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ABSTRACT Objective Overview Conclusions Clinical Significance To propose a new difficulty classification for vertical bone augmentation (VBA) based on different defect morphologies.VBA procedures for dental implant placement present significant biological and technical challenges. Among the various techniques, guided bone regeneration (GBR) provides an optimal balance between the anticipated bone gain and the likelihood of postoperative complications. Understanding the specific configuration of defects and adjacent bone peaks is essential for tailoring treatment strategies and improving outcomes. The proposed Simple‐Challenging‐Difficult (SCD) difficulty classification was based on defect morphology (V‐shaped, U‐shaped, VV‐shaped), including defect size (Height: < 5 mm, 5–8 mm, and > 8 mm), proximity of neighboring bony walls (Width: < 10 mm, 10–20 mm, and > 20 mm), as well as predictability of treatment outcomes.The proposed difficulty classification for VBA serves as a guide for selecting the most appropriate GBR treatment modality and sequence for safe and predictable management of VBA in implant therapy. In addition, when determining the preferred treatment, it is again essential to consider site‐specific and patient‐related factors alongside the clinician’s surgical experience and skill.Identifying defect patterns and bone peak structures is crucial, and the proposed classification assists in decision‐making in VBA treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly substituted naphthalene derivatives were prepared via palladium‐catalyzed reaction of 5‐(2‐bromophenyl)pent‐3‐en‐1‐ynes with arylboronic acids. Typically, reaction of 3‐bromo‐4‐(3‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐5‐phenyl‐1‐(p‐tolyl)pent‐2‐en‐4‐yn‐1‐yl)‐N‐methylaniline (1a) with PhB(OH)2 in the presence of Pd(PPh3)4 as the catalyst under basic conditions provided 8‐benzhydryl‐7‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐N‐methyl‐5‐(p‐tolyl)naphthalen‐2‐amine (2a) quantitatively. Overall, 19 new naphthalene compounds were obtained by this methodology and their structures were characterized by spectroscopic methods. In addition, crystal structure of 2j was determined to confirm the structural details. Reaction pathway leading to the desired product is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, multi-element nitride coatings composed of (Ti, Cr, Cu, Al, Si)N were synthesized on H13 tool steel using cathodic arc deposition (CAD) technology. The N2/Ar flow ratio varied from 0 to 2 as the experimental parameter, and two targets, Ti-Cr-Cu and Al-Si alloys, were utilized simultaneously. The impact of the gas flow ratio on the coatings' abrasion properties was investigated, focusing on aspects, such as chemical composition, adhesion, hardness, and wear behavior. The experimental findings indicate that the coated specimens with a nitrogen reaction exhibit superior hardness and abrasion resistance compared to those without nitrogen use. While the surface roughness of the specimens tends to increase slightly with a higher N2/Ar ratio, the coating demonstrates improved hardness, adhesion, and abrasion resistance performance. In summary, the wear-resistant characteristics of H13 tool steel can be significantly enhanced when applying a CAD-(Ti, Cr, Cu, Al, Si)N film with a flow ratio of N2/Ar = 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While surgery remains the primary treatment for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC), induction chemotherapy (IC) can be used as a bridging or neoadjuvant therapy. This nationwide study in Taiwan examines the survival outcomes of OCSCC patients who received IC before surgery. Methods: We analyzed data from 29,891 patients with OCSCC. Of these, 29,058 initially underwent surgery (OP group), whereas 833 received IC before surgery (IC + OP group). A propensity score (PS)‐matched analysis (4, 1 ratio, 3260 vs. 815 patients) was performed considering tumor subsite, sex, age, Charlson comorbidity index, clinical T1–T4b tumors, clinical N0–3 disease, and clinical stage I–IV. Results: In the PS‐matched cohort, the 5‐year disease‐specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 65% and 57%, respectively. When comparing the OP and IC + OP groups, the 5‐year DSS rates were 66% and 62%, respectively (p = 0.1162). Additionally, the 5‐year OS rates were 57% and 56%, respectively (p = 0.9917). No significant intergroup differences in survival were observed for specific subgroups with cT4a tumors, cT4b tumors, cN3 disease, pT4b tumors, and pN3 disease. However, for patients with pT4a tumors, the OP group demonstrated superior 5‐year outcomes compared to the IC + OP group, with a DSS of 62% versus 52% (p = 0.0006) and an OS of 53% versus 44% (p = 0.0060). Notably, patients with cT2–3, cN1, and c‐Stage II disease in the IC + OP group were significantly more likely to achieve pT0–1 status (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Following PS matching, the IC + OP group generally exhibited similar prognosis to the OP group. However, for pT4a tumors, the OP group showed superior 5‐year outcomes. While IC may not universally improve survival, it could be advantageous for patients who respond positively to the treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To assess the clinical outcomes and identify the ideal indication for implementing dorsal distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) capsular imbrication after triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) repair in cases of DRUJ instability. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on patients who underwent arthroscopic TFCC repair between 2016 and 2021. Inclusion criteria comprised a symptomatic ulna fovea sign for over 6 months and dorsal DRUJ subluxation on magnetic resonance imaging. A total of 225 patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 (135 cases) with a negative ballottement test after "Cross-form TFCC repair" (CR) and Group 2 (90 cases) with a positive ballottement test after "Cross-form TFCC repair" and augmented DRUJ stability through dorsal DRUJ capsular imbrication (CR + DCI). Pain visual analog scale score (VAS), grip strength, modified Mayo Wrist Score (MMWS), wrist range of motion (ROM), and patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) were assessed for a minimum of 3 years postoperatively. Results: Both groups showed significant improvements in pain VAS score, grip strength, wrist ROM, MMWS, and PROMs between the preoperative and postoperative periods (all P < 0.05). Recurrent DRUJ instability occurred in 3.7% and 1.1% of patients in the "CR" and "CR + DCI" groups, respectively, with a significant difference. Despite the "CR + DCI" group initially exhibiting inferior ROM compared with the "CR" group, subsequently, no significant difference was noted between them. Conclusions: Dorsal DRUJ capsular imbrication effectively reduces postoperative DRUJ instability rates, enhances grip strength, and maintains wrist ROM in patients with a positive intra-operative ballottement test after arthroscopic TFCC repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with threshold dynamics of a degenerate diffusive HBV infection model with DNA-containing capsids in heterogeneous environment. We firstly address the existence of global solutions, uniform and ultimate boundedness of solutions, asymptotic smoothness of semiflows and existence of a connected global attractor for the diffusive model. Then, we identify the basic reproduction number R 0 and establish a threshold-type result for the disease eradication or uniform persistence when R 0 ≤ 1 or R 0 > 1 , respectively. Especially, when R 0 > 1 and the diffusion rate of capsids or the diffusion rate of virions is zero, we further show that the model admits a unique infection steady state which is globally attractive. Our results indicate that the pathogen can be eliminated by limiting the mobility of the capsids or virions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An edge coloring of a graph G results in G being rainbow connected when every pair of vertices is linked by a rainbow path. Such a path is defined as one where each edge possesses a distinct color. A rainbow coloring refers to an edge coloring that guarantees the rainbow connectedness of G. The rainbow connection number of G represents the smallest quantity of colors required to achieve rainbow connectedness under a rainbow coloring scheme. Wang and Hsu (ICICM 2019: 75–79) provided upper bounds on the size of the rainbow connection numbers in WK-recursive networks WK d , t and WK-recursive pyramids WKP d , n . In this paper, we revise their results and determine the exact values of the rainbow connection numbers of WK d , 2 for d = 3 and 4. The rainbow connection numbers of WK d , 2 are bounded between 4 and ⌊ d 2 ⌋ + 2 for d > 4 . In addition to our previous findings, we further investigate and determine upper bounds for the size of the rainbow connection numbers of WKP d , n . This involves analyzing various aspects of the graph structure and exploring potential limitations on the rainbow connection numbers. By establishing these upper