The Study of Speech Acoustic Characteristics of Elderly Individuals with Presbyphagia in Ningbo, China.

The feasibility of using acoustic parameters to predict presbyphagia has been preliminarily confirmed. Considering that age and gender can influence the results of acoustic parameters, this study aimed to further explore the specific effects of age and gender on acoustic parameter analysis of the elderly population over 60 years old with presbyphagia. A total of 45 participants were enrolled and divided into three groups (60-69 years old, 70-79 years old, and 80-89 years old).

Machine learning-enhanced predictive modeling for arbitrary deterministic lateral displacement design and test.

The separation of biological particles like cells and macromolecules from liquid samples is vital in clinical medicine, supporting liquid biopsies and diagnostics. Deterministic Lateral Displacement (DLD) is prominent for sorting particles in microfluidics by size. However, the design, fabrication, and testing of DLDs are complex and time-consuming.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of vocal fatigue index (VFI) to Chinese language.

Objectives: This study aimed to translate the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI) into Simplified Chinese and test its reliability and validity in mainland China.

Methods: The original English version of the VFI was translated and adapted to a Simplified Chinese version (VFI -SC). Fifty-four participants with voice disorders and 21 healthy controls completed the VFI-SC.

Editorial for the Special Issue on Advanced Interconnect and Packaging.

Unlike transistors, the continuous downscaling of feature size in CMOS technology leads to a dramatic rise in interconnect resistivity and concomitant performance degradation [...

MoSnf5 Regulates Fungal Virulence, Growth, and Conidiation in .

Snf5 (sucrose nonfermenting) is a core component of the SWI/SNF complexes and regulates diverse cellular processes in model eukaryotes. In plant pathogenic fungi, its biological function and underlying mechanisms remain unexplored. In this study, we investigated the biological roles of MoSnf5 in plant infection and fungal development in the rice blast pathogen The gene deletion mutants of exhibited slower vegetative hyphal growth, severe defects in conidiogenesis, and impaired virulence and galactose utilization capacities.

An Improved Split-Ring Resonator-Based Sensor for Microfluidic Applications.

This study proposes an ultrahigh-sensitivity split-ring resonator-based microwave sensor for retrieving the complex permittivity of liquid samples. An interdigital capacitor structure was used to expand the sensing area and the sensitivity. A defected ground structure and A parallel dual split-ring resonator were introduced to improve the quality factor.

Electrical Modeling and Characterization of Graphene-Based On-Chip Spiral Inductors.

This paper investigates the electrical performance of graphene-based on-chip spiral inductors by virtue of a physics-based equivalent circuit model. The skin and proximity effects, as well as the substrate loss effect, are considered and treated appropriately. The graphene resistance and inductance are combined into the circuit model.

Recent Progress in Physics-Based Modeling of Electromigration in Integrated Circuit Interconnects.

The advance of semiconductor technology not only enables integrated circuits with higher density and better performance but also increases their vulnerability to various aging mechanisms which occur from front-end to back-end. Analysis on the impact of aging mechanisms on circuits' reliability is crucial for the design of reliable and sustainable electronic systems at advanced technology nodes. As one of the most crucial back-end aging mechanisms, electromigration deserves research efforts.

Loss and Natural Variations of Blast Fungal Avirulence Genes Breakdown Rice Resistance Genes in the Sichuan Basin of China.

is the causative agent of rice blast, a devastating disease in rice worldwide. Based on the gene-for-gene paradigm, resistance (R) proteins can recognize their cognate avirulence (AVR) effectors to activate effector-triggered immunity. genes have been demonstrated to evolve rapidly, leading to breakdown of the cognate resistance genes.

Use of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation in pulmonary surgery for patients with tuberculosis.

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the effects of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on the immune function in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PT) and the inflammatory response following one-lung ventilation surgery by comparing the levels of inflammatory mediators, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and interleukin 8 (IL-8); T lymphocyte subsets, including CD3, CD4, CD8, and CD4/CD8 cells; and natural killer cells (NK cells).

Methods: We randomly divided 62 patients who underwent general anesthesia for thoracotomy into two groups: TEAS and sham TEAS. Patients in the TEAS group underwent bilateral acupoint electrical stimulation at the HouXi, ZhiGou, NeiGuan, and HeGu acupoints from 30 min before anesthesia induction until the end of surgery.

A Novel Finger-Controlled Passive RFID Tag Design for Human-Machine Interaction.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) has shown its potential in human-machine interaction thanks to its inherent function of identification and relevant physical information of signals, but complex data processing and undesirable input accuracy restrict its application and promotion in practical use. This paper proposes a novel finger-controlled passive RFID tag design for human-machine interaction. The tag antenna is based on a dipole antenna with a separated T-match structure, which is able to adjust the state of the tag by the press of a finger.

The role of P2Y6 receptors in the maintenance of neuropathic pain and its improvement of oxidative stress in rats.

Aim: To explore the role of P2Y6 receptors in the maintenance of neuropathic pain and progression of oxidative stress, we investigated the efficacy of the selective P2Y6 receptors antagonist MRS2578 on the antiallodynic effects and improvement of pathological neuropathic pain-induced oxidative stress, thereby finding a potential therapeutic target in neurological disease.

Materials And Methods: The mechanical allodynia in the ipsilateral spinal dorsal horn (SDH) of rats was observed in rats after chronic constriction injury (CCI). Meanwhile, the messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of biological parameters, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in the SDH of rats were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Low-Frequency Electroacupuncture Alleviates Chronic Constrictive Injury-Induced Mechanical Allodynia by Inhibiting NR2B Upregulation in Ipsilateral Spinal Dorsal Horn in Rats.

