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Background Colonization of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterale (CRE) is considered as one of vital preconditions for infection, with corresponding high morbidity and mortality. It is indispensable to construct a reliable prediction model and develop preventive and therapeutic strategies for those high-risk infected CRE carriers. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted in two Chinese tertiary hospitals for patients with CRE colonization from 2011 to 2021. Univariate analysis and the Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard model were utilized to identify potential risk factors for CRE-colonized infection, while death was the competing event. A nomogram was established to predict 30-day and 60-day risk of CRE-colonized infection. Results 879 eligible patients were enrolled in our study and divided into training (n = 761) and validation (n = 118) group, respectively. There were 196 (25.8%) patients suffered from subsequent CRE infection within 20 (interquartile range [IQR], 14–32) days after detection of colonization. Multisite colonization, polymicrobial colonization, catheterization and receiving albumin after colonization, concomitant respiratory diseases, receiving carbapenems and antimicrobial combination therapy before CRE colonization within 90 days were reserved in final model. Model discrimination and calibration were acceptable for predicting the probability of 60-day CRE-colonized infection in both training (area under the curve [AUC], 74.7) and validation dataset (AUC, 81.1). Decision-curve analysis revealed a significantly better net benefit in current model. Our prediction model is freely available online at https://ken-zheng.shinyapps.io/PredictingModelofCREcolonizedInfection/. Conclusions Our nomogram has a favorable predictive performance, which is deemed as a meaningful clinical tool for early identification of CRE carriers in high-risk status of subsequent infection.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the common malignant tumors of the digestive system, and its clinical treatment is still very challenging. Most of the pancreatic cancer chemotherapeutic drugs have poor plasma stability, low cell uptake efficiency, and are prone to developing drug resistance and toxic side effects. Besides, pancreatic cancer often has a dense extracellular matrix, which consists of collagens, hyaluronic acid, and other proteoglycans. Among them, hyaluronic acid is a key component of the dense matrix, which results in vascular compression and insufficient perfusion, and hinders the delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs. In this study, we explore using hyaluronidase in tumor-bearing mice to eliminate the hyaluronic acid barrier, to reduce blood vessel compression and reshape the tumor microenvironment. In addition, we evaluate using doxorubicin-loaded nanoprobes to improve the stability and local tumor-killing effect of the drug. The nanoprobes have the characteristics of near-infrared optical imaging, which are used to monitor the tumor size in real-time during the treatment process, and dynamically observe the tumor inhibitory effect. The results show that elimination of the hyaluronic acid barrier combined with the doxorubicin-loaded nanoprobes can greatly increase drug penetration into tumor tissue and improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs. This study provides a novel strategy for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

BackgroundFew studies have focused specifically on prognostic factors and optimal surgical intervention for early-onset triple-negative breast cancer (eTNBC), which is characterized by high malignancy and poor prognosis.MethodsWe performed a cohort study with a median follow-up of 31 months using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data of patients diagnosed with stages I–III eTNBC between 2010 and 2016. In addition, we collected cases between 2006 and 2016 from our center as an external validation set. Clinical features, pathologic characteristics and oncologic outcomes were analyzed. Prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) were determined by Cox proportional hazards analyses and were incorporated into the prognostic nomogram. Subgroup analysis based on propensity score matching method was conducted to explore the subset of patients that would benefit from breast-conserving therapy (BCT).ResultsBased on SEER dataset, patients with eTNBC were more likely to undergo mastectomy than BCT. On multivariable analysis, patients with better survival outcomes were those not married, uninsured, had higher T and N stage, and had histological type of mixed invasive ductal and lobular carcinoma. The prognostic nomogram based on these variables successfully predicted the 3- and 5-year BCSS (C-index in training cohort, 0.774; in validation cohort from SEER, 0.768; in validation cohort from our center, 0.723). Subgroup analysis illustrated that patients with T1N0M0 or T2-4N+M0 tumors who underwent BCT achieved longer overall survival than those who underwent mastectomy (for T1N0M0, P = 0.022; for T2-4N+M0, P = 0.003); however, the type of surgery did not influence OS among patients with T1N+M0 or T2-4N0M0 tumors (for T1N+M0, P = 0.305; for T2-4N0M0, P = 0.317).ConclusionsThe prognosis of patients with eTNBC is mainly affected by marital status, insurance status, T stage, N stage and histological type. The prognostic nomogram based on these factors is quite reliable. Subgroup analysis suggested that BCT may be a superior option for patients with eTNBC, especially those with T1N0M0 and T2-4N+M0 tumors.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravesical electrical stimulation (IVES) performed with a novel device in patients with underactive bladder (UAB).This was a multicentre, prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial of patients with UAB in China. Eligible patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive conventional IVES (n = 38) or IVES with an open circuit (n = 38). The primary efficacy measure was change from baseline in post-void residual urine volume (PVR) after 4 weeks of treatment. Secondary efficacy measures included changes in maximum urinary flow rate (QIn the full analysis set (FAS), the mean (sd) PVR changes in the trial and control groups at 4 weeks were -97.1 (107.5) mL and -10.5 (86.7) mL, respectively (P 0.01). Similar results were obtained in the per-protocol set (PPS): -102.9 (100.0) mL vs 0.7 (82.5) mL (P 0.01). In the FAS and PPS, QThe results of this clinical study strongly demonstrate that UAB patients benefit from this novel IVES device. More research is needed to validate the clinical utility of this device.

