Predicting the complexity and mortality of polytrauma patients with machine learning models.

We aim to develop machine learning (ML) models for predicting the complexity and mortality of polytrauma patients using clinical features, including physician diagnoses and physiological data. We conducted a retrospective analysis of a cohort comprising 756 polytrauma patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at Pizhou People's Hospital Trauma Center, Jiangsu, China between 2020 and 2022. Clinical parameters encompassed demographics, vital signs, laboratory values, clinical scores and physician diagnoses. The two primary outcomes considered were mortality and complexity. We developed ML models to predict polytrauma mortality or complexity using four ML algorithms, including Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). We assessed the models' performance and compared the optimal ML model against three existing trauma evaluation scores, including Injury Severity Score (ISS), Trauma Index (TI) and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). In addition, we identified several important clinical predictors that made contributions to the prognostic models. The XGBoost-based polytrauma mortality prediction model demonstrated a predictive ability with an accuracy of 90% and an F-score of 88%, outperforming SVM, RF and ANN models. In comparison to conventional scoring systems, the XGBoost model had substantial improvements in predicting the mortality of polytrauma patients. External validation yielded strong stability and generalization with an accuracy of up to 91% and an AUC of 82%. To predict polytrauma complexity, the XGBoost model maintained its performance over other models and scoring systems with good calibration and discrimination abilities. Feature importance analysis highlighted several clinical predictors of polytrauma complexity and mortality, such as Intracranial hematoma (ICH). Leveraging ML algorithms in polytrauma care can enhance the prognostic estimation of polytrauma patients. This approach may have potential value in the management of polytrauma patients.

Precise tooth design using deep learning-based templates.

OBJECTIVES: In prosthodontic procedures, traditional computer-aided design (CAD) is often time-consuming and lacks accuracy in shape restoration. In this study, we combined implicit template and deep learning (DL) to construct a precise neural network for personalized tooth defect restoration. METHODS: Ninety models of right maxillary central incisor (80 for training, 10 for validation) were collected. A DL model named ToothDIT was trained to establish an implicit template and a neural network capable of predicting unique identifications. In the validation stage, teeth in validation set were processed into corner, incisive, and medium defects. The defective teeth were inputted into ToothDIT to predict the unique identification, which actuated the deformation of the implicit template to generate the highly customized template (DIT) for the target tooth. Morphological restorations were executed with templates from template shape library (TSL), average tooth template (ATT), and DIT in Exocad (GmbH, Germany). RMSestimate, width, length, aspect ratio, incisal edge curvature, incisive end retraction, and guiding inclination were introduced to assess the restorative accuracy. Statistical analysis was conducted using two-way ANOVA and paired t-test for overall and detailed differences. RESULTS: DIT displayed significantly smaller RMSestimate than TSL and ATT. In 2D detailed analysis, DIT exhibited significantly less deviations from the natural teeth compared to TSL and ATT. CONCLUSION: The proposed DL model successfully reconstructed the morphology of anterior teeth with various degrees of defects and achieved satisfactory accuracy. This approach provides a more reliable reference for prostheses design, resulting in enhanced accuracy in morphological restoration. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This DL model holds promise in assisting dentists and technicians in obtaining morphology templates that closely resemble the original shape of the defective teeth. These customized templates serve as a foundation for enhancing the efficiency and precision of digital restorative design for defective teeth.

Chitosan nanoparticles loaded with Eucommia ulmoides seed essential oil: Preparation, characterization, antioxidant and antibacterial properties.

Eucommia ulmoides seed essential oil (EUSO) is a natural plant oil rich in various nutrients, which has been widely used due to its unique medicinal effects. However, it is prone to oxidation and rancidity under many adverse environmental influences. Nanoencapsulation technology can protect and slow down the loss of its biological activity. In this study, chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) loaded with EUSO were prepared by emulsification and ionic gel technology. EUSO-CSNPs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results confirmed the success of EUSO encapsulation and the encapsulation rate ranged from 36.95 % to 67.80 %. Nanoparticle size analyzer, Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that CSNPs were spherical particles with a range of 200.6-276.0 nm. The results of in vitro release study indicated that the release of EUSO was phased, and EUSO-CSNPS had certain sustained-release properties. Furthermore, EUSO-CSNPs had higher antioxidant and antibacterial abilities than pure EUSO and chitosan, which was verified through free radical scavenging experiments and bacteria biofilm experiments, respectively. This technology can enhance the medicinal value of EUSO in biomedical and other fields, and will provide support for in vivo research of EUSO-CSNPs in the future.