bounds, we gain deeper insights into the potential range and constraints of the rainbow connection numbers within the given context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin polymer‐based coatings with high oxygen barrier at elevated humidity are needed for the protection of food and organic electronic devices. Polyelectrolyte‐based thin films (deposited via layer‐by‐layer assembly) perform well at ambient humidity, but their performance typically dwindles as humidity increases due to their hydrophilic nature. Retention of their high barrier can be achieved through the addition of chemical crosslinkers or the introduction of inorganic platelets that create a nanobrick wall structure. In this study, a nanobrick wall barrier prepared with two types of clay, with a thickness less than 200 nm, is shown to reduce the oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of 179 µm polyethylene terephthalate to less than 0.016 cm3 m−2 day−1 atm−1. At 90% relative humidity (RH), a quadlayer barrier consisting of polyethylenimine, boehmite clay, poly(acrylic acid), and vermiculite clay maintains nearly 90% of its barrier performance at 0% RH (OTR = 0.019 cm3 m−2 day−1 atm−1). This study demonstrates the potential of dual clay thin film nanocomposites to protect various consumer goods at high humidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Windswept deformity (WSD) in relation to advanced osteoarthritis (OA) presents a significant surgical challenge in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The primary goal of this study is to investigate the Prevalance of WSD associated osteoarthritis who have undergone total knee arthroplasty. The secondary goal is to explore the causes of WSD and its association with spinal deformity or leg length discrepancy in these patients. Finally, we evaluate the surgical outcomes of phenotype-considered kinematically aligned TKA (KA-TKA) in treating patients with WSD. Methods: A review was conducted on data from 40 knees of 33 WSD patients who underwent phenotype-considered KA-TKA from August 2016 to December 2020. Patient demographics, associated diseases, preoperative and postoperative knee alignment angles, range of motion (ROM), Oxford Knee Score (OKS), and Knee Society Score (KSS) were collected and analyzed. Subgroup analysis for comparing the results between valgus and varus knees were also performed. Results: Within the studied cohort of WSD patients, a substantial 64% displayed concomitant coronal spinal imbalance and 21% evidenced leg length discrepancy. Postoperative improvements were notable in knee alignments, ROM, OKS, and KSS following the application of the phenotype-considered KA-TKA approach. There were significant differences in the knee alignment angles, including mHKA, LDFA, and MPTA, between the valgus and varus side of knees (P = 0.018). However, no statistically significant difference were observed in the functional scores, comprising ROM, OKS, and KSS, between valgus and varus knees. Conclusions: A high percentage of patients with WSD exhibited coronal spinal imbalance and leg length discrepancy. Phenotype-considered KA-TKA effectively provided alignment targets for the treatment of both varus and valgus knees in patients with WSD, achieving excellent short-term outcomes and acceptable knee alignment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The role of autoimmune diseases on the risk for acute epiglottitis remains uncertain. This study aimed to delineate the association between epiglottitis and autoimmune diseases using population database. Methods: A population-based retrospective study was conducted to analyze claims data from Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database collected over January, 2000, to December, 2013. Results: In total, 2339 patients with epiglottitis were matched with 9356 controls without epiglottitis by sex, age, socioeconomic status, and urbanization level. The correlation between autoimmune diseases and epiglottitis was analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Compared with controls, patients with epiglottitis were much more likely to have preexisting Sjögren syndrome (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.37; 95% CI: 1.14-4.91; P =.021). In addition, polyautoimmunity was associated with increased risk of epiglottitis (aOR: 2.08; 95% CI: 1.14-3.80; P =.018), particularly in those aged >50 years (aOR: 2.61; 95% CI: 1.21-5.66; P =.015). Conclusions: Among autoimmune diseases, we verify the association between epiglottitis and Sjögren syndrome in Taiwan. Furthermore, we present the novel discovery that patients with epiglottitis have an increased risk of polyautoimmunity, particularly those aged >50 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The sperm chromatin dispersion assay is commonly used to assess sperm DNA integrity. This approach is time‐consuming, demonstrates poor chromatin preservation, and provides an ambiguous and unstandardized evaluation of fragmented chromatin. Objectives: We aimed to (i) develop an optimized sperm chromatin dispersion assay with reduced operation time, (ii) validate R10 test accuracy by comparing it to a conventional sperm chromatin dispersion assay, and (iii) standardize the sperm DNA fragmentation analysis procedure by integrating artificial intelligence optical microscopic technology. Materials and methods: This cross‐section study included 620 semen samples. Aliquots were analyzed by a conventional Halosperm® G2 assay (G2) and LensHooke® R10 assay (R10). The DNA fragmentation index was scored manually, and R10 slides were automatically determined by a LensHooke® X12 PRO semen analysis system (X12). Results: We demonstrated significant improvements in total assay time (40 vs. 72 min, p < 0.001) and in the halo‐cytological resolution using R10 compared to G2. Comparing the G2 and R10, DNA fragmentation index results demonstrated good agreement between the two methods (Spearman's rank correlation, rho = 0.8517, p < 0.0001). We introduced the integration of an auto‐calculation system to diagnose sperm DNA fragmentation. X12 interpretation showed excellent agreement with manual interpretation (Spearman's rank correlation, rho = 0.9323, p < 0.0001), but had a low coefficient of variation compared to manual interpretation (4% for R10 by X12 vs. 19% for R10 by manual scoring vs. 25% for G2 by manual scoring). DNA fragmentation index was more correlated with total motility (coefficients = −0.3607, p < 0.0001) than sperm morphology and was positively associated with asthenozoospermic semen samples (p = 0.0001). Conclusion: The R10 sperm chromatin dispersion assay combined with the X12 semen analysis system is faster, more objective, and provides standardization for sperm DNA fragmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water and other small molecules frequently coordinate within metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs). These coordinated molecules may actively engage in mass transfer, moving together with the transport molecules, but this phenomenon has yet to be examined. In this study, we explore a unique water transfer mechanism in UTSA‐280, where an incoming water molecule can displace a coordinated molecule for mass transfer. We refer to this process as the "knock‐off" mechanism. Despite UTSA‐280 possessing one‐dimensional channels, the knock‐off transport enables water movement along the other two axes, effectively simulating a pseudo‐three‐dimensional mass transfer. Even with a relatively narrow pore width, the knock‐off mechanism enables a high water flux in the UTSA‐280 membrane. The knock‐off mechanism also renders UTSA‐280 superior water/ethanol diffusion selectivity for pervaporation. To validate this unique mechanism, we conducted 1H and 2H solid‐state NMR on UTSA‐280 after the adsorption of deuterated water. We also derived potential energy diagrams from the density functional theory to gain atomic‐level insight into the knock‐off and the direct‐hopping mechanisms. The simulation findings reveal that the energy barrier of the knock‐off mechanism is marginally lower than the direct‐hopping pathway, implying its potential role in enhancing water diffusion in UTSA‐280. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water and other small molecules frequently coordinate within metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs). These coordinated molecules may actively engage in mass transfer, moving together with the transport molecules, but this phenomenon has yet to be examined. In this study, we explore a unique water transfer mechanism in UTSA‐280, where an incoming water molecule can displace a coordinated molecule for mass transfer. We refer to this process as the "knock‐off" mechanism. Despite UTSA‐280 possessing one‐dimensional channels, the knock‐off transport enables water movement along the other two axes, effectively simulating a pseudo‐three‐dimensional mass transfer. Even with a relatively narrow pore width, the knock‐off mechanism enables a high water flux in the UTSA‐280 membrane. The knock‐off mechanism also renders UTSA‐280 superior water/ethanol diffusion selectivity for pervaporation. To validate this unique mechanism, we conducted 1H and 2H solid‐state NMR on UTSA‐280 after the adsorption of deuterated water. We also derived potential energy diagrams from the density functional theory to gain atomic‐level insight into the knock‐off and the direct‐hopping mechanisms. The simulation findings reveal that the energy barrier of the knock‐off mechanism is marginally lower than the direct‐hopping pathway, implying its potential role in enhancing water diffusion in UTSA‐280. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have established that the anti-Stokes Raman signal from plasmonic metal nanostructures can be used to determine the two separate temperatures that characterize carriers inside the metal—the temperature of photoexcited "hot carriers" and carriers that are thermalized with the metal lattice. However, the related signal in the Stokes spectral region has historically impeded surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, as the vibrational peaks of adsorbed molecules are always accompanied by the broad background of the metal substrate. The fundamental source of the metal signal, and hence its contribution to the spectrum, has been unclear. Here, we outline a unified theoretical model that describes both the temperature-dependent behavior and the broad spectral distribution. We suggest that the majority of the Raman signal is from inelastic scattering directly with carriers in a non-thermal energy distribution that have been excited via damping of surface plasmon. In addition, a significant spectral component (∼1%) is due to a sub-population of hot carriers with an energy distribution that is well approximated by an elevated temperature distribution, about 2000 K greater than the lattice temperature of the metal. We have performed temperature- and power-dependent Raman experiments to show how a simple fitting procedure reveals the plasmon dephasing time as well as the temperatures of the hot carriers and the metal lattice, in order to correlate these parameters with the quantitative Raman analysis of chemical species adsorbed on the metal surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the use of transfer-learning-based algorithms as data reduction strategies for the classification of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using the optical emission spectroscopy of plasmas. The plasma used is generated with a home-made microplasma generation device (MGD) ignited in the mixtures of Ar and VOCs. The spectra are acquired from ten MGDs. The VOCs tested are methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol. VOCs are classified using a convolutional neural network. In addition, gradient-weighted class activation mapping is used as the explainable artificial intelligent technique. It ensures the model classification is based upon rational plasma physics by considering appropriate wavelengths. The VOC concentrations are then quantified using linear regression and an artificial neural network (ANN). The transfer learning-based algorithms tested are parameter transfer, REPTILE, and self-training. Spectral data from ten MGDs are grouped into source and target datasets. Ten MGDs are tested individually using a model that was trained on the other nine MGDs. The three MGDs with the lowest accuracy are chosen as the target dataset, while the other seven MGDs make up the source dataset. The original target dataset has 22 500 spectra and is further reduced to 12 600, 9000, 1800, 225, and 22 spectra to test the behavior of each algorithm. With 225 spectra used for training, the model trained with the random initial model shows an accuracy of 0.82. The models trained with parameter transfer and REPTILE have accuracies of 0.98 and 0.95, respectively. Finally, an ANN model is used to quantify the VOC concentration with an R 2 value of 0.9996. The results demonstrate the potential using transfer-learning-based algorithms as the data reduction strategies for classification of spectroscopic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A live motile sperm sorting device (LensHooke® CA0) developed to prevent the deleterious effects of centrifugation was evaluated comparatively with conventional density-gradient centrifugation (DGC) and microfluidic-based device (Zymot) in sperm selection. Methods: Semen samples from 239 men were collected. CA0 under different incubation intervals (5, 10, 30, and 60 min) and temperatures (20, 25, and 37℃) was conducted. The sperm quality in CA0-, DGC-, and Zymot-processed samples was then comparatively evaluated. Semen parameters included concentration, motility, morphology, motion kinematics, DNA fragmentation index (DFI), and the rate of acrosome-reacted sperm (AR). Results: Total motility and motile sperm concentration increased in a time- and temperature-dependent manner and the total motility peaked for 30 min at 37℃. In paired analysis, CA0 showed significantly higher total motility (94.0%), progressive motility (90.8%), rapid progressive motility (83.6%), normal morphology (10.3%), and lower DFI (2.4%) and AR (4.7%) than the other two methods in normozoospermic samples (all p < 0.05). For non-normozoospermic samples, CA0 had significantly better results than the other two methods (total motility 89.2%, progressive motility 80.4%, rapid progressive motility 74.2%, normal morphology 8.5%, DFI 4.0%, and AR 4.0%; all p < 0.05). Conclusion: CA0 yielded spermatozoa with enhanced sperm fertilization potentials; DFI was minimized in samples processed by CA0. CA0 was effective for both normal and abnormal semen samples due to its consistent selection efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) is an attractive option for revision lumbar interbody fusion as it provides wide access for implant removal and accommodation of large interbody grafts for fusion. However, revision lumbar interbody fusion surgery has not been found to result in significantly better functional outcomes compared with other approaches. To date, no prognostic factors of anterior lumbar interbody fusion in revision lumbar interbody fusion have been reported. In this study, we investigated the surgical results and possible prognostic factors of anterior lumbar interbody fusion in revision lumbar interbody fusion. Methods: Patients who received revision interbody fusion surgery between January 2010 and May 2018 in our hospital were reviewed. Clinical outcomes were determined according to whether the VAS score improvement in back pain and leg pain reached the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) and Macnab criteria. Radiographic outcomes were assessed with fusion rate, preoperative, and postoperative lumbar lordosis. Operative-relative factors that may affect clinical outcomes, such as BMI, existence of cage migration, cage subsidence, pseudarthrosis, previous procedure, and number of fusion segments, were collected and analyzed. Results: A total of 22 consecutive patients who received ALIF for revision interbody fusion surgery were included and analyzed. There were 9 men and 13 women with a mean age at operation of 56 years (26–78). The mean follow-up was 73 months (20–121). The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was reached in 11 (50%) of the patients for back pain and 14 (64%) for leg pain. According to the modified Macnab criteria, 73% of the patients in this study had successful outcomes (excellent or good). The pain and lumbar lordosis had significant improvement (P < 0.05). Preoperative fusion segment ≥ 2 was shown to be a poor prognostic factor for back pain improvement reaching MCID (P = 0.043). Conclusions: ALIF has proven effective for revision lumbar fusion surgery, yielding positive clinical and radiographic results. However, having two or more preoperative fusion segments can negatively impact back pain improvement. Level of evidence: IV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Supine position reduces nasal patency compared with that in the sitting position; however, data on the effects of prone position on nasal patency is lacking. Methods: We assessed the nasal patency of 30 healthy individuals without upper respiratory tract disorders by using visual analog scale (VAS) score and acoustic rhinometry in 7 positions: sitting; frontal, right, and left supine; and frontal, right, and left prone. Results: According to the VAS scores, compared with that in the sitting position, both the supine and prone positions significantly increased subjective nasal obstruction (P <.001). The prone position had a more significant effect than did the supine position (P =.017). The results of minimal cross-sectional area measured through acoustic rhinometry demonstrated that both the supine and prone positions reduced the nasal patency significantly, but without significant differences between the effects of prone and supine positions (P =.794). Conclusion: This is the first study to elucidate that the prone position can significantly reduce the nasal patency in healthy individuals through subjective and objective assessments. Level of Evidence: IV [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serum apolipoprotein C3 (APOC3) predicts incident cardiovascular events in people with type 1 diabetes, and silencing of APOC3 prevents both lesion