The formation of negative zinc dendrite and the deformation of zinc electrode are the important factors affecting nickel–zinc battery life. In this study, three-dimensional (3D) network carbon felt via microwave oxidation was used as ZnO support and filled with 30% H2O2-oxidised activated carbon to improve the performance of the battery. The energy density and power density of the nickel–zinc battery reached 81.8 and 181.7 Wh kg−1, respectively, at the first cycle of the charge and discharge. The coulomb efficiency and voltage efficiency of the battery were respectively 85% and 65.5% at the 921st cycle. The coulomb efficiency and voltage efficiency of the battery filled with 30% H2O2-oxidised activated carbon were respectively increased by 0.8% and 2.6% compared with those of the nickel–zinc battery filled with activated carbon, and by 31.2% and 6.9% compared with those of the nickel–zinc battery without the activated carbon. The adhesion between carbon felt and zinc was strengthened by polar groups, and the specific capacitance and hydrophilicity of zinc electrode were improved by filling the zinc electrode with 30% H2O2-oxidised activated carbon. Moreover, the hydrophilicity of carbon felt support and activated carbon capacitor material can promote the penetration and diffusion of electrolyte in the electrode and help eliminate zinc dendrite. The carbon felt electrode has the flexibility to avoid deformation of zinc electrode. The cycle stability of the battery was considerably improved by 935 times.

Aiming at the material selection of the stirring paddle in the mechanical stirring equipment, the corrosion mechanism of four different iron-based material stirring paddles when stirring the ZL101 aluminum alloy melt were studied. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), EDS and OM methods, the microstructures and phase compositions of the reaction layers formed by the corrosion of the ZL101 melt in the four iron-based stirring paddles of A3 steel, heat-resistant stainless steel 1.4837, QT5381 and HT300 during the stirring process were analyzed. The experimental results show that the microstructures and phase compositions of the reaction layers of the A3 steel, QT5381, HT300 had certain similarities, and the heat-resistant stainless steel 1.4837 showed greater differences due to the presence of alloy elements such as Cr and Ni. The comparison indicated that due to the presence of flake graphite, the HT300 hindered the corrosion of the aluminum alloy melt on the substrate, which has the best corrosion resistance. Furthermore, the corrosion mechanism of the aluminum alloy melt on different stirring paddles were also analyzed. During the stirring process, the liquid aluminum and iron-based stirring paddle infiltrated, dissolved, and adsorbed each other. Due to the reaction and diffusion of the aluminum and iron atoms, the Fe–Al intermetallic compound layer was gradually formed at the interface of the iron-based material and aluminum melt, and the presence of Si, Cr and other elements leaded to the formation of more complex intermetallic compounds.

Equipped with a fully lithiated cathode with a bare anode current collector, the anode-free lithium cell architecture presents remarkable advantages in terms of both energy density and safety compared with conventional lithium-ion cells. However, it is challenging to realize high Li reversibility, especially considering the limited Li reservoir (typically zero lithium excess) in the cell configuration. In this study we have introduced Li2O as a preloaded sacrificial agent on a LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode, providing an additional Li source to offset the irreversible loss of Li during long-term cycling in an initial-anode-free cell. We show that O2− species, released through Li2O oxidation, are synergistically neutralized by a fluorinated ether additive. This leads to the construction of a LiF-based layer at the cathode/electrolyte interface, which passivates the cathode surface and restrains the detrimental oxidative decomposition of ether solvents. We have achieved a long-life 2.46 Ah initial-anode-free pouch cell with a gravimetric energy density of 320 Wh kg–1, maintaining 80% capacity after 300 cycles. Anode-free batteries offer high-energy prospects but suffer from poor cycling stability due to limited lithium sources. Here, the authors preload lithium oxide onto a high-energy cathode in initial-anode-free cells, which substantially improves the cyclability while maintaining high energy density.