Forgiveness weakens women's counter-empathy both in the stage of self-oriented and other-oriented emotional responses.

Counter-empathy may have more serious negative effects on women than on men. Sixty-four female Chinese university students participated in this study. Based on the counter-empathy model in a competitive setting, we examined how forgiveness affects counter-empathy. We manipulated the degree of participants' forgiveness toward their opponents by changing the type of information they received from their opponents. We also measured counter-empathy through self-reported pleasantness caused by opponents' facial expressions (smiles or frowns). We found that forgiveness can effectively alleviate women's counter-empathy, restraining their emotional experience from being inconsistent with the offender and enhancing their empathic concern toward the offender. We preliminarily explored how forgiveness works on counter-empathy and provided insight into the use of forgiveness to maintain global women's emotional health.

Efficient removal of naphthenic acids from real petroleum wastewater by natural pyrite activated persulfate system.

The petroleum wastewater (PWW) contains a diverse range of recalcitrant organic contaminants. Of particular concern is the removal of naphthenic acids (NAs) due to the high toxicity and persistence. Persulfate (PS) based oxidation processes have shown promising in treating refractory wastewater, while the high costs of prepared catalysts limited their widespread implementation. This study aims to develop a cost-effective natural pyrite activated PS system for PWW treatment. The removal of NAs by pyrite/PS system was initially investigated. More than 90% of cyclohexanoic acid (CHA), a model NA, was removed in pyrite/PS system (2.0 g/L pyrite, 4.0 mM PS) at initial pH of 3-11. Scavenging experiments revealed that Fe(II) on pyrite surface was the reactive site for PS activation to generate reactive species, including sulfate radical (SO4·-), Fe(IV) and hydroxyl radical (·OH) for CHA degradation. Reactions of Fe(III) with S helped restore Fe(II) and enhance PS activation, resulting in the sustained catalytic activity of pyrites over five cycles. Cl-, SO42- and NO3- below 10 mM had minimal impact on CHA degradation in pyrite/PS system. However, over 1 mM of HCO3- inhibited 80% of CHA removal due to the buffer effect to maintain the high solution pH. Removing HCO3- from real PWW restored the removal of CHA and of total organic carbon (TOC) to over 90% and 71.3% in pyrite/PS system, respectively. Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) results indicated that O2‒6 species including NAs were primarily eliminated through mineralization and oxygen addition. Besides, O3-5S, NO3-5S and N3O2‒4 species were the most susceptible to oxidation in PWW, resulting in the increase of the oxidation level (i.e., O/Cwa) from 0.41 to 0.56 after treatment. This study provides valuable insights into the treatment of NAs in real PWW, and potential application of natural minerals in the treatment of industrial wastewater.

Effects of Different Processing Methods on the Quality and Physicochemical Characteristics of Laminaria japonica.

The effects of four domestic cooking methods, including blanching, steaming, boiling, and baking treatments, on processing properties, bioactive compound, pigments, flavor components, and tissue structure of Laminaria japonica were investigated. The results showed that the color and structure of kelp changed most obviously after baking; steaming was most beneficial in reducing the color change of the kelp (ΔE < 1), while boiling was most effective in maintaining the texture of the kelp (its hardness and chewiness were close to that of raw kelp); eight volatile compounds were detected in raw kelp, four and six compounds were detected in blanched and boiled kelp, while eleven and thirty kinds of compounds were detected in steamed and baked kelp, respectively. In addition, the contents of phloroglucinol and fucoxanthin in kelp after the four processing methods were significantly reduced (p < 0.05). However, of all the methods, steaming and boiling were the best at preserving these two bioactive substances (phloroglucinol and fucoxanthin) in kelp. Therefore, steaming and boiling seemed more appropriate to maintain the original quality of the kelp. Generally, to improve the sensory characteristics of each meal of Laminaria japonica and to maximize the retention of active nutrients, several different processing methods are provided according to the respective effects.

Empathy or Counter-Empathy? The Victims' Empathic Response Toward Offenders Depends on Their Relationships and Transgression Severity.

