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This paper introduces an extension of the well-known Morley element for the biharmonic equation, extending its application from triangular elements to general polytopal elements using the weak Galerkin finite element methods. By leveraging the Schur complement of the weak Galerkin method, this extension not only preserves the same degrees of freedom as the Morley element on triangular elements but also expands its applicability to general polytopal elements. The numerical scheme is devised by locally constructing weak tangential derivatives and weak second-order partial derivatives. Error estimates for the numerical approximation are established in both the energy norm and the L 2 norm. A series of numerical experiments are conducted to validate the theoretical developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To develop and validate a prediction model based on imaging data for the prognosis of mild chronic subdural hematoma undergoing atorvastatin treatment. Methods: We developed the prediction model utilizing data from patients diagnosed with CSDH between February 2019 and November 2021. Demographic characteristics, medical history, and hematoma characteristics in non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) were extracted upon admission to the hospital. To reduce data dimensionality, a backward stepwise regression model was implemented to build a prognostic prediction model. We calculated the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the prognostic prediction model by a tenfold cross-validation procedure. Results: Maximum thickness, volume, mean density, morphology, and kurtosis of the hematoma were identified as the most significant predictors of good hematoma dissolution in mild CSDH patients undergoing atorvastatin treatment. The prediction model exhibited good discrimination, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.82 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.74–0.90) and good calibration (p = 0.613). The validation analysis showed the AUC of the final prognostic prediction model is 0.80 (95% CI 0.71–0.86) and it has good prediction performance. Conclusion: The imaging data-based prediction model has demonstrated great prediction accuracy for good hematoma dissolution in mild CSDH patients undergoing atorvastatin treatment. The study results emphasize the importance of imaging data evaluation in the management of CSDH patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioorthogonal reactions involving transition metals have diversified applications in imaging, drug development, chemical catalysis and other fields. Transition metals used to catalyze the bioorthogonal reaction mainly include ruthenium, palladium, copper, and gold. However, the great potential for translational applications of bioorthogonal reaction needs to be further expanded and their reaction efficiency should be improved. Therefore, it is an urgent need for the development of this field to find more suitable catalysts to efficiently catalyze existing biological orthogonal reactions and expand the types of biological orthogonal reactions. Thus, this review not only summarizes those transition metal complexes-based catalysts participating in bioorthogonal reaction and some bioorthogonal reactions involving transition metals inside the cells, but also sheds light into the discovery of new transition metal complexes and their future development in applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to explore whether craniocervical manual lymphatic drainage (cMLD) can promote hematoma absorption and increase the efficiency of atorvastatin-based conservative treatment in chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) patients. All CSDH patients treated with atorvastatin-based therapy between October 2020 and February 2022 in our department were retrospectively screened for enrollment. The patients were divided into the control and cMLD groups according to whether cMLD was performed. Head CT or MR images in both groups were obtained before the treatment and 2 weeks and 4 weeks after the treatment. MR images of the deep cervical lymphatic nodes (dCLNs) in 23 patients were obtained in the cMLD group before and approximately 2 weeks after treatment. The volumes of the dCLNs and hematoma were calculated. The primary outcomes are the differences in hematoma volume reduction after 4 weeks of treatment. The secondary outcomes were (1) the differences in hematoma volume reduction between the patients in these two groups in the 2nd week, (2) the dCLN volume change in the cMLD group before and after 2 weeks of treatment, and (3) the percentage of patients who transitioned to surgery because of failure to the conservative treatment. A total of 106 consecutive patients were enrolled in this study for analysis; 54 patients received atorvastatin-based treatment (control group), and 52 were treated with both atorvastatin-based treatment and cMLD (cMLD group). At baseline, the mean hematoma volume was 76.53 ± 42.97 ml in the control group and 88.57 ± 49.01 ml in the cMLD group (p = 0.181). In the 4th week, the absolute number of hematoma reductions (20.79 ± 34.73 ml vs. 37.28 ± 28.24 ml, p = 0.009) and percentage of hematoma reductions (22.58% ± 60.01% vs. 46.43% ± 30.12%, p = 0.012) in the cMLD group were greater than those in the control group. After 2 weeks of treatment, the absolute number of hematoma