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Background Left atrial appendage (LAA) closure (LAAC) could prevent stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. However, LAAC may impair the compliance of the left atrium and result in poor prognosis. This study aimed to comparatively evaluate the prognosis of LAAC among patients with different sizes of LAA orifice. Methods and Results Three hundred two consecutive patients who underwent successful LAAC were included and divided into 4 groups based on LAA orifice size that was measured using transesophageal echocardiography. Clinical outcomes including thromboembolic events, major cardiocerebrovascular adverse events, and acute heart failure (AHF) were compared among 4 quartile groups and between propensity‐score matched groups of large and small LAAs. Through follow‐up of 39.6±8.4 months, survival of thromboembolic events was similar. Survival of major cardiocerebrovascular adverse events was significantly lower in the group with the largest LAA orifice (log‐rank P P =0.009). A large LAA orifice (by cutoff) could predict major cardiocerebrovascular adverse events (hazard ratio, 3.749 [95% CI, 2.074–6.779]) in most patients, except for subgroups of those aged P =0.010). Conclusions Patients with a larger LAA orifice presented a worse prognosis after LAAC, including a higher incidence of AHF. A large LAA orifice could predict a post‐LAAC AHF event in most patients, except for young patients, patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and/or with failed rhythm/rate control. Registration URL: clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT04185142.

In situ Pb isotope analyses of tiny melt inclusions using laser ablation-multi-collector-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS) are crucial for exploring the origins of mafic lavas. However, quantitative use of this technique with low-Pb (10 ppm) melt inclusions is difficult due to their lowPb isotopic ratios of various reference glasses and olivine-hosted melt inclusions were determined using LA-MC-ICP-MS. Multiple ion counters were used to simultaneously determine signal intensities of all Pb isotopes andWith 24-90 μm diameter laser spots, 2-4 Hz repetition rates, and 2.5-4 J cmThe described method improves the precision and accuracy of in situ Pb isotope analysis in low-Pb melt inclusions using LA-MC-ICP-MS. The Pb isotopic compositions of the Wangjiadashan melt inclusions indicate the coexistence of LoMu and EMII+young HIMU components in the mantle source of weakly alkaline basalts.

In the present work, cytidine 5'-monophosphate capped gold nanoclusters (AuNCs@CMP) are reported as a catalyst for redox reactions, which show both oxidase- and excellent peroxidase-like activity. When employing 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) as a substrate in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H

BACKGROUND Epicardial fat thickness (EFT) is increasingly recognized as an independent risk factor of the presence, severity, and recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF). We investigated the associations between EFT and AF prevalence and identified its correlation with other risk factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 199 participants who underwent coronary angiography and had confirmed coronary artery disease (CAD) were enrolled in this study. The EFT was measured by echocardiography and the association of EFT with other AF risk factors was evaluated by multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS The EFT was significantly higher in patients with comorbidity of AF and CAD than those with CAD alone (6.86±1.96 mm vs 5.91±1.71 mm, P0.001). Logistic regression analysis indicated that EFT was a predictive factor of the occurrence of AF in CAD, after adjusting for body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), left circumflex artery (LCX) stenosis, LA diameter, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), creatinine (Cr), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). LA diameter, SBP, and LCX stenosis are also independent risk factors for CAD complicated by AF. Correlation analysis revealed significant positive linear correlations between EFT and BMI (P0.01), EFT, and LA diameter (P0.05), as well as positive correlations between LA diameter and BNP, Cr, or BUN. CONCLUSIONS Epicardial fat thickness is a strong predictor for AF prevalence in patients with CAD, independent of other AF risk factors such as LA diameter, BMI, and SBP, while LA diameter, SBP, and LCX stenosis are also independent AF risk factors for CAD.