In this paper, the wave function is interpreted as space-time: under any representation, the real part of the wave function represents space and the imaginary part represents time. A wave function represents the quantum entanglement (correlation) between time and space. The unitary evolution process is the mutual transformation of space-time. The imaginary time indicates that it can entangle with space in a non localized way and dominate the integrity (unification) of a quantum, which is the essence of quantum entanglement.

This paper aims to point out that a wave function is a description of a quantum spatiotemporal entanglement and the transformation between time and space. In any quantum mechanical representation, the real part of the wave function represents the space wave and the imaginary part represents the time wave, and they are the space-time itself. Time wave is not limited by space and dominates the nonlocality and integrity of a quantum. Matter wave is a four-dimensional space-time wave, and the basic unit of vacuum is a four-dimensional space-time element stationary relative to the observer. The essence of quantum measurement or interaction is that a conjugate condensation equivalent to that determined by inner product operation occurs between Space-time waves. Particle property is only the localization effect of quantum global collapse when quantum position measurement or equivalent interaction is made.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating interstitial lung disease with dire consequences and in urgent need of improved therapies. Compelling evidence indicates that damage or dysfunction of AT2s is of central importance in the development of IPF. We recently identified a novel AT2 subpopulation characterized by low SFTPC expression but that is enriched for PD-L1 in mice. These cells represent quiescent, immature AT2 cells during normal homeostasis and expand upon pneumonectomy (PNX) and were consequently named injury-activated alveolar progenitors (IAAPs). FGF10 is shown to play critical roles in lung development, homeostasis, and injury repair demonstrated in genetically engineered mice. In an effort to bridge the gap between the promising properties of endogenous Fgf10 manipulation and therapeutic reality, we here investigated whether the administration of exogenous recombinant FGF10 protein (rFGF10) can provide preventive and/or therapeutic benefit in a mouse model of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis with a focus on its impact on IAAP dynamics. C57BL/6 mice and SftpcCreERT2/+; tdTomatoflox/+ mice aged 8–10 weeks old were used in this study. To induce the bleomycin (BLM) model, mice were intratracheally (i.t.) instilled with BLM (2 μg/g body weight). BLM injury was induced after a 7-day washout period following tamoxifen induction. A single i.t. injection of rFGF10 (0.05 μg/g body weight) was given on days 0, 7, 14, and 21 after BLM injury. Then, the effects of rFGF10 on BLM-induced fibrosis in lung tissues were assessed by H&E, IHC, Masson’s trichrome staining, hydroxyproline and Western blot assays. Immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry was used to assess the dynamic behavior of AT2 lineage-labeled SftpcPos (IAAPs and mature AT2) during the course of pulmonary fibrosis. We observed that, depending on the timing of administration, rFGF10 exhibited robust preventive or therapeutic efficacy toward BLM-induced fibrosis based on the evaluation of various pathological parameters. Flow cytometric analysis revealed a dynamic expansion of IAAPs for up to 4 weeks following BLM injury while the number of mature AT2s was drastically reduced. Significantly, rFGF10 administration increased both the peak ratio and the duration of IAAPs expansion relative to EpCAMPos cells. Altogether, our results suggest that the administration of rFGF10 exhibits therapeutic potential for IPF most likely by promoting IAAP proliferation and alveolar repair.

