoS/h-BN/AuNPs mixed-dimensional heterostructure.

Memristors have recently received substantial attention because of their promising and unique emerging applications in neuromorphic computing, which can achieve gains in computation speed by mimicking the topology of the brain in electronic circuits. Traditional memristors made of bulk MoOand HfO, for example, suffer from a low switching ratio and poor durability and stability. In this work, a floating-gate memristor is developed based on a mixed-dimensional heterostructure comprising two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum disulfide (MoS) and zero-dimensional (0D) Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) separated by an insulating hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) layer (MoS/h-BN/AuNPs).

Synthesis and hygrothermal aging of polycarbonates containing a bisphenol fluorene moiety.

This study aims to synthesize a specific type of polycarbonate with high refractive index, low birefringence, and resistance to hygrothermal aging by copolymerizing 2,2'-bis(2-hydroxyethoxy)-1,1'-binaphthyl (BNE) with 9,9-bis[4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)phenyl]fluorene (BPEF). Comparative analysis revealed that the copolymer synthesized from BNE and BPEF demonstrated superior hydrolytic stability relative to the bisphenol A-based polycarbonate. This augmented stability can be attributed to the monomers' higher p values, rendering acidic substances less capable of dissociating and thereby mitigating ester hydrolysis under hygrothermal conditions.

Synthesis and Properties of Bio-Based Polycarbonates Containing Silicone Blocks.

This study aims to investigate the effects of different hydroxy-terminated silicones on the properties of polycarbonate-silicone copolymers (ICS-PC) by introducing flexible and hydrophobic silicone into isosorbide-based polycarbonate through melt transesterification- polycondensation method. Through compatibility and transesterification experiments, it is confirmed that the alcohol-hydroxyl polydimethylsiloxane (-PDMS) has higher reactivity and silicone conversion than the phenol-hydroxyl polydimethylsiloxane (-PDMS), but the conversion does not exceed 81%. Polyether-modified silicone (PEMS) exhibits better compatibility and higher reactivity, thus resulting in higher conversion that can reach 86%.

From CNN to Transformer: A Review of Medical Image Segmentation Models.

Medical image segmentation is an important step in medical image analysis, especially as a crucial prerequisite for efficient disease diagnosis and treatment. The use of deep learning for image segmentation has become a prevalent trend. The widely adopted approach currently is U-Net and its variants.

Response of soybean and maize roots and soil enzyme activities to biodegradable microplastics contaminated soil.

Although biodegradable plastic film is a promising alternative product for reducing polyethylene plastic pollution in agricultural soils, the effects of its residues on plant growth and soil properties remain unclear. In this study, we conducted an experiment to investigate root properties and soil enzyme activities in Poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) microplastics (PBAT-MPs) contaminated soil (0 % (CK), 0.1 %, 0.

Irrigation-facilitated low-density polyethylene microplastic vertical transport along soil profile: An empirical model developed by column experiment.

The emerging issue of microplastic pollution of agricultural soils derives from the intensive utilization of plastic mulching film. Although surface runoff may transport microplastic off-site, infiltration may also facilitate microplastic transport from surface soil to deeper depths. Microplastic comprises a relatively new category of soil contaminants, whose transport in the soil has not yet been widely studied.

Effects of plastic particles on germination and growth of soybean (Glycine max): A pot experiment under field condition.

Plastic residues have become a serious environmental problem in areas where agricultural plastic film are used intensively. Although numerous of studies have been done to assess its impacts on soil quality and crop yields, the understanding of meso-plastic particles effects on plant is still limited. In this study, low density polyethylene (PE) and biodegradable plastic (Bio) mulch film were selected to study the effects of meso-plastic debris on soybean germination and plant growth with the accumulation levels of 0%, 0.

Optimized Association of Short Alkyl Side Chains Enables Stiff, Self-Recoverable, and Durable Shape-Memory Hydrogel.

This work reports a self-healing and shape-memory hydrogel integrating multiple mechanical properties. The network configuration is featured as entangled networks cross-linked by distributed association of very short alkyl chains (hexyl, six carbons). These cross-linking knots are interconnected by the long hydrophilic polyvinyl alcohol backbone.

Cell culture medium supplemented with taurine decreases basic charge variant levels of a monoclonal antibody.

Objective: To explore the impact of taurine on monoclonal antibody (mAb) basic charge variants in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell culture.

Results: In fed-batch culture, adding taurine in the feed medium slightly increased the maximum viable cell density and mAb titers in CHO cells. What's more, taurine significantly decreased the lysine variant and oxidized variant levels, which further decreased basic variant contents from 32 to 27%.

Molecular epidemiology of pneumococcal isolates from children in China.

Objectives: To investigate the molecular epidemiology of pneumococcal isolates in Chongqing, China.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 51 invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) strains were from children with invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and 32 carriage strains from healthy children from January 2010 to December 2013 at the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.

[Effects of water stress and nitrogen fertilization on peanut root morphological development and leaf physiological activities].

Taking 'Huayu 22' peanut as test material, effect of soil water content and nitrogen fertilization on the leaf physiological activities and root morphological characteristics of peanut plants were analyzed. Two levels of soil water condition were: (1) well-watered condition and (2) moderate water stress, and three levels of nitrogen were: (1) none nitrogen (N0), (2) moderate nitrogen (N1, 90 kg · hm(-2)) and (3) high nitrogen (N2, 180 kg · hm(-2)). The results showed that N1 significantly increased the peanut yield under two water conditions, but showed no significant effect on harvest index compared with N0.