Two Cenozoic prominent features are spatio-temporally associated in central Mongolia, i.e., the continental basalts and regional uplift, but their genesis and relationship remain unclear. This study presents major- and trace-element compositions for olivine phenocrysts and xenocrysts, as well as data of bulk-rock geochemistry and Sr-Nd-Hf isotopes for the host basalts. The studied basalts mostly have trachybasalt compositions with high total alkali (Na2O + K2O = 5.1–8.2 wt%) contents and all display OIB-like trace element patterns (e.g., spikes of Ba, Nb, and Ta and troughs of Th and U) and EM1-like Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic compositions. Compared to the partial melting products of mantle peridotite, these basaltic samples have higher FeO/MnO, Zn/Mn, and Zn/Fe ratios. Meanwhile, phenocrystic olivines are characterized by lower Ca, Mn, Mn/Zn, and Mn/Fe but higher Ni than their counterparts in the peridotitic melts, indicating a pyroxenite-rich mantle source. The above geochemical data suggest that the source of the studied basalts was mainly made up of secondary pyroxenite produced by the reaction of recycled oceanic crust with its ambient mantle peridotite. The calculated magma oxygen fugacities (ΔFMQ-0.26 to +0.42) and mantle melting temperatures (1343–1430 °C) do not support a genetic link with the stagnant Pacific slab or with a deep mantle plume. Instead, the far-field effect of India-Eurasia convergence possibly tapped the upper asthenospheric mantle, subsequent melting of which gave rise to the dispersive Cenozoic basalts. On the other hand, the xenocrystic olivines exhibit zoned textures with high-Fo (up to 92) cores and low-Fo (down to 76) rims, reflecting the melt-rock interaction. Preservation of zoned olivine xenocrysts indicates rapid magma ascent and widespread melt-rock reaction in the mantle lithosphere, which may modify the rheology and accelerate the mechanical erosion of mantle lithosphere. Consequently, mass deficit in the lithosphere could have caused isostatic uplift of central Mongolia in the Cenozoic.

The fusion of highly conflicting evidence in the Dempster–Shafer evidence theory has been an important research topic. To solve this issue, many existing methods depicted the conflicts between evidence by various distance measures. Although the distances between evidence can reflect the conflicts of evidence to some extent, they only represent one aspect of the conflicts. In this study, we propose a new conflict measurement method based on both the distance and angle between evidence. To combine the evidence distance and evidence angle effectively, the angle–distance ordered weighted averaging (OWA) pair is constructed inspired by the induced ordered weighted averaging operator. In addition, the personalized quantifier is used to describe decision-makers’ individual attitudes and risk preferences. The original evidence is modified by using the ordered weight of each evidence to obtain the discount evidence. A numerical example and corresponding comparative analysis show the effectiveness of the proposed method in measuring the conflict between evidence.

Background Acute left atrial ridge (LAR) lesions have been observed following atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. However, LAR lesions had not yet been quantitatively evaluated and their influence on procedure combining cryoballoon (CB) ablation with left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) remained to be explored. Methods The profile of LAR lesions was measured by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in 117 consecutive nonvalvular AF patients, who underwent the combined procedure of CB ablation and LAAC. We thoroughly investigated how LAR lesions correlated with baseline variables and clinical outcomes. Results A total of 95 out of 96 available TEE images presented prominent acute LAR lesions. In terms of dimensions, there was a greater change in width (Δwidth = 3.6 ± 2.3 mm) than the thickness (Δthickness = 2.6 ± 3.5 mm), and the outer ostium was narrowed (Δouter ostium diameter = -3.4 ± 4.0 mm), while the inner ostium remained unchanged. A higher nadir temperature when freezing the left superior pulmonary vein (LSPV) led to an LAR lesion with a two times greater width (adjusted odds ratio = 1.16; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.31). In the evaluation of LAAC outcomes, four patients implanted with Watchman devices had minimal residual flow at the inferior border, while two implanted with LAmbre devices developed residual flow at the LAR side. Clinical outcomes were similar between groups divided by lesion size. Conclusion Acute LAR lesions frequently occurred following the CB ablation combined procedure, and lesion width positively correlates with LSPV nadir temperature. The presence of these lesions affects the measurement of pacifier devices but has little impact on that of occluder devices.