reductions showed no difference in the two groups, while the percentage of hematoma reduction was higher in the cMLD group (18.18% ± 24.61% vs. 2.08% ± 25.72%, p = 0.001). One patient in cMLD and 8 patients in the control group were transitioned to receive surgical treatment. The dCLN volumes in 23 experimental patients increased significantly after 2 weeks of treatment in the cMLD group (p = 0.032). There were no severe side effects that needed to be reported. Combined with atorvastatin-based therapy, cMLD can promote hematoma absorption and decrease the surgery rate, which provides a new therapeutic strategy for CSDH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: With the escalating social pressures, there has been a continuous rise in the prevalence of depression among the population, leading to substantial healthcare burdens. Moreover, conventional pharmacological interventions still exhibit certain limitations. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of depression. Methods: Randomized controlled trials of probiotics in treating depressive symptoms were retrieved from Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Wan Fang database, and CNKI between the establishment of the database and March 2022. The primary outcome was Beck's depression rating scale (BDI) scores, while the secondary outcomes were depression scores on the DASS-21 scale, biochemical indicators (IL-6, NO, and TNF-α levels), and adverse events. In addition, Revman 5.3 was used for Meta-analysis and quality evaluation, and Stata 17 was used for the Egger test and Begg's test. A total of 776 patients, including 397 and 379 patients in the experimental and control groups, respectively, were included. Results: The total BDI score of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group (MD = − 1.98, 95%CI − 3.14 to − 0.82), and the score of DASS (MD = 0.90, 95%CI − 1.17 to 2.98), the IL-6 level (SMD = − 0.55, 95%CI − 0.88 to − 0.23), the NO level (MD = 5.27, 95% CI 2.51 to 8.03), and the TNF-α level (SMD = 0.19, 95% CI − 0.25 to 0.63). Conclusion: The findings substantiate the therapeutic potential of probiotics in mitigating depressive symptoms by significantly reducing Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) scores and alleviating the overall manifestation of depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first-principles was employed to calculate the adsorption of Cs on (2 × 2) Al(Mg)0.5Ga0.5N and Al0.5 Ga(Mg)0.5N surfaces using density-functional theory within a plane-wave ultrasoft pseudopotential scheme. Then, the surface morphology, stability, work functions and Cs adsorptions of Al(Mg)0.5Ga0.5N and Al0.5 Ga(Mg)0.5N surfaces were investigated. The results reveal that Al(Mg)0.5Ga0.5N surface with Mg in the first layer was more suitable for ultraviolet cathode. The most stable adsorption site for adsorption of Cs on the Al(Mg)0.5Ga0.5N surface was found on N top. With the increase of Cs coverage, the interaction between Cs and atoms in the first layer of surface and that between Cs and Cs was enhanced, the surface dipole moment increased, the work function decreased, the carrier concentration and the absorption in visible light increased. When Cs coverage was greater than 0.5ML, the adsorption of Cs reached saturation, the deformation of surface structure appeared, the adsorption in visible light was greater than that in UV, and the surface was no longer suitable for UV detection. The results show that 0.5ML is the turning point of Cs coverage for the surface doped with Mg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiotherapy is one of the main therapeutic methods for cancers; however, nonselective killing of normal cells and tumor cells by X-ray inevitably results in toxicity and side effects. Developing low-toxicity and high-efficiency radiosensitizers to reduce the practical dose of X-ray is a promising approach to overcoming these side effects. Here, we report the use of carboxylate-containing organic ligands to construct one-dimensional high-Z lanthanide chains for efficient response to X-ray. The one-dimensional lanthanide chains are stacked through weak interactions to form coordination nanoframeworks in the presence of polyethylenimine (PEI). The morphology and activity of the synthesized nanoframeworks can be regulated through selenium atom engineering. This study presents a promising approach for effective radiotherapy through selenium-engineering stable lanthanide nanoframeworks with precise coordination structures as radiosensitizers to mitigate X-ray side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Brain death (BD), the irreversible cessation of function in the whole brain, is a well-known condition in most countries. The criteria and practical guidelines for brain death determination (BDD) in China were issued by the Brain Injury Evaluation Quality Control Center (BQCC) of the National Health and Family Planning Commission in 2013. Thereafter, we proposed a plan called the three-step quality control plan (three-step QCP) to ensure the safety and consistency of the clinical judgments regarding BD. By retrospectively reviewing this plan, we aimed to identify problems during its implementation and to provide suggestions for future work on quality control for BDD. Methods: Data were retrieved from the BQCC database. The characteristics and test results of physicians undergoing a BDD training course and the BD case records submitted