initiation and advanced lesion necrotic core expansion in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes. APOC3 acts by slowing the clearance of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, but lipid-free APOC3 has recently been reported to activate an inflammasome pathway in monocytes. We therefore investigated the contribution of hematopoietic inflammasome pathways to atherosclerosis in mouse models of type 1 diabetes. LDL receptor–deficient diabetes mouse models were transplanted with bone marrow from donors deficient in NOD, LRR and pyrin domain–containing protein 3 (NLRP3), absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) or gasdermin D (GSDMD), an inflammasome-induced executor of pyroptotic cell death. Mice with diabetes exhibited inflammasome activation and consistently, increased plasma interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18. Hematopoietic deletions of NLRP3, AIM2, or GSDMD caused smaller atherosclerotic lesions in diabetic mice. The increased lesion necrotic core size in diabetic mice was independent of macrophage pyroptosis because hematopoietic GSDMD deficiency failed to prevent necrotic core expansion in advanced lesions. Our findings demonstrate that AIM2 and NLRP3 inflammasomes contribute to atherogenesis in diabetes and suggest that necrotic core expansion is independent of macrophage pyroptosis. Article Highlights: The contribution of hematopoietic cell inflammasome activation to atherosclerosis associated with type 1 diabetes is unknown. The goal of this study was to address whether hematopoietic NOD, LRR, and pyrin domain–containing protein 3 (NLRP3), absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) inflammasomes, or the pyroptosis executioner gasdermin D (GSDMD) contributes to atherosclerosis in mouse models of type 1 diabetes. Diabetic mice exhibited increased inflammasome activation, with hematopoietic deletions of NLRP3, AIM2, or GSDMD causing smaller atherosclerotic lesions in diabetic mice, but the increased lesion necrotic core size in diabetic mice was independent of macrophage pyroptosis. Further studies on whether inflammasome activation contributes to cardiovascular complications in people with type 1 diabetes are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, enzymatic doped/undoped poly-silicon nanowire sensors with different lengths were fabricated using a top-down technique to measure glucose concentration. The sensitivity and resolution of these sensors correlate well with the dopant property and length of nanowire. Experimental results indicate that the resolution is proportional to the nanowire length and dopant concentration. However, the sensitivity is inversely proportional to the nanowire length. The optimum resolution can be better than 0.02 mg/dL for a doped type sensor with length of 3.5 μm. Furthermore, the proposed sensor was demonstrated for 30 applications with similar current-time response and showed good repeatability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we developed a glucose fiber sensor incorporating heterodyne interferometry to measure the phase difference produced by the chemical reaction between glucose and glucose oxidase (GOx). Both theoretical and experimental results showed that the amount of phase variation is inversely proportional to glucose concentration. The proposed method provided a linear measurement range of the glucose concentration from 10 mg/dL to 550 mg/dL. The experimental results indicated that the sensitivity is proportional to the length of the enzymatic glucose sensor, and the optimum resolution can be obtained at a sensor length of 3 cm. The optimum resolution of the proposed method is better than 0.6 mg/dL. Moreover, the proposed sensor demonstrates good repeatability and reliability. The average relative standard deviation (RSD) is better than 10% and satisfied the minimum requirement for point-of-care devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, different austempering conditions were applied to 1 wt.% Cu-alloyed ductile iron to produce various austempered ductile irons (ADIs). The study aimed to explore the variations in microstructure, hardness, and dry/wet wear behaviors of the ADIs. The experimental results indicated that the microstructure of the 300 °C–ADI has denser needle-like ausferrite, lower retained austenite content, and higher carbon content in austenite compared with the 360 °C–ADI. As the austempering time increased, the retained austenite content decreased, while the carbon content of austenite increased. Regardless of dry or wet abrasive behavior, the wear resistance of the ADIs was significantly superior to that of the as-cast material. The ADI obtained at 300 °C for 10 h demonstrated the best wear resistance performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute epiglottitis (AE) is a potential emergency of the respiratory tract caused mainly by bacterial infection. However, nonbacterial infection causes, such as corrosive injuries, may result in death due to gastrointestinal perforation if a timely diagnosis is not available. We report the case of an elderly patient with an acute melancholic episode who encountered corrosive epiglottitis (CE) caused by accidental ingestion of hydrochloric acid and compare the features of CE and AE, including the immediate onset of symptoms, normal findings on blood tests, and endoscopy revealing pale swollen epiglottitis. This case can prove to be an important reference for clinicians for differential diagnosis, especially when treating epiglottitis in patients with psychiatric disorders and unclear expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The absorption cross section of lead halide perovskite nanocrystals is important for understanding their photophysical properties, especially those depending on the density of photoexcited charge carriers. Despite its importance, there are large discrepancies among the reported absorption cross section values determined employing different methods. Here, we measured the absorption cross section of CsPbBr3 quantum dots (QDs) of varying sizes using elemental analysis and transient absorption (TA) saturation methods and compared with the previously reported values determined from elemental analysis and transient photoluminescence (PL) saturation methods. A careful comparison indicates that the reliable absorption cross section of lead halide perovskite QDs is obtained from both elemental analysis and TA saturation methods, while many previously reported values determined from the PL saturation method underestimate the absorption cross section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We examined the relationship between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: First, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 480 participants without known diabetes. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was administered after overnight fasting, and blood samples were collected at 0, 30, and 120 min. Second, a total of 3003 participants were enrolled for the case–control genetic analysis. After assigning them to a case or a control group based on age and CKD status, we investigated the association between BDNF gene variants and susceptibility to CKD. Results: A higher fasting serum BDNF quartile was significantly associated with a lower prevalence of CKD (P value for trend < 0.001). Based on the receiver operating characteristic analysis, the fasting BDNF level had a larger area under the curve for differentiating CKD (0.645, 95% CI 0.583‒0.707) than the BDNF levels at both 30 min (0.547, 95% CI 0.481‒0.612) and 120 min (0.598, 95% CI 0.536‒0.661). A significantly lower CKD prevalence (odds ratio = 0.30, 95% CI 0.12‒0.71) was observed in the highest quartile of fasting BDNF level than that in the lowest quartile, whereas no interquartile differences were observed for BDNF levels determined at 30 or 120 min during the OGTT. Furthermore, BDNF-associated variants, including rs12098908, rs12577517, and rs72891405, were significantly associated with CKD. Conclusions: The BDNF level at fasting, but not at 30 and 120 min after glucose intake, was an independent indicator of CKD. In addition, significant associations were observed between three BDNF gene variants and CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The digital artery-based V–Y advancement flap is a widely used flap for soft tissue coverage in the treatment of flexion contracture of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint. A standard method for the flap design and a mathematical method to predict the advance distance have not been well established. In this study, we proposed a simplified method for the design of V–Y advancement flaps based on digital arteries and used a geometric model to predict the advance distance for the flexion contracture correction surgery. Methods: According to the general concept of hand flap design and law of cosine, we proposed three principles in the design of the digital artery-based V–Y advancement flap that should be followed. Since 2021 to 2022, finger geometric data of 120 fingers (index, middle, ring, and small fingers) from 30 healthy participants were collected and analysed to evaluate