Considering the importance of ceftazidime/avibactam (CAZ/AVI) and polymyxin B (PMB) in treating carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) infection, it is essential to evaluate the efficacy and safety of these agents and provide appropriate medical advice to clinical specialists.We conducted a retrospective cohort study in two Chinese tertiary hospitals for critically ill patients with CRKP infection who received at least 24-h CAZ/AVI-based or PMB-based treatment. A binary logistic model and a Cox proportional hazards regression model were constructed to analyze variables that could potentially affect 30-day microbiological eradication and all-cause mortality, respectively.From January 2019 to December 2021, 164 eligible patients were divided into CAZ/AVI and PMB cohorts. A notably lower 30-day mortality rate (35.4% vs 69.5%, P 0.001) and a higher 30-day microbiological eradication rate (80.5% vs 32.9%, P 0.001) were observed for patients receiving CAZ/AVI-based treatment, compared with cases in the PMB group. A longer antimicrobial treatment duration ( 7 days) could also significantly decrease the mortality rate and increase the microbiological eradication rate. Female patients had a higher survival rate than male patients. Age over 65 years, sepsis, continuous renal replacement therapy, and organ transplantation were identified as negative factors for survival. In the subgroup analysis, CAZ/AVI combined with tigecycline or amikacin could effectively lower mortality. According to safety evaluation results, potential elevation of hepatic enzymes was associated with CAZ/AVI-based treatment, while renal impairment was probably related to PMB-based treatment.CAZ/AVI was more effective than PMB in treating CRKP-infected patients. Tigecycline and amikacin were proven to be beneficial as concomitant agents in combination with CAZ/AVI. A treatment period lasting over 7 days was recommended. Hepatoxicity of CAZ/AVI and nephrotoxicity of PMB should be monitored carefully. Further well-designed studies should be performed to verify our conclusion.

Three mesoporous silica materials (MCM-41, MSN and BMMs) possessing different morphologies but similar hexagonal arranged mesopores with almost the same pore size (2–3 nm) were functionalized by Zn and [1-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl-3-methylimidazolium] ionic liquid (ILs) via post-grafting treatment. The ILs grafted mesoporous silicas were then characterized by porosity, microscopy and SAXS techniques, and the successful loading of Zn and ILs, as well as the different distribution of functional groups in different supports were shown. Furthermore, the cycloaddition reaction of CO2 with epoxide was employed to evaluate the influences of the ILs distribution, which was proved to be caused mainly by varying morphologies of different supports. All the catalysts showed good catalytic activities. Interestingly, at low temperature, the inter particle supported ILs in BMMs had the highest catalytic efficiency, while the aggregation grafting ILs on MCM-41 present the lowest activity. However, the mesoporous silicas with ordered arranged nanopores present the superiority at higher temperature. The results highlight the crucial role played by the morphology of the supports.

Distributed generations (DGs) have been increasingly employed in AC microgrids to provide carbon-free power supply. To coordinate multiple DGs, careful attention must be paid to the synchronization stability of their interfaced inverters. Otherwise, low-frequency oscillations and even loss of synchronism may occur and pose a great threat to the system. The conventional solutions towards this issue are to derive the microgrid state-space model and evaluate its stability based on the roots of the characteristic equation. However, tremendous efforts shall be spent on modeling as the number of DG increases. This paper provides an alternative way, which localizes the target of system synchronization stability into individual inverters. It is revealed and proven that microgrid synchronization stability can be guaranteed if all the inverters are designed to have passive synchronization behaviors. To fulfill this requirement and achieve a satisfactory phase margin, an auxiliary controller is designed to reshape frequency-power characteristics of inverters. Finally, case studies of a three-DG microgrid verify the theoretical findings as well as the effectiveness of the auxiliary controller.

After fully asynchronous networking with Yunnan Power Grid and China Southern Power Grid, a multi-DC sending-end grid with a relatively weak grid structure and low load level, has prominent frequency and voltage stability, which makes Yunnan Power Grid have complex security and stability problems. Therefore, beginning with the load model and its variable, in this study, the effects of four static load models and four dynamic load models are compared with regard to the frequency and voltage stability of the Yunnan power grid’s asynchronous interconnection system. It simulates and analyzes how load model parameters affect the frequency and voltage stability of the transmitting end power grid of the asynchronous interconnection system while Puqiao DC is experiencing unipolar and bipolar blocking faults.

CD33 and FLT3 are validated targets for myeloid malignancies, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). These malignancies have poor prognosis and high clinical unmet need, and current targeted therapies present ample limitations. One challenge is that untargeted leukemic stem cells (LSCs) can contribute to eventual relapse; however, targeting the LSC markers FLT3 and CD33 can contribute to off-tumor toxicities against normal hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells (HSCs/HPCs), leading to bone marrow toxicities such as thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, and infectious complications. SENTI-202 is designed to address these challenges and provide a broader therapeutic window. SENTI-202 is a preclinical CAR-NK cell product candidate engineered with an OR and NOT logic gated gene circuit onto allogeneic healthy adult peripheral blood NK cells along with multi-arming via expression of calibrated release IL-15 (crIL-15) to enhance therapeutic activity and tolerability. The OR gate is implemented using a bivalent CAR (aCAR) that binds both CD33 and FLT3 to target both