Background. Catheter ablation combined with left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) was reported as a feasible strategy for atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with high risk of stroke or contraindications of oral anticoagulants. We aimed to observe the short-term safety and efficacy of combining cryoballoon ablation (CBA) with LAAC in paroxysmal (PAF) patients. Method and Results. From Jan 2016 to Dec 2017, 304 patients diagnosed with nonvalvular, drug-refractory PAF were included, who underwent either CBA alone (n = 262) or combined procedure (n = 42). Instant pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) with CBA was achieved in all patients, while successful LAAC achieved in 41 (97.6%) of combined procedure patients. 1-year freedom of AF rate was lower in combined procedure group (84.7% vs 70.7%, p=0.04), with unadjusted hazard ratio (HR = 1.97) and 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03–3.77. However, the multivariate COX model revealed left atrial diameter (p=0.002, HR = 1.10, and 95% CI 1.04, 1.17), rather than procedure type (p=0.51, HR = 1.34, and 95% CI 0.57, 3.17), was the predictor for freedom of AF. Only 2 patients in the CBA group had stroke, contributing to the nonsignificant higher stroke incidence (p=1.00). Transoesophageal echochardiography (TEE) achieved in 35 patients (83.3%) showed complete occlusion with no obvious residual flow (>3 mm), Device-related thrombosis, or pericardial perfusion. All-cause mortality, rehospitalization, and complication rates were similar. Conclusion. Combining CBA with LAAC in a single procedure is a feasible strategy for PAF patients, with comparable short-term safety and efficacy to CBA alone.

Background: Exploring why the national drug policy failed is an important issue. Based on it, this study considers both the drug governance system and the voice of people who use drugs (PWUD) to analysis drug policy effects and the lives of PWUD in the Chinese context. Methods: This study takes PWUD living in urban communities as the research participants. Using qualitative research data, exploring how individual using drug experiences are identified and classified by structural forces and how individuals manage their daily life. Results: The study finds that law enforcement agencies (Narcotics Control Office (NCO), Police Station , and Community Assistance Group (CAG)) have different attitudes toward PWUD and generate different managements, forming multiple governance models, and then shaping the multiple identity dilemma. PWUD perceive the dilemma, and they adopt the strategies of spatial isolation (hidden flow), disconnection from experience (temporal isolation), and instrumental cooperation to continuously re-adjust and achieve identity recovery from the bottom-up. Conclusion/importance: Through evaluating the effectiveness of self-management strategies, this research integrates the Chinese drug rehabilitation situation, expands the specific performance of law enforcement system, and presents the limitations and positive value of self-management strategies.

Subcutaneous injections are administered into the region beneath the skin, while avoiding puncturing the blood vessels, which gives many types of medications for various medical conditions. In this paper, a portable robotic system performing autonomous cannulation of subcutaneous injections is proposed, and it achieves to automatically locate the proper injection site by analyzing near-infrared (NIR) image sequences. The robot mainly consists of two functional modules-image processing module and motion control module. The former with a full-search algorithm processes the images obtained by the NIR equipment. The puncture point is selected in the area where there are no blood vessels and a method of “range square” is utilized. The motion control module of the robotic system employs the pulse width modulation (PWM) wave to effectively control the motors and manipulates the syringe to puncture at the selected point. The image processing algorithm was evaluated based on the real NIR images of volunteers’ hands and forearms, and the image servo control of the robot was tested on the phantom. The experimental results were analyzed by a medical professional, and the success rate of the image processing algorithm is 96.09%, while the puncture time can satisfy the clinical demand for the efficiency of puncture procedures.

Background: Left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) has been shown to be a safe and effective means to achieve physiological pacing. However, elderly patients have increased risks from invasive procedures and the risk of LBBP in elderly patients is not known. We aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of LBBP in elderly patients >80 years of age.Methods: From December 2017 to June 2019, 346 consecutive patients with symptomatic bradycardia, 184 patients under 80 years of age and 162 over 80 years, were included and underwent LBBP. The safety and prognosis of LBBP were comparatively evaluated by measured pacing parameters, periprocedural complications, and follow-up clinical events.Results: Compared with the younger, the elderly group had worse baseline cardiac and renal function. LBBP was achieved successfully in both groups with comparable fluoroscopic time and paced QRS duration (110.0 [102.0, 118.0] ms for the young vs. 110.0 [100.0, 120.0] ms for the elderly, P = 0.874). Through a follow-up of 20.0 ± 6.1 months, pacing parameters were stable while higher threshold and impedance were observed in the elderly group. In the evaluation of safety, overall procedure-related complication rates were comparable (4.4 vs. 3.8%, young vs. elderly). For prognosis, similar rates of major adverse cardiocerebrovascular events (7.1 vs. 11.9%, young vs. elderly) were observed.Conclusions: Compared to younger patients, LBBP could achieve physiological pacing in patients over 80 with comparable midterm safety and prognosis. Long-term safety and benefits of LBBP, however, necessitate further evaluation.