the necessary advance distance and flap tip angle for PIP flexion contracture correction of different fingers by our flap design method. Results: The middle finger needed a significantly longer advance distance compared to other fingers in the same degree flexion contracture correction. The ring finger had the largest length-to width ratio and smallest flap tip angle among the four fingers in the V–Y flap design. No vertical scar crossed the flexion creases and flap tip angle < 20° was found in the tentative V–Y flap design for the 120 fingers. Conclusions: Our flap design method provides a proper advance distance and flap length-to-width ratio without common skin complications in the flap design for PIP flexion contracture of index, middle, ring and small fingers. This geometric model provides a mathematical basis for prediction of advance distance and flap tip angle in the design of a digital artery-based V–Y advancement flap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Road traffic injuries (RTIs) pose significant public health threats, particularly for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. While recent studies have revealed adverse impacts of heat exposure on RTI frequency among motorized road users, a research gap persists in understanding these impacts on non-motorized road users, especially in tropical regions where their vulnerability can be heightened due to differential thermal exposure, adaptive capacity, and biological sensitivity. In this study, we compared associations between high temperatures and RTIs across four different crash-involved modes of transportation—pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and car drivers in Taiwan. Leveraging data on RTI records and temperature conditions in Taiwan's six municipalities from 2018 to 2022, we conducted a city-time-stratified case-crossover analysis. We employed distributed lag non-linear models with conditional Poisson regression models to estimate temperature-RTI associations for each mode of transportation, adjusting for various weather factors and unmeasured spatio-temporal patterns. Our findings reveal that individuals using exposed, open transportation modes (i.e., pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists) exhibited higher relative risks of heat-induced RTIs than car drivers, with non-motorized mode users showing greater susceptibility compared to their motorized counterparts. These elevated risks can be attributed to the absence of built-in cooling systems in open travel modes and the increased exertional heat stress implied in active travel. Our study contributes novel insights to a global concern related to climate change, extending its impact to road safety, a health outcome rarely studied in the context of a changing climate. Our findings are thus important, especially for regions where rising temperatures regularly approach or exceed human physiological limits related to heat tolerance in the coming decades. Additionally, our findings hold significance in the existing urban health literature, particularly within the context of the emerging era of micromobility—a category of low-speed, non-enclosed, and lightweight vehicles increasingly integrated into urban activities worldwide. • Road injury frequency linked to temperature via time-stratified case-crossover analysis. • Heat effects on road injury frequency compared among walking, bicycle, motorcycle, and car. • Open transportation modes show greater heat-related injury risks than enclosed ones. • Active modes exhibit higher heat-induced injury risks than motorized ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We created PDX/2D/3D models of non-small cell lung cancer without EGFR and ALK/ROS1 aberrations. • Next-generation sequencing data showed a high frequency of wildtype EGFR amplification and CDKN2A/2B homozygous deletion in the PDX models. • Data indicated that PDX/2D/3D models with wildtype EGFR amplification and CDKN2A/2B homozygous deletion are highly sensitive to osimertinib plus palbociclib in vivo and in vitro. • Osimertinib's antitumor activity decreased in oncogenic KRAS mutation model. • Amplification of the wildtype EGFR leads to increased osimertinib sensitivity. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients without targetable driver mutation have limited treatment options. In this study, we aimed to explore a new therapeutic strategy by using established nine patient-derived xenograft (PDX) and two-dimensional (2D) /3D culture models with specific genetic alternations. The gene mutations and copy number aberrations were detected by next-generation sequencing and confirmed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by DNA sequencing, and genomic DNA quantitative PCR. Protein expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Drug sensitivities of PDX/2D/3D models were evaluated by in vivo and in vitro antitumor assays. RNA interference was performed to silence gene expression. Our study found that 44.4 % (4/9) of cases had CDKN2A homozygous deletion (homdel), while 33.3 % (3/9) had CDKN2B homdel. Additionally, 22.2 % (2/9) had amplification (amp) in wildtype CDK4 , 44.4 % (4/9) in CDK6 , and 44.4 % (4/9) in EGFR. Among the cases, 77.8 % (7/9) lacked CDKN2A, and 33.3 % (3/9) had high CDK4, CDK6, and EGFR had high protein expression. Moreover, 33.3 % (3/9) had KRAS mutations, and 66.7 % (6/9) had TP53 mutations. Antitumor activity of osimertinib plus palbociclib was assessed in four PDX/2D/3D models, two of which had simultaneous EGFR amp and CDKN2A/2B homdel. The data showed that NSCLC with EGFR amp and CDKN2A/2B homdel were sensitive to combined drugs. Additional oncogenic KRAS mutation reduced the drug's antitumor effect. EGFR amp is responsible for osimertinib sensitivity. Osimertinib plus palbociclib effectively treat NSCLC with wildtype EGFR and CDK6 amp and CDKN2A/2B homdel in the absence of oncogenic KRAS mutation. PDX/2D/3D models were generated from non-small cell lung cancer without EGFR and ALK/ROS1 aberrations. We found that these PDX models have high frequencies of wildtype EGFR and CDK4/6 amplification and CDKN2A/2B homozygous deletion. Anti-cancer activity assays showed that PDX/2D/3D models with wildtype EGFR and CDK4/6 amplification and CDKN2A/2B homozygous deletion were highly sensitive to osimertinib plus palbociclib. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with propagation dynamics in a nonlocal dispersal HIV infection model. The existence and asymptotic behavior of traveling waves with wave speeds not less than a critical speed were derived in the recent work of Wang and Ma [J. Math. Anal. Appl. 457 (2018), pp. 868–889]. However, the asymptotic behavior of the critical traveling wave and minimum wave speed were not clarified completely. In this article, we first affirm the asymptotic behavior of the critical traveling wave at negative infinity. Then we prove the non-existence of traveling waves when either the basic reproduction number \mathcal {R}_0<1 or the wave speed is less than the critical spreed and \mathcal {R}_0>1. Our result provides a complete complement for the wave propagation in the infection model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety of a single subcutaneous dose of romosozumab 210 mg, a monoclonal antibody against sclerostin, in an open‐label, parallel‐group study in participants with severe (stage 4) renal impairment (RI; n = 8) or end‐stage renal disease requiring hemodialysis (ESRD‐RH; n = 8), or healthy participants with normal renal function (n = 8). Compared with the group with normal renal function, the mean romosozumab exposure was 31% and 43% higher as measured by maximum observed serum concentration and area under the concentration‐time curve, respectively, in the severe RI group and similar to those in the ESRD‐RH group. For all 3 groups, the maximum mean percent increase in procollagen type 1 N terminal propeptide and decrease in serum C‐telopeptide levels from baseline were observed on day 15. Changes in procollagen type 1 N terminal propeptide and serum C‐telopeptide were of similar patterns in all 3 groups. The single dose of romosozumab 210 mg was well tolerated. Adverse events (AEs) were reported for 13 patients (7 patients with severe RI and 6 with ESRD‐RH), with no deaths, AEs, or serious AEs leading to withdrawal. The incidence of subjects with postbaseline transient decreases in serum calcium (severe RI, n = 1; ESRD‐RH, n = 5) and increases in intact parathyroid hormone (severe RI, n = 7; ESRD‐RH, n = 7; healthy, n = 3) were greater in severe RI and ESRD‐RH groups than in the healthy group. All reported events of hypocalcemia (severe RI, n = 1; ESRD‐RH, n = 4) were asymptomatic. These results support the use of romosozumab without dose adjustment in patients with severe RI or ESRD‐RH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In individuals with epiglottitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common comorbidity; however, the impact of COPD under such circumstances is not well documented. Therefore, we performed this population-based study to determine whether, in adults, COPD is a risk factor for epiglottitis. Methods: In this retrospective matched-cohort study, data