Introduction: Empathy facilitates prosocial behaviors, whereas counter-empathy harms others. The question that remains unanswered is: when and for whom do people show different empathic responses? This study aimed to explore the effects of transgression severity and interpersonal relationships on victims' empathy or counter-empathy toward an offender. Methods: Before and after experiencing a slight or serious transgression, 42 college students were asked to imagine that they had different relationships (ie, intimate, strange, or bad) with a person and then report their empathy or counter-empathy toward that person from cognitive and affective aspects. Results: The results showed that, in the affective aspect, the participants' empathy for the intimate friend decreased after a slight transgression and even disappeared after a serious transgression. For strangers, empathy transformed into counter-empathy after the transgression, and its intensity increased with the transgression's severity. For a person in a bad relationship, the participants felt counter-empathy before the transgression, and its intensity increased with the transgression's severity. In the cognitive aspect, participants' counter-empathy toward the stranger and the person in a bad relationship increased with transgression severity. Discussion: These results suggest that interpersonal relationships and transgression severity can change the type and degree of a victim's empathy toward the offender. Our findings not only deepen our understanding of the cognitive aspect of counter-empathy but also provide insights for handling interpersonal conflict.

"I'm listening, did it make any difference to your negative emotions?" Evidence from hyperscanning.

Hyperscanning refers to simultaneously recording the brain activity of two or more people participating in the same cognitive activity to reveal the underlying processes. Active listening is a necessary and important part of interpersonal emotional regulation; however, few studies have addressed the corresponding brain activity. Therefore, this study aims to explore the regulatory effect of active listening and changes in the brain using functional near-infrared optical spectroscopy(fNIRS) in real situations requiring interpersonal emotional regulation. Behavioral results show that active listening has a significant effect on improving individuals' negative emotions. According to the neuroimaging results, the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (right dlPFC), right temporoparietal junction (right TPJ), and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (left dlPFC) were significantly activated. In addition, band analysis showed interpersonal brain synchronization (IBS) increments at the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), right dlPFC, right TPJ, and left dlPFC at different frequencies. Measurements of IBS and behavioral coherence showed that the increases of IBS at the OFC, right dlPFC, right TPJ, and left dlPFC were not significantly correlated with depression, anxiety, and the empathy level of the emotional regulator. The present study provides brain imaging evidence for the effectiveness of active listening in interpersonal emotional regulation.

Traditional Cooking Methods Affect Color, Texture and Bioactive Nutrients of Undaria pinnatifida.

Undaria pinnatifida (U. pinnatifida) is an edible brown seaweed with high health value. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of traditional cooking methods (i.e., blanching, steaming, boiling and baking) on the color, texture and bioactive nutrients of U. pinnatifida, so as to screen out the traditional cooking methods more suitable for U. pinnatifida. In this study, methods of blanching and boiling resulted in better reduction in total color difference (0.91 ± 0.58 and 0.79 ± 0.34, respectively) and retention of chlorophyll A (62.99 ± 1.27 µg/g FW and 51.35 ± 1.69 µg/g FW), along with better elevation of fucoxanthin content (increased by 11.05% and 18.32%, respectively). Baking method got the best retention of total phenol content (1.62 ± 0.11 mg GAE/g DW), followed by methods of boiling and blanching (1.51 ± 0.07 mg GAE/g DW and 1.43 ± 0.05 mg GAE/g DW). Among these cooking methods, blanching and boiling seemed to be the more suitable for U. pinnatifida compared to other methods. These results could help to determine the better cooking methods for U. pinnatifida products and provide a scientific and theoretical basis for improving human dietary health.

Condyle bone destruction: the association between temporomandibular joint vibration and finite element analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to investigate the stress distributions of condyle and articular disc at different mandibular plane angles and the association between the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) vibration and anatomical relationship. SETTING AND SAMPLE POPULATION: Data from 195 untreated patients were analyzed. Patients were, respectively, divided into 3 groups, based on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT): Group 0 presenting normal condyles, Group 1 presenting mild bone change, and Group 2 presenting severe bone change; based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): normal disc position (N), disc displacement with reduction (DDR) and disc displacement without reduction (DDNR); based on the mandibular plane angle: low, normal and high. METHODS: (1) According to peak frequency, average amplitude, and occurrence phase, association was assessed between TMJ condition and TMJ vibration; (2) A three-dimensional finite element model of masticatory system was established and the relationship between mandibular plane angle and condyle bone destruction was described. RESULTS: The average amplitude of TMJ vibration negatively correlated with pathological condition of the articular disc (p < 0.01). The angle of SN-MP was strongly relevant to bone destruction of condyle (p < 0.01), and the biomechanical analysis showed that with the increase of SN-MP angle, the area of stress concentration in the posterior slope of condyle rose. CONCLUSIONS: The average amplitude of TMJ vibration decreased with the pathological position state of articular disc, and condyle bone destruction was positively associated with SN-MP angle.