Background Accumulated evidence has indicated that a high‐normal FT4 level is an independent risk factor for the clinical progression of AF. However, the association between elevated FT4 concentration within the normal range and AF recurrence after cryoballoon ablation in China is unknown. Methods This retrospective and observational study included 453 AF patients who underwent cryoballoon ablation from January 2016 to August 2018. Patients were classified into quartiles based on preprocedural serum FT4 concentration. The clinical characteristics of the patients and the long‐term rate of AF recurrence after ablation were assessed. Results After a mean follow‐up period of 17.4 ± 9.0 months, 91 (20.1%) patients suffered from AF recurrence. The AF recurrence rate by FT4 quartile was 17.7%, 19.0%, 21.4%, and 22.3% for participants with FT4 in quartile 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively (p

INTRODUCTION Cryoballoon ablation (CBA) results in satisfactory outcomes for drug-resistant atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. However, the efficacy and safety of CBA have not yet been tested in the Chinese elderly population. Therefore, this study compared the recurrence of AF and complications of CBA in patients ≥75 years and

Biodegradation is a mild and efficient way to protect humans and animals from mycotoxins. However, microbes and enzymes are susceptible to environmental change, lack of stability, and reusability. ...

With the fast development and extensive investigations of halogen atom-based perovskite quantum dots (QDs), the perovskite family of compounds (e.g., Cs4PbBr6 perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs)) has gradually drawn researchers’ attention. Recently, research studies have focused on the chemical transformation between “nonluminous” Cs4PbX6 PNCs and luminescent CsPbX3 QDs. Herein, a new method has been implemented to enable CsPbBr3 (113-structure) QDs gradually to transform into Cs4PbBr6 (416-structure) PNCs by adding ZnBr2 as a revulsive for the detection of the obvious fluorescence enhancement and the deep mechanism behind this transformation. Characterization of their morphological, optical, and physicochemical properties reveals that the fluorescence quantum yields of the remaining CsPbBr3 QDs still remain higher almost up to 99% owing to the reduction of the nonradiative process and the process of “Survival of the fittest” that occurred in the CsPbBr3 QDs, in which the good quality and stable CsPbBr3 QDs are retained, while the unstable CsPbBr3 QDs with poor quality are decomposed to ripen into the 416-structure. Simultaneously, we observed the precise luminous peak position of the ultraviolet fluorophore 416-structure Cs4PbBr6 PNCs and found that the strong green fluorescence comes from CsPbBr3 QDs exclusively. Finally, green light-emitting diodes based on CsPbBr3 QDs with enhanced fluorescence are successfully developed, which implies their tremendous potential in photoelectric devices in the future.

Objective: Catheter ablation combined with left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) has emerged as a promising strategy for atrial fibrillation (AF) patients at high risk for stroke or with contraindications for oral anticoagulants (OACs). But the evidence for the long-term safety and efficacy of a combined procedure using cryoballoon ablation (CBA) with LAAC is still insufficient.Methods: From October 2015 to December 2017, a total of 76 consecutive non-valvular, drug-refractory AF patients who underwent a combined procedure of CBA and LAAC are included. Peri- and post-procedural safety and efficacy were evaluated through scheduled follow-ups and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE).Results: A total of 74 patients (97.4%) underwent the combined procedure and achieved instant pulmonary vein isolation and satisfactory LAAC. With a mean follow-up time of 23.7 ± 11.0 months, the recurrence of atrial arrhythmia was recorded in 35 patients (48.0%). In addition, a survival analysis shows a non-significant higher recurrence in persistent AF (p = 0.48). The overall OAC withdrawal rate was 97.2%, and one patient (1.4%) had a lethal hemorrhagic stroke while on single antiplatelet therapy. For safety concerns, the overall mortality was 2.7%, which resulted from one case of myocardial infarction on OAC and one hemorrhagic stroke, as mentioned. No other major hemorrhagic events occurred. Among the 72 patients (94.7%) who underwent TEE, one patient (1.4%) had device-related thrombosis and one patient (1.4%) had prominent residual flow (over 3 mm). Both were prescribed long-term OACs without severe complications occurring.Conclusions: Combining CBA with LAAC in a single procedure achieved considerable long-term safety and efficacy, providing a promising strategy for AF management.