obtained from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database were analyzed. We identified all patients newly diagnosed as having COPD in 2000–2011 and performed frequency matching and propensity-score matching for every patient with COPD individually to another patient without a COPD diagnosis. We used epiglottitis occurrence as the study endpoint, and we investigated the hazard ratio of epiglottitis by using the Cox proportional hazards model after adjustment for potential confounders. Results: In the frequency matching, the cumulative epiglottitis incidence was significantly higher (p = 0.005) in the COPD cohort. According to the adjusted Cox proportional hazard model, COPD exhibited a significant association with elevated epiglottitis incidence (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.76; 95% confidence interval: 1.15–2.70, p = 0.009). Similar trend was observed in the propensity-score matching analysis (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.50; 95% confidence interval: 0.99–2.29, p = 0.057). Our subgroup analysis revealed COPD to be an epiglottitis risk factor in male patients and those aged 40–64 years. Conclusions: This is the first nationwide matched-cohort research to examine the association of COPD with epiglottitis. Our results revealed that COPD may be a potential risk factor for epiglottitis; thus, clinicians should be mindful of the potential increased risk of epiglottitis following COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate differences in the effectiveness of two lag screws, a regular bone plate, and locking bone plate fixation in treating horizontal oblique metacarpal shaft fractures. Materials and methods: Horizontal oblique metacarpal shaft fractures were created in 21 artificial metacarpal bones and fixed using one of the three methods: (1) two lag screws, (2) a regular plate, and (3) a locking plate. All the specimens were subjected to the cantilever bending test performed using a material testing machine to enable recording of the force–displacement data of the specimens before failure. The Kruskal–Wallis test was used to compare failure force and stiffness values among the three fixation methods. Results: The mean failure force of the two lag screw group (78.5 ± 6.6 N, mean + SD) was higher than those of the regular plate group (69.3 ± 17.6 N) and locking plate group (68.2 ± 14.2 N). However, the mean failure force did not significantly differ among the three groups. The mean stiffness value of the two lag screw group (17.8 ± 2.6 N/mm) was lower than those of the regular plate group (20.2 ± 10.5 N/mm) and locking plate group (21.8 ± 3.8 N/mm). However, the mean stiffness value did not significantly differ among the three groups. Conclusion: The fixation strength of two lag screw fixation did not significantly differ from that of regular and locking bone plate fixation, as indicated by the measurement of the ability to sustain force and stiffness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postoperative radiotherapy remains the gold standard for malignant glioma treatment. Clinical limitations, including tumor growth between surgery and radiotherapy and the emergence of radioresistance, reduce treatment effectiveness and result in local disease progression. This study aimed to develop a local drug delivery system to inhibit tumor growth before radiotherapy and enhance the subsequent anticancer effects of limited-dose radiotherapy. We developed a compound of carboplatin-loaded hydrogel (CPH) incorporated with carboplatin-loaded calcium carbonate (CPCC) to enable two-stage (peritumoral and intracellular) release of carboplatin to initially inhibit tumor growth and to synergize with limited-dose radiation (10 Gy in a single fraction) to eliminate malignant glioma (ALTS1C1 cells) in a C57BL/6 mouse subcutaneous tumor model. The doses of carboplatin in CPH and CPCC treatments were 150 μL (carboplatin concentration of 5 mg/mL) and 15 mg (carboplatin concentration of 4.1 μg/mg), respectively. Mice receiving the combination of CPH-CPCC treatment and limited-dose radiation exhibited significantly reduced tumor growth volume compared to those receiving double-dose radiation alone. Furthermore, combining CPH-CPCC treatment with limited-dose radiation resulted in significantly longer progression-free survival than combining CPH treatment with limited-dose radiation. Local CPH-CPCC delivery synergized effectively with limited-dose radiation to eliminate mouse glioma, offering a promising solution for overcoming clinical limitations. [Display omitted] • Novel strategies for overcoming malignant glioma's proliferation and radioresistance. • A local delivery system of carboplatin enables temporal and spatial precision release. • Peritumoral sustained carboplatin release inhibits initial tumor proliferation before radiotherapy. • Intracellularly condensed carboplatin release enhances subsequent radiotherapy to eliminate tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Discharge acceleration and weaving maneuvers of food-delivery workers analyzed. • Naturalistic driving of workers under temporary vs. cumulative basis model compared. • UberEats workers, under the cumulative model, subject to consistent risky driving. • Foodpanda workers, under the temporary model, prone to riskier driving in bonus hours. • Platform-established time-sensitive incentives shape ODFD workers' driving strategy. The gig economy has witnessed prevalent risky driving among on-demand food-delivery (ODFD) drivers worldwide, including speeding, red-light running, and improper lane-changing. While studies have linked this trend to digital platforms' business models, there remains a research gap in understanding how time-sensitive incentive strategies impact ODFD workers' risky driving during real-world operations due to limited evidence in naturalistic driving conditions. Using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) videography collected at signalized intersections in Taiwan, we examined risk-taking behavior among ODFD drivers under two different incentive structures. We analyzed two indicators of risky driving: discharge acceleration and weaving maneuvers, derived from 0.1-second resolution vehicular trajectories extracted using AI-based video recognition software. We compared these indicators across three driver groups: non-ODFD motorcyclists and two ODFD motorcyclist groups from Taiwan's major ODFD platforms—UberEats and Foodpanda. We found that UberEats motorcyclists, operating under the "cumulative basis model", where incentives depend on the number of completed tasks accumulated within a strict period, consistently exhibited harsher discharge acceleration and more frequent leftward weaving than non-ODFD motorcyclists. In contrast, Foodpanda motorcyclists, under the "temporary basis model" with higher pay rates during high-demand bonus hours, engaged in even riskier driving by increasing rightward weaving frequency, particularly during bonus hours. Our intra-ODFD analysis extends beyond prior work comparing ODFD and non-ODFD drivers, highlighting how incentive structures subtly influence ODFD motorcyclists' risk-taking behavior and contributing to road safety literature within the ODFD sector. Regulations should mitigate road risks externalized by the incentive strategies prevalently used by digital platforms in the gig economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas permeation in metal-organic framework-based (MOF-based) membranes is often elucidated through the solution-diffusion model, where the adsorption and diffusion of gases play equally vital roles. This study draws attention to a unique phenomenon known as single-file diffusion (SFD) occurring within MOF membranes that possess ultramicropores with dimensions comparable to the gas molecules themselves. When SFD takes place, the separation performance becomes solely reliant on the adsorption quantities on the feed side of the membrane. As a proof of concept, we fabricated a UTSA-280 membrane and subjected it to testing using gas mixtures of CO 2 /N 2 and CO 2 /CH 4. Two crucial observations substantiate the occurrence of single-file diffusion. Firstly, in the gas mixtures, the diffusion coefficients of N 2 or CH 4 were observed to align closely with that of CO 2 , despite the intrinsic diffusion coefficients of CO 2 , N 2 , and CH 4 , as determined from single-gas permeation experiments, exhibiting differences. Secondly, the CO 2 mole fractions within the adsorption phase closely mirrored those in the gas phase on the permeate side. Given the high adsorption selectivity of UTSA-280 for CO 2 , the UTSA-280 membrane delivers outstanding permeation selectivity for CO 2 /N 2 (611) and CO 2 /CH 4 (80.7). Our experimental findings are supported by mesoscale kinetic Monte Carlo simulations, which confirmed the relation between the CO 2 compositions in the adsorption phase on the feed side and in the gas phase on the permeate side. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations revealed high energy barriers associated with CO 2 surpassing its counterparts, rendering such processes unfavorable, thereby reinforcing our experimental findings regarding single-file diffusion. [Display omitted] • The UTSA-280 membrane is fabricated through interfacial growth. • The UTSA-280 membrane exhibits high CO 2 /N 2 selectivity (611) • The UTSA-280 membrane exhibits high CO 2 /CH 4 selectivity (80.7). • Single-file diffusion within the UTSA-280 membrane is investigated. • Single-file diffusion could make permeation selectivity governed by adsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Provision of parenteral or oral iron supplementation can restore iron stores and maintain stable hemoglobin levels in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hemodialysis (HD) patients. The route for oral or intravenous (IV) administration of iron depends on the acuity of anemia, costs, and patient tolerance. IV iron can restore iron stores rapidly but also carries higher risks for allergy and infection. Oral iron supplementation is limited by high gastrointestinal adverse effects. Methods: We conducted an open-label trial to study the efficiency of a film-coated iron supplementation tablet, which contains ferrous bisglycinate chelate, vitamin C, and folic acid, in CKD stage 3b to 4 and HD patients. Results: Twenty-seven HD patients and 20 CKD patients participated this study. After a 16-week intervention, low-dose ferrous bisglycinate chelate improved serum iron concentration (67.8 vs 87.2 mg/dL, p = 0.04) and transferrin saturation (24.7% vs 31.3%, p = 0.03) in stage 3 to 4 CKD patients, restored iron loss, and maintained stable hemoglobin levels in HD patients. No GI upset events were reported. Conclusion: Ferrous bisglycinate chelate is a well-tolerated oral iron supplementation for CKD and HD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: High sustained virological response (SVR) rate (>95%) and liver stiffness regression can be achieved with direct acting antivirals treatment (DAA) in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (CHC) infection. Reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) was reported during DAA treatment in patients co-infected with HBV, although its impact on liver stiffness remains unknown. This study aims to investigate whether the liver stiffness (LSM) regression is different between HBV/HCV co-infected and mono-HCV-infected patients. Materials and Methods: CHC patients with/without HBV co-infection who received DAA treatment and achieved SVR12 between March 2015 and December 2019 in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou branch were prospectively enrolled. LSM was assessed by transient elastography (TE, Fibroscan) at baseline and after SVR. Propensity score matching (PSM) at 3:1 ratio, adjusted for age, gender, pre-DAA alanine aminotransferase (ALT), platelet count, and LSM, between CHC with and without HBV co-infection, was performed before further analysis. Results: Among 906 CHC patients enrolled, 52 (5.7%) patients had HBV/HCV co-infection. Patients with HBV/HCV co-infection were of younger age (61.8 vs. 63.2, p = 0.31), with a higher proportion of males (53.8% vs. 38.9%, p = 0.03), and lower pretreatment LSM level (8.15 vs. 10.2 kPa, p = 0.09), while other features were comparable. After PSM, patients with HBV/HCV co-infection had insignificantly lower LSM regression compared to mono-HCV-infected patients (−0.85 kPa vs. −1.65 kPa, p = 0.250). Conclusions: The co-infection of HBV among CHC patients has limited impact on liver stiffness regression after successful DAA treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optical and electrical properties of CaLa4(Zr0.05Ti0.95)4O15 thin films prepared through radio frequency magnetron sputtering with various Ar/O2 ratios and substrate temperatures were investigated. All films exhibited the CaLa4(Zr0.05Ti0.95)4O15 structure with the (110) orientation perpendicular to the substrate surface. The increase in the grain size was depended on the deposition conditions. Optical transmittance spectroscopy revealed over 80% transparency in the visible region of the spectrum. At an Ar/O2 ration of 100/0, a substrate temperature of 300 °C and an annealing temperature of 900 °C in an oxygen furnace for 60 min, the CaLa4(Zr0.05Ti0.95)4O15 film possessed a dielectric constant of 12.6 at 1 MHz, a dissipation factor of 0.22 at 1 MHz, a leakage current density of 3.82 × 10−9 A/cm2 at an electrical field of 50 kV/cm, average transmission in the visible range of over 80%, and an optical bandgap of 3.82 eV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Omecamtiv mecarbil (OM) is a novel selective cardiac myosin activator under investigation for the treatment of heart failure. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of therapeutic concentrations of OM on electrocardiogram (ECG) parameters and exclude a clinically concerning effect on the rate‐corrected QT (QTc) interval. Methods: In part A, 70 healthy subjects received a 25 mg oral dose of OM, and pharmacokinetics were assessed. Only subjects with maximum observed plasma concentration ≤ 350 ng/mL (n = 60) were randomized into part B, where they received a single oral dose of placebo, 50 mg OM and 400 mg moxifloxacin in a 3‐period, 3‐treatment, 6‐sequence crossover study with continuous ECG collection. Results: After a 50‐mg dose of OM, mean placebo‐corrected change from baseline QTcF (∆∆QTcF; Fridericia correction) ranged from −6.7 ms at 1 hour postdose to −0.8 ms at 4 hours postdose. The highest upper bound of the 1‐sided 95% confidence interval (CI) was 0.7 ms (4 h postdose). Moxifloxacin resulted in a clear increase in mean ∆∆QTcF, with a peak value of 13.1 ms (90% CI: 11.71–14.57) at 3 hours; lower bound of the 1‐sided 95% CI was > 5 ms at all of the 3 prespecified time points. Based on a concentration–QTc analysis, an effect on ∆∆QTcF exceeding 10 ms can be excluded up to OM plasma concentrations of ~800 ng/mL. There were no serious or treatment‐emergent adverse events leading to discontinuation from the study. Conclusion: OM does not have a clinically relevant effect on the studied ECG parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sequential recommendation (SR) learns from the temporal dynamics of user-item interactions to predict the next ones. Fairness-aware recommendation mitigates a variety of algorithmic biases in the learning of user preferences. This article aims at bringing a marriage between SR and algorithmic fairness. We propose a novel fairness-aware sequential recommendation task, in which a new metric, interaction fairness, is defined to estimate how recommended items are fairly interacted by users with different protected attribute groups. We propose a multi-task learning-based deep end-to-end model, FairSR, which consists of two parts. One is to learn and distill personalized sequential features from the given user and her item sequence for SR. The other is fairness-aware preference graph embedding (FPGE). The aim of FPGE is two-fold: incorporating the knowledge of users' and items' attributes and their correlation into entity representations, and alleviating the unfair distributions of user attributes on items. Extensive experiments conducted on three datasets show FairSR can outperform state-of-the-art SR models in recommendation performance. In addition, the recommended items by FairSR also exhibit promising interaction fairness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disputes over imperial succession in the Yuan dynasty were an important factor in its decline and fall. Among these disputes, the succession of Yuan Chengzong ... (r. 1294-1307) deserves special attention. Chengzong was the first emperor to succeed after Shizu ... (r. 1260-1294) declared the dynastic name Da Yuan ... (Great Yuan), and he was also the first descendant of Jingim ... to take control of the throne. This paper re-examines several indicative political events before the succession of Chengzong, including the political storm caused by the death of Jingim, the tendency of Jingim's sons to become designated as heirs, the formation of Chengzong's ascendancy and the process of his accession to the throne. It also discusses the rise, fall and reorganization of political forces during Shizu's reign as seen in the above events, especially the political role played by Jingim's widow, Kökejin .... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Associations between hepatitis C virus (HCV) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) have been reported; however, differences of renal progression between general and CKD population remain to be elucidated in prospective studies. A total of 1179 participants, who have tested for anti-HCV antibody, were enrolled and prospectively followed for 3 years. The risks associated with HCV infection, in terms of incidence of CKD, annual estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) changes and 50% decline of eGFR at 3-year from baseline, were compared between normal renal function subjects and CKD patients. Overall, 111 of 233 (47.6%) CKD patients and 167 of 946 (17.7%) non-CKD subjects had HCV infection. The crude incidence rates of CKD were 226.9 per 1000 person-years and 14.8 per 1000 person-years in in HCV and non-HCV infected patients, respectively. The adjusted hazard ratio of HCV infection for incident CKD was 7.9 (95% CI 5–12.7). The HCV-infected normal renal function subjects were independently associated with increased risks of eGFR decline in the 1-year, 2-year and 3-year, respectively. The risk associations remained significant in 50% decline of eGFR at 3 years models and in different subgroup analyses. The increases of risks of eGFR decline were also notorious among overall HCV-infected CKD patients. However, the risk associations were less prominent in subgroup analyses (elderly, women and diabetic patients). The findings highlighted the importance of viral diagnosis with not only prognostic but also public health implications for preserving kidney function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Metacarpal shaft fractures are a common hand trauma. The current surgical fixation options for such fractures include percutaneous Kirschner wire pinning and nonlocking and locking plate fixation. Although bone plate fixation, compared with Kirschner wire pinning, has superior fixation ability, a consensus has not been reached on whether the bone plate is better placed on the dorsal or lateral side. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the fixation of locking and regular bone plates on the dorsal and lateral sides of a metacarpal shaft fracture. Materials and methods: Thirty-five artificial metacarpal bones were used in the experiment. Metacarpal shaft fractures were created using a saw blade, which were then treated with four types of fixation as follows: (1) a locking plate with four locking bicortical screws on the dorsal side (LP_D); (2) a locking plate with four locking bicortical screws on the lateral side (LP_L); (3) a regular plate with four regular bicortical screws on the dorsal side (RP_D); (4) a regular plate with four regular bicortical screws on the lateral side (RP_D); and (5) two K-wires (KWs). All specimens were tested through cantilever bending tests on a material testing system. The maximum fracture force and stiffness of the five fixation types were determined based on the force–displacement data. The maximum fracture force and stiffness of the specimens with metacarpal shaft fractures were first analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey's test. Results: The maximum fracture force results of the five types of metacarpal shaft fracture were as follows: LP_D group (230.1 ± 22.8 N, mean ± SD) ≅ RP_D group (228.2 ± 13.4 N) > KW group (94.0 ± 17.4 N) > LP_L group (59.0 ± 7.9 N) ≅ RP_L group (44.5 ± 3.4 N). In addition, the stiffness results of the five types of metacarpal shaft fracture were as follows: LP_D group (68.7 ± 14.0 N/mm) > RP_D group (54.9 ± 3.2 N/mm) > KW group (20.7 ± 5.8 N/mm) ≅ LP_L group (10.6 ± 1.7 N/mm) ≅ RP_L group (9.4 ± 1.2 N/mm). Conclusion: According to our results, the mechanical strength offered by lateral plate fixation of a metacarpal shaft fracture is so low that even KW fixation can offer relatively superior mechanical strength; this is regardless of whether a locking or nonlocking plate is used for lateral plate fixation. Such fixation can reduce the probability of extensor tendon adhesion. Nevertheless, our results indicated that when lateral plate fixation is used for fixating a metacarpal shaft fracture in a clinical setting, whether the mechanical strength offered by such fixation would be strong enough to support bone union remains questionable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Unique oxygen doping and low thermal conductivity of metal–organic framework. • Exceptional carrier n–p type inversion behavior from gas adsorption. • Improved thermoelectric performance due to the introduction of porous structures. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) show considerable promise as thermoelectric materials due to the inherently low thermal conductivities provided by their unique porous frameworks. Nevertheless, their applications are impeded by poor electrical conductivities and processabilities. Herein, novel n–p type carrier transport inversion MOF/carbon nanotube (CNT) thermoelectric hybrids are developed via controlled adjustment of the MOF/CNT composition. The low thermal conductivities of the MOFs provide optimized (zT) values of 0.071 and 0.025 for the n- and p-type thermoelectric hybrids, respectively. Moreover, a flexible thermoelectric generator consisting of seven p-n junction pairs in series provides a maximum open-circuit voltage of 11.2 mV and a maximum power of around 165.5 nW at a temperature difference of 20 K. This study introduces an alternative approach to creating high zT p- and n-type thermoelectric hybrids near room temperature by manipulating the composite ratio, and establishes a correlation between the framework structure and the thermoelectric performance, thereby supporting the development of MOF-based thermoelectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UNS S17400 steel was creep-aged under a constant stress of 300 MPa at 480 °C and 600 °C for 1, 3, and 5 h, and its microstructural phase evolution was investigated. During the initial creep aging at 480 °C for 15 min, negative creep strain occurred because of the stress-assisted precipitation, which resulted in Cu-rich precipitates impeding the movement of dislocations. By contrast, the sample creep-aged at 600 °C had a typical creep-strain curve comprising a primary creep stage and secondary steady-state stage. The creep stress accelerated the growth of Cu-rich precipitates and austenite γ phase reversion, which were clearly observed in samples creep-aged at 600 °C. The reverted γ phase formed due to the stress-assisted aging at 480 °C for 3 h, as well as at 600 °C due to the elevated temperature aging. The samples with the longer creep aging times decreased in tensile yield strength but increased in strain hardening rate. Strain hardening after strain softening was observed in the sample creep-aged at 600 °C for 5 h, which had the highest strain hardening rate. Strain hardening was attributed to the dislocations becoming entangled with nanoscale Cu-rich precipitates, the formation of microtwins, and the presence of deformation-induced martensite. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, p -type Cr 2 O 3 nanoparticles and n -type ZnO nanowires were successfully synthesized on a glass substrate using the chemical bath and hydrothermal methods. The resulting core-shell ZnO-Cr 2 O 3 nanostructures exhibited rectification properties, with an ultra-low leakage current of 37.1 pA at a − 10 V reverse bias. The crystal structure of the Cr 2 O 3 nanoparticles and ZnO nanowires was confirmed to be polycrystalline and single-crystalline, respectively, through XRD patterns and HR-TEM analysis. These p-n heterojunction nanostructures displayed exceptional response levels of 9.1 × 105 for UV, 2.6 × 102 for blue light, and 826% for organic gas sensing. • Successful synthesis of Cr 2 O 3 and ZnO on glass via cost-effective methods. • High-performance ZnO- Cr 2 O 3 heterojunction with low leakage current. • Confirmed crystalline nature via XRD and HR-TEM analysis. • Exceptional UV and blue light response, plus strong organic gas sensing. • Solution-based synthesis: low temp, large area, cost-effective, scalable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Metacarpal shaft fractures are a common type of hand fracture. Despite providing strong fixation strength, plate fixation has numerous shortcomings. Concerning internal fixation with Kirschner wires (K-wires), although this approach is frequently used to treat metacarpal shaft fractures, the lack of functional stability may result in fixation failure.Objective: To evaluate the effect of figure-of-eight cerclage wire on fixation for transverse metacarpal shaft fractures using two K-wires.Materials and Methods: We used a saw blade to create transverse metacarpal shaft fractures in 14 fourth-generation artificial third metacarpal bones (Sawbones, Vashon, WA, USA), which were assigned to groups undergoing fixation with two K-wires (KP) or with two K-wires and figure-of-eight cerclage wire (KP&F8). All specimens were subjected to material testing, specifically cantilever bending tests. The maximum fracture force and stiffness of the two fixation types were determined on the basis of the force-displacement data. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare between-group differences in maximum fracture force and stiffness.Results: The maximum fracture force of the KP group (median ± interquartile range = 97.30 ± 29.70 N) was significantly lower than that of the KP&F8 group (153.2 ± 69.50 N, p < 0.05; Figure 5a), with the median of the KP&F8 group exceeding that of the KP group by 57.5%. Similarly, stiffness was significantly lower in the KP group (18.14 ± 9.84 N/mm) than in the KP&F8 group (38.25 ± 23.49 N/mm; p < 0.05; Figure 5b), with the median of the KP&F8 group exceeding that of the KP group by 110.9%.Conclusion: The incorporation of a figure-of-eight cerclage wire increased the maximum fracture force and stiffness by 57.5 and 110.9%, respectively, compared with those achieved in standard two K-wire fixation. Therefore, hand surgeons are advised to consider the proposed approach to increase fixation strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]