Forgiveness weakens counterempathy at the early and late stage of empathic responses to opponents' expressions.

Our emotional response to people is discordant with their emotional experience in competitive situations; this phenomenon is termed "counterempathy." Using event-related potentials, this study investigated the neural underpinnings of the effect of forgiveness on counterempathy. Twenty-seven female university students participated in a two phase-interpersonal competitive game with two other players whose smiles and frowns indicated the participant's losing and winning, respectively. In the "passive" phase, participants were passively punished with a high- or low-intensity noise chosen by the opponent each time they lost a trial (i.e., the opponent smiles). During the break, participants received a negative or friendly message from each opponent. Participants were more likely to forgive the opponent who had sent a friendly message. In the "active" phase, participants could punish both opponents when they won a trial (i.e., the opponent frowns). Behavioral data showed that participants' empathic responses were inconsistent with the opponents' expressions, and that forgiveness could weaken this effect. The electrophysiological data revealed that both very early emotional sharing (reflected in the N170) and late elaborative cognitive evaluation stage (reflected in the P300) of counterempathy were affected by forgiveness, whereas the early automatic cognitive evaluation stage (reflected in the feedback-related negativity [FRN]) was not. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Co3ZnC@NC Material Derived from ZIF-8 for Lithium-Ion Capacitors.

Metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived carbon materials were widely reported as the anodes of lithium-ion capacitors (LICs). However, tunning the structure and electrochemical performance of the MOF-derived carbon materials is still challenging. Herein, metal carbide materials of Co3ZnC@NC-8:2 were obtained by the pyrolysis of the MOF materials of Co0.2Zn0.8ZIF-8 (Zn/Co ratio of 8:2). A half-cell assembled with the Co3ZnC@NC-8:2 electrode exhibits a discharge capacity of the electrode material of 598 mAh g-1 at a current density of 0.1 A g-1. After 100 cycles, the retention rate of discharge specific capacity is about 90%. The high performance of Co3ZnC@NC-8:2 is ascribed to its high crystalline degree and well-defined structure, which facilitates the intercalation/deintercalation of lithium ions and buffers the volume change during the charge/discharge process. The high capacitance contribution ratio calculated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) curves at different scanning rates indicates the pseudocapacitance storage mechanism. LICs constructed from the Co3ZnC@NC-8:2 material have a rectangular CV curve, while the charge-discharge curve has a symmetrical triangular shape. This study indicates that MOF-derived carbon is one of the promising materials for high-performance LICs.

Self-Assembled Sandwich-like MXene-Derived Composites as Highly Efficient and Sustainable Catalysts for Wastewater Treatment.

Photocatalysts play an increasingly important role in environmental remediation polluted by industrial wastewater. However, the preparation of adsorbents and catalysts with high activity by simple and easy methods is still a great challenge. Here, sandwich-like composite catalyst Cu2O/TiO2/Ti3C2 was prepared by an easily available solvent reduction measure for the highly efficient catalytic nitro compounds. In particular, sandwich-like composite catalyst Cu2O/TiO2/Ti3C2 exhibits excellent catalysis for 2-nitroaniline (2-NA) and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), and its pseudo-first-order reaction rate constants (k) are 0.163 and 0.114 min-1, respectively. Interestingly, even after eight consecutive cycles of catalytic experiments, the conversion rates of catalytic 2-NA and 4-NP are still greater than 95 and 92%, respectively, demonstrating that the obtained catalyst has excellent catalytic capability and a high reutilization rate. The excellent catalytic performances of Cu2O/TiO2/Ti3C2 can be attributed to the fact that Ti3C2 provides a greater reaction site for the formation of Cu2O and reduces the aggregation during the formation of Cu2O by in situ synthesis. Therefore, ternary composite catalyst Cu2O/TiO2/Ti3C2 prepared by solvent reduction not only supplies a technical method for the catalytic reaction of MXene-based material but also lays the foundation for the development of new photocatalysts.