Background: Acute left atrial ridge (LAR) lesion was observed after atrial fibrillation ablation. However, the feature of LAR lesion has not been quantitatively evaluated and its influence on left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) combined procedure remained to be explored. We aimed to evaluate profile of acute LAR lesion and investigate its influence on LAAC procedure. Methods: LAR lesion profile was measured by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in 117 consecutive non-valvular AF patients underwent combined procedure of cryoballoon (CB) ablation and LAAC. Its correlation with baseline variables and clinical outcomes were thoroughly investigated. Results: Measurement of 96 available TEE image series showed 95 had prominent acute LAR lesion, with a greater change in width (Δwidth=3.6±2.3 mm) than thickness (Δthickness=2.6±3.5 mm), and correspondingly narrowed outer ostium (Δouter ostium diameter=-3.4±4.0 mm). While the inner ostium stayed unchanged. Logistic regression analysis showed that a higher nadir temperature when freezing left superior pulmonary vein (LSPV) led to a LAR lesion with greater width (2-fold wider) (adjusted odds ratio =1.16, 95% confidence interval 1.02-1.31). For evaluation of LAAC outcomes, residual flow occurred in 6 patients, 4 with Watchman had minimal residual flow at the inferior border, while 2 with LAmbre developed larger residual flow at the LAR side. Clinical outcomes were similar between groups divided by LAR lesion size. Conclusion: Acute LAR lesion frequently occurred following CB ablation combined procedure, and its width positively correlates with LSPV nadir temperature. It affects measurement of pacifier device but has no influence on plug device when performing combined procedure.

Aquatic micropollutants seriously affect human health. Biocatalytic membranes with immobilized laccase show a great potential for micropollutants removal. However, highly efficient and stable biocatalytic membranes are still under development. Herein, the separation and support layers of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) ultrafiltration membrane are sequentially modified by polyethyleneimine (PEI), metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), laccase and polydopamine (PDA), termed as “three dimensional (3D) modification”. The PEI polymers inserted in the selective separation layer result in charge reversal, thus immobilizing laccase mainly by electrostatic adsorption. The water-stable MOFs particles adhered on the support layer fibers can enhance the membrane adsorption capacity to laccase and micropollutants (called dual adsorption effect). PEI and MOFs dominate laccase loading and distribution in the membrane, thus greatly affecting micropollutants removals. The LacPAN-MIL-101-L biocatalytic membrane shows high permeability with desirable micropollutants removal, wide pH operating range and good reusability. Theoretically, this “3D modification” strategy can enable all the composite membranes to be biocatalytic membrane prepared by simple reverse filtration and subsequent coating.

Membrane creates the functions of protection, supporting, dispersion and separation. More functions can be designed by modifying membrane surface and grafting/loading selective ligands or catalysts on the membrane, thus membrane technology has been widely applied in biological detection, and its application approaches becomes diverse. Rational design of functional membranes can meet the demands in different steps of biological detection process, including sample pretreatment, preparation, response and sensing. This review summarized the functionalization methods of filtration membranes, applications of membrane technology in sample preparation and detection process, as well as the research on the integration of functional membranes. By revisiting the research progress on functional membrane design, preparation and applications for biological detection, it is expected to take better advantage of membrane materials structure and performance for constructing efficient and stable detection platform, which is more "adapted" to the detection environment.膜具有保护、支撑、分散和分离的功能，通过表面修饰和接枝/负载选择性配基或催化剂等可赋予膜更多的功能，因此膜技术在生物检测中的应用越来越广泛，其发挥作用的方式和途径也极其多样化。对功能膜的理性设计可以满足生物检测过程中不同环节的需求，包括生物样品的前处理、制备、响应和传感等。文中简述了分离膜的功能化方法，并对目前膜技术在样品制备和检测过程中的应用以及多功能膜集成的研究进行综述。通过梳理面向生物检测的功能膜设计、制备和应用研究进展，以期更好地发挥膜材料结构和功能的优势，构建更加“适应”检测环境的高效、稳定检测平台。.

CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) have been intensively investigated on photoelectric devices due to their superior optical properties. To date, the stability of CsPbX3 PQDs is still an open challenge. The previous mixed-halide CsPbX3 PQDs were generally obtained via the anion-exchange method at 40 °C. Here, the single- and mixed-halide CsPbX3 PQDs are synthesized at high temperature via the hot injection technique. The surface ligands could thus be strongly coordinated onto the surface of the PQDs, which dramatically improve the optical properties of the PQDs. The resulting CsPbX3 PQDs have high quantum yield (QY, 40–95%), narrow full width at half-maximum (FWHM) (the narrowest FWHM

Biodegradation is a mild and efficient way to protect humans and animals from mycotoxins. However, microbes and enzymes are susceptible to environmental change, lack of stability, and reusability. In this work, three peroxidase-like metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), as artificial substitutes of natural peroxidase, are used for aflatoxin B

Background: Percutaneous left atrial appendage (LAA) closure has been demonstrated to be an alternative to oral anticoagulation for the prevention of ischemic stroke in nonvalvar atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients. However, there were some designed limitations of current widely-used devices. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a novel double-disc LAA closure (LAAC) device, the LEFTEAR, in patients with NVAF who had contraindications of long-term oral anticoagulation or still high risks of stroke with anticoagulation treatment. Subjects and Methods: A total of 200 NVAF patients who underwent LAAC were prospectively recruited in nine participating centers in China between April 2014 and March 2019 in this prospective, multi-center, single-arm study. The study was approved by the institutional review board of each clinical center. The enrolled cases had ages ranged from 38 to 89 years (mean 68.3 ± 8.7) years. There were 112 males (56%). CHA2DS2-VASc scores were 3.5 ± 1.44, and HAS-BLED scores 2.5 ± 1.18. LAAC was conducted with the LEFTEAR occluder. Successful closure of LAA was defined as there was no or a small amount of peri-device leak (PDL ≤3 mm) of residual shunt, evaluated by transesophageal echocardiography. The composite end-point events (hemorrhagic/ischemic stroke, systemic embolism, and cardiogenic/unexplained death) within 12 months after the procedure were the main efficacy indicators. Severe adverse events (SAEs) within 12 months were safety indicators. Results: Totally 196 were implanted with an occluder, and the remaining 4 were not (1 case found with an large LAA which the ostium was great than 35 mm, the upper limit of the clinical program, 1 case gave up after failed attempt of LAAC procedure, 2 cases showed “pericardial tamponade” after AF ablation and no attempts were made to continue LAAC). Among them, the “Hybrid procedures” (LAAC combined with AF ablation) reached up to 133 cases (66.5%). Up to December 31, 2019, the mean follow-up was 6 months. There were none major composite endpoint events occurred during the perioperative and follow-up periods (0%). SAEs were recorded in 10 cases, of which 7 were “pericardial tamponades” and 3 of “occluder detachment or displacements.” All SAEs occurred in “Hybrid procedures” cases, of which 9 occurred in the perioperative period (90%). Six cases of “pericardial tamponade” were recorded in the perioperative period, but only two required emergency surgeries. The successful rate of immediate LAAC was 100%, among which 178 cases (90.8%, 178/196) had no residual shunt (PDL = 0 mm). A total of 153 cases (79.7%, 153/192) had completed at least one follow-up transoesophageal echocardiography examination, and the success of mid-term LAAC was 98.7% (151/153), with no events of device-related thrombosis. Conclusions: LAAC with a novel disc-like occlude, named LEFTEAR was generally effective and safe. The “Hybrid procedures” increased the incidence of adverse events to some extent. This study was the first-in-human trial of LEFTEAR, thus further larger sample studies are still needed to verify.

Phosphatase activity in osteoblasts like Saos-2 cells was previously determined by measuring infrared spectra of substrates (pyrophosphate, 4-nitrophenyl phosphate, α-glucose-1-phosphate or β-Glycerophosphate), in the presence of Saos-2 cells under physiological conditions, at 37 °C and pH = 8. In this work, 2D correlation analysis served to resolve component bands in infrared spectra to obtain accurate values of enzymatic activity. We critically analyzed the advantages and pitfalls of 2D correlation analysis and compared their results with those obtained from infrared difference spectra. In the case of PP i substrate, 2D correlation analysis resolved well the overlapping bands associated to PP i and P i . We obtained an average specific activity of hydrolysis of PP i by Saos-2 cells of around 133 ± 16 nmol mg −1 min −1 by using peak positions determined from 2D correlation analysis as compared with the value of around 118 ± 10 nmol mg −1 min −1 obtained from peak positions determined by IR difference spectra. However, in the case of 4-nitrophenyl phosphate, 2D correlation analysis, as well as infrared difference spectra, failed to resolve P i band located at 990 cm −1 from the strongly overlapped 4-nitrophenyl phosphate band located at around 980 cm −1 . This is explained by the fact that the 990 cm −1 -band increased during hydrolysis, while the 980 cm −1 -band decreased, cancelling each other. In the case of β-glycerophosphate, 2D IR correlation analysis confirmed the peak position of P i within 2 cm −1 as determined by infrared spectroscopy. The specific activity of hydrolysis of β-glycerophosphate as determined by both methods was identical within experimental errors. Taken together our findings indicated that each method yielded specific activity values of TNAP in osteoblast cells within 20% from each other. The combination of 2D-correlation analysis and IR spectroscopy confirmed and reinforced the interpretation of IR spectra. Both approaches are complementary and provided a solid rationale to select peak positions for accurate determination of enzymatic activity in cells.

Fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) with a size smaller than 10 nm, excellent biocompatibility, and low to no cytotoxicity are considered as a rising star in nanomedicine. In this report, for the first time we demonstrate that green-emitting CDs with a carboxyl-rich surface can be employed as a trackable drug delivery agent for localized cancer treatment in a mouse model. The CDs are conjugated with the cancer drug, Doxorubicin (DOX), via non-covalent bonding, utilizing the native carboxyl groups on CDs and the amine moiety on DOX molecules. The pH difference between cancer and normal cells was successfully exploited as the triggering mechanism for DOX release. Our in vivo study demonstrated that the fluorescent CDs can serve as a targeted drug delivery system for localized therapy, and the stimuli-responsive non-covalent bonding between the nanodot carrier and the drug molecule is sufficiently stable in complex biological systems. Taken together, our work provides a strategy to promote the potential clinical application of CDs in cancer theranostics.

In current anomaly detection immune algorithms, the methods for setting the detection radius of detectors fail to take into account the concentration characteristic of self samples, which weaken their application effect. In response to this deficiency, we proposed a new type of detector named the scale-adaptive B-cells (SAB-cells) detector, and a novel algorithm named scale-adaptive positive selection algorithm (SA-PSA). This algorithm is mainly based on the B-cell immune mechanisms of clonal variation and network suppression. In SA-PSA, the detection radius of SAB-cells can be adaptively adjusted by clonal variation, and the number of redundant SAB-cells can be effectively compressed by fusion variation, so as to eventually obtain efficient detectors. Based on the Iris data set, firstly, we analyzed the effects of three main control parameters on SA-PSA; secondly, we compared SA-PSA with other mainstream anomaly detection immune algorithms by three performance indicators; thirdly, we performed the analysis of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and verified the effectiveness of SA-PSA. At last, we also applied SA-PSA to bearing anomaly detection and further verified its effectiveness in more complicated engineering applications.

This paper identifies key determinants that appear to shape OPEC’s quota strategy and implementation. Using econometric estimations, it examines the factors that seem to most influence members’ adherence to their production commitments in the short term and what drives the organization’s quota decisions and level of compliance in the longer term.

CsPbX

CsPbBr3 quantum dots (QDs) were doped into a blend of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and indene-C60 bisadduct to fabricate bulk heterojunction polymer photodetectors. The addition of the QDs significantly increased the shunt resistance of the device, thereby suppressing the reverse leakage current and improving both the signal-to-noise ratio and the specific detectivity. The photoresponse and recovery time both decreased because of the enhanced built-in electric field and improved charge carrier mobility.CsPbBr3 quantum dots (QDs) were doped into a blend of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and indene-C60 bisadduct to fabricate bulk heterojunction polymer photodetectors. The addition of the QDs significantly increased the shunt resistance of the device, thereby suppressing the reverse leakage current and improving both the signal-to-noise ratio and the specific detectivity. The photoresponse and recovery time both decreased because of the enhanced built-in electric field and improved charge carrier mobility.

With the growth of urbanization and increase of household expenditure, household energy consumption dramatically increases. The consumption style of consumers will greatly influence industries in the upstream and markets in the downstream. Therefore, it is crucial to assess household energy consumption systemically. By employing input-output analysis model, this paper carries out an empirical study on household energy consumption of Shanghai, taking the indirect energy consumption into account. The results show that, more than 80% of household energy consumption was indirect. And the direct and indirect household energy consumption rose by 82.9% and 87.1% from 1992 to 2002, showing a fast upward trend. The indirect household energy consumption in each sector also shows a rapid increase. Household energy consumption from services industry is keeping a rapid growth with the improvement of living standard, which is a future focus for energy management.

Aim The cysteine protease cathepsin K (CatK), abundantly expressed in osteoclasts, is responsible for the degradation of bone matrix proteins, including collagen type 1. Thus, CatK is an attractive target for new anti-resorptive osteoporosis therapies, but the wider effects of CatK inhibitors on bone cells also need to be evaluated to assess their effects on bone. Therefore, we selected, among a series of synthetized isothiosemicarbazides, two molecules which are highly selective CatK inhibitors (CKIs) to test their effects on osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Research Design and Methods Cell viability upon treatment of CKIs were was assayed on human osteoblast-like Saos-2, mouse monocyte cell line RAW 264.7 and mature mouse osteoclasts differentiated from bone marrow. Osteoblast-induced mineralization in Saos-2 cells and in mouse primary osteoblasts from calvaria, with or without CKIs,; were was monitored by Alizarin Red staining and alkaline phosphatase activity, while osteoclast-induced bone resorption was performed on bovine slices. Results Treatments with two CKIs, CKI-8 and CKI-13 in human osteoblast-like Saos-2, murine RAW 264.7 macrophages stimulated with RANKL and mouse osteoclasts differentiated from bone marrow stimulated with RANKL and MCSF were found not to be toxic at doses of up to 100 nM. As probed by Alizarin Red staining, CKI-8 did not inhibit osteoblast-induced mineralization in mouse primary osteoblasts as well as in osteoblast-like Saos-2 cells. However, CKI-13 led to a reduction in mineralization of around 40% at 10–100 nM concentrations in osteoblast-like Saos-2 cells while it did not in primary cells. After a 48-hour incubation, both CKI-8 and CKI-13 decreased bone resorption on bovine bone slices. CKI-13 was more efficient than the commercial inhibitor E-64 in inhibiting bone resorption induced by osteoclasts on bovine bone slices. Both CKI-8 and CKI-13 created smaller bone resorption pits on bovine bone slices, suggesting that the mobility of osteoclasts was slowed down by the addition of CKI-8 and CKI-13. Conclusion CKI-8 and CKI-13 screened here show promise as antiresorptive osteoporosis therapeutics but some off target effects on osteoblasts were found with CKI-13.

This paper describes the blends of epoxy/polybutadiene and the application of the blends to the encapsulation of capacitors. Experiments showed that the hydroxy-carboxyl terminated polybutadiene (HCTPB) had a good toughening effect on epoxy resins, and the blends of epoxy/HTPB or epoxy/HCTPB had good craze resistance at low temperatures. The phase separation and dynamic mechanical analysis of these blends are discussed below.