Objective: To study the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) in chronic constrictive injury (CCI) rat model and the expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor type 2B (NR2B) in ipsilateral spinal dorsal horn in rats to explore the analgesic mechanisms of EA.

Methods: According to the random number table, totally 180 rats were evenly divided into a sham group, a CCI group, and an EA group. CCI model was conducted with four 4-0 chromic gut ligatures loosely ligated around the left sciatic nerve 1 cm above the trifurcation.

Vibration-Induced Errors in MEMS Tuning Fork Gyroscopes with Imbalance.

This paper discusses the vibration-induced error in non-ideal MEMS tuning fork gyroscopes (TFGs). Ideal TFGs which are thought to be immune to vibrations do not exist, and imbalance between two gyros of TFGs is an inevitable phenomenon. Three types of fabrication imperfections (i.

Comparative genome and transcriptome analyses reveal adaptations to opportunistic infections in woody plant degrading pathogens of Botryosphaeriaceae.

Botryosphaeriaceae are an important fungal family that cause woody plant diseases worldwide. Recent studies have established a correlation between environmental factors and disease expression; however, less is known about factors that trigger these diseases. The current study reports on the 43.

Glutamate synthase MoGlt1-mediated glutamate homeostasis is important for autophagy, virulence and conidiation in the rice blast fungus.

Glutamate homeostasis plays a vital role in central nitrogen metabolism and coordinates several key metabolic functions. However, its function in fungal pathogenesis and development has not been investigated in detail. In this study, we identified and characterized a glutamate synthase gene MoGLT1 in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae that was important to glutamate homeostasis.

[Effect of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation on Post-surgical Gastrointestinal Function, Autonomic Nerve Activities and Plasma Brain-gut Peptide Levels in Patients Undergoing Gastrointestinal Surgery].

Objective: To observe the effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on ileus-postope-rative gastrointestinal functions and plasma ghrelin, motilin, and gastrin contents, and heart rate variability (HRV) in patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery, so as to explore the interaction of vagus-brain-gut peptide.

Methods: A total of 58 patients undergoing elective gastrointestinal surgery were randomly assigned to TEAS (=29) and sham-TEAS group (=29, patients had no subjective sensation to 1 mA TEAS, thus, being considered to be sham-TEAS). TEAS (2 Hz/100 Hz, 6-8 mA for LI 4-PC 6, 12-18 mA for ST 36-SP 6) was applied to bilateral Hegu (LI 4)-Neiguan (PC 6) from 30 min pre-operation to the end of the operation and to bilateral LI 4-PC 6 and Zusanli (ST 36)-Sanyinjiao (SP 6) for 30 minutes twice daily in 3 consecutive post-operative days.

A valley and spin filter based on gapped graphene.

We study highly valley- and spin-polarized current in single-layer gapped graphene without spin-orbit coupling. The structure considered is a three-barrier structure with one spin-splitting barrier and two electrical potential barriers with vector potentials. The electrons in the two valleys transmit differently because of the valley-dependent reflection between two adjacent barriers, while the spin-up and spin-down electrons transmit differently because of the spin splitting.

MoCps1 is important for conidiation, conidial morphology and virulence in Magnaporthe oryzae.

Conidia play important roles in primary and secondary infections of airborne fungal pathogens. In this study, an insertional mutant with reduced capacity for conidiation was isolated from the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. The mutant has a T-DNA insertion that disrupts a gene named MoCPS1.

A spindle pole antigen gene MoSPA2 is important for polar cell growth of vegetative hyphae and conidia, but is dispensable for pathogenicity in Magnaporthe oryzae.

Spa2 is an important component of the multiprotein complex polarisome, which is involved in the establishment, maintenance, termination of polarized cell growth and is important for defining tip growth of filamentous fungi. In this study, we isolated an insertional mutant of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae that formed smaller colony and conidia compared with the wild type. In the mutant, a spindle pole antigen gene MoSPA2 was disrupted by the integration of an exogenous plasmid.

Gibberellin 20-oxidase gene OsGA20ox3 regulates plant stature and disease development in rice.

Gibberellin (GA) 20-oxidase (GA20ox) catalyses consecutive steps of oxidation in the late part of the GA biosynthetic pathway. A T-DNA insertion mutant (17S-14) in rice, with an elongated phenotype, was isolated. Analysis of the flanking sequences of the T-DNA insertion site revealed that an incomplete T-DNA integration resulted in enhanced constitutively expression of downstream OsGA20ox3 in the mutant.

Different chitin synthase genes are required for various developmental and plant infection processes in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae.

Chitin is a major component of fungal cell wall and is synthesized by chitin synthases (Chs). Plant pathogenic fungi normally have multiple chitin synthase genes. To determine their roles in development and pathogenesis, we functionally characterized all seven CHS genes in Magnaporthe oryzae.

Conjugated linoleic acid supplementation enhances antihypertensive effect of ramipril in Chinese patients with obesity-related hypertension.

Background: Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) refers to a group of positional and geometrical conjugated dienoic isomers of linoleic acid. Our aim was to investigate the effect of 8-week dietary CLA supplementation on blood pressure, concentrations of plasma adiponecin, leptin, and as well as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity in obese hypertensive subjects.

Methods: Eighty obese individuals with stage 1 uncontrolled essential hypertension were randomized in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

A novel wall-associated receptor-like protein kinase gene, OsWAK1, plays important roles in rice blast disease resistance.

Wall-associated protein kinases (WAKs) are a new group of receptor-like kinases (RLK) recently identified in Arabidopsis. A cDNA encoding a novel WAK was isolated from rice and was named OsWAK1 (Oryza sativa WAK). The deduced amino acid sequence of OsWAK1 showed 27.