by hospitals before and after receiving accreditation were analyzed. Results: In the first step of the plan, the error rate for physicians undergoing the BDD paper test was highest for limb movement discrimination (26.29%); this error rate was correlated with age (per 10-year increase) (odds ratio = 1.262, 95% confidence interval 1.067–1.491, P = 0.007) but was nonsignificantly associated with sex, specialty category, professional level, and hospital level (P > 0.05). During the second step of the plan, the highest percentage of problems was associated with apnea testing (22.75%), followed by ancillary testing of BDD (16.17%). In the last step, the highest percentage of problems in the case records was associated with apnea testing (41.73%). Conclusions: The three-step QCP is of significant utility for ensuring accuracy and appropriateness in BDD. Simultaneously, this study provides important evidence for advancing quality control for BDD in the next stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search of highly efficient drugs for overcoming cancer drug resistance continues to be a challenge for scientists. Constructing a metal drug based in situ oxidation-state transition system to disturb the redox balance in cancer cells is a promising approach for overcoming cancer drug resistance. Inspired by natural redox-active copper enzyme centers, we developed a Cu(I)-Cu(II) in situ transition system in this work. Through atom engineering, we fine-tuned the thermodynamic stability of this system to investigate its anticancer activity The results indicated that the synthetic Cu(I)-Cu(II) system could under-go in situ transition in vitro and in vivo, to disrupt the intracellular redox balance and trigger mitochondrial dysfunction and G2/M arrest, leading to apoptosis and overcoming cancer drug resistance This study presents a feasible way to overcome cancer drug resistance by designing an in situ oxidation-state transition metal drug system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread worldwide for almost 2 years. It starts from viral adherence to host cells through an interaction between spike glycoprotein 1 (S1) containing a receptor-binding domain (RBD) and human angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2). One of the useful strategies to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection is to inhibit the attachment of RBD to ACE2. Therefore, the current work proposed potent peptides against SARS-CoV-2 infection by carrying out MM-PBSA calculation based on the binding of 52 antiviral peptides (AVPs) to RBD. Considering the binding free energies of AVPs to RBD, cyanovirin-N (CV-N) showed the strongest RBD binding affinity among 52 AVPs. Upon structural analysis of RBD complex with CV-N, it was observed that 12 of the 13 key residues of RBD binding to ACE2 were hijacked by CV-N. CV-N bound to RBD at a smaller affinity of 14.9 nM than that of ACE2 and inhibited the recruitment of S1 to human alveolar epithelial cells. Further analysis revealed that CV-N suppressed SARS-CoV-2 S pseudovirion infection with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 18.52 μg/mL. This study demonstrated a drug screening for AVPs against SARS-CoV-2 and discovered a peptide with inspiring antiviral properties, which provided a promising strategy for the COVID-19 therapeutic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Folic acid (FA) is a vitamin essential for human physiology; thus, rapid, accurate, and sensitive methods for its detection and quantification in different biological samples are necessary. A fluorescent ratiometric nanoprobe (the complex composed of quantum dots and carbon dots) based on carboxyl-modified quantum dots (QDs) and amino-modified graphene-based carbon dots (CDs) has been developed for the visual determination of folic acid (FA). The nanoprobe is the composition in which QDs were covalently bonded with CDs. Red and blue fluorescence of nanoprobe can be selectively quenched and enhanced by FA, respectively. Thus, the nanoprobe is capable to generate clearly visible fluorescence color change from pink to blue upon exposure to UV light. Depending on the color change and its intensity, FA can be identified, and their concentrations can be determined. The sensor prepared based on the nanoprobe demonstrated good selectivity and sensitivity toward FA with exceptionally low detection limit equal to 0.039 μM. We also prepared a paper-based sensor to demonstrate convenient and simple approach to visually detect FA. Thus, the nanoprobe demonstrated feasibility of rapid real-time quantitative FA detection; considering its simple, effective, and practicality, expectedly it can be used for practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Seroma formation is the most common cause of morbidity associated with laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. This study aimed to examine the relationship between the thickness of subcutaneous fat (TSF) and the risk of postoperative seroma.We reviewed data from a prospective cohort of 229 male patients who underwent laparoscopic total extra-peritoneal (TEP) hernioplasty for indirect inguinal hernia between August 2018 and July 2021. The TSF was assessed using preoperative ultrasound images. The risk factors for postoperative seroma were determined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models.Postoperative seromas occurred in 26 patients (11.4%). The factors associated with postoperative seroma included longer hernia duration, larger hernia defects, extension into the scrotum, and greater TSF (P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, a greater TSF was independently associated with a greater risk of postoperative seroma (per 1 mm: odd ratio [OR] 1.105, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.048–1.165, P < 0.001; TSF ≥ 26.0 mm: OR 7.033, 95% CI 2.485–19.901, P < 0.001). Similar results were obtained in the subgroup analysis. The area under the curve of TSF for predicting seroma formation was 0.703 (95% CI 0.601–0.806).Ultrasound-derived TSF may be a promising prognostic factor for postoperative seroma in patients undergoing laparoscopic TEP repair. Further validation is required and then this parameter can be used to improve decision-making process.Methods: Seroma formation is the most common cause of morbidity associated with laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. This study aimed to examine the relationship between the thickness of subcutaneous fat (TSF) and the risk of postoperative seroma.We reviewed data from a prospective cohort of 229 male patients who underwent laparoscopic total extra-peritoneal (TEP) hernioplasty for indirect inguinal hernia between August 2018 and July 2021. The TSF was assessed using preoperative ultrasound images. The risk factors for postoperative seroma were determined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models.Postoperative seromas occurred in 26 patients (11.4%). The factors associated with postoperative seroma included longer hernia duration, larger hernia defects, extension into the scrotum, and greater TSF (P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, a greater TSF was independently associated with a greater risk of postoperative seroma (per 1 mm: odd ratio [OR] 1.105, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.048–1.165, P < 0.001; TSF ≥ 26.0 mm: OR 7.033, 95% CI 2.485–19.901, P < 0.001). Similar results were obtained in the subgroup analysis. The area under the curve of TSF for predicting seroma formation was 0.703 (95% CI 0.601–0.806).Ultrasound-derived TSF may be a promising prognostic factor for postoperative seroma in patients undergoing laparoscopic TEP repair. Further validation is required and then this parameter can be used to improve decision-making process.Results: Seroma formation is the most common cause of morbidity associated with laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. This study aimed to examine the relationship between the thickness of subcutaneous fat (TSF) and the risk of postoperative seroma.We reviewed data from a prospective cohort of 229 male patients who underwent laparoscopic total extra-peritoneal (TEP) hernioplasty for indirect inguinal hernia between August 2018 and July 2021. The TSF was assessed using preoperative ultrasound images. The risk factors for postoperative seroma were determined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models.Postoperative seromas occurred in 26 patients (11.4%). The factors associated with postoperative seroma included longer hernia duration, larger hernia defects, extension into the scrotum, and greater TSF (P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, a greater TSF was independently associated with a greater risk of postoperative seroma (per 1 mm: odd ratio [OR] 1.105, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.048–1.165, P < 0.001; TSF ≥ 26.0 mm: OR 7.033, 95% CI 2.485–19.901, P < 0.001). Similar results were obtained in the subgroup analysis. The area under the curve of TSF for predicting seroma formation was 0.703 (95% CI 0.601–0.806).Ultrasound-derived TSF may be a promising prognostic factor for postoperative seroma in patients undergoing laparoscopic TEP repair. Further validation is required and then this parameter can be used to improve decision-making process.Conclusion: Seroma formation is the most common cause of morbidity associated with laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. This study aimed to examine the relationship between the thickness of subcutaneous fat (TSF) and the risk of postoperative seroma.We reviewed data from a prospective cohort of 229 male patients who underwent laparoscopic total extra-peritoneal (TEP) hernioplasty for indirect inguinal hernia between August 2018 and July 2021. The TSF was assessed using preoperative ultrasound images. The risk factors for postoperative seroma were determined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models.Postoperative seromas occurred in 26 patients (11.4%). The factors associated with postoperative seroma included longer hernia duration, larger hernia defects, extension into the scrotum, and greater TSF (P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, a greater TSF was independently associated with a greater risk of postoperative seroma (per 1 mm: odd ratio [OR] 1.105, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.048–1.165, P < 0.001; TSF ≥ 26.0 mm: OR 7.033, 95% CI 2.485–19.901, P < 0.001). Similar results were obtained in the subgroup analysis. The area under the curve of TSF for predicting seroma formation was 0.703 (95% CI 0.601–0.806).Ultrasound-derived TSF may be a promising prognostic factor for postoperative seroma in patients undergoing laparoscopic TEP repair. Further validation is required and then this parameter can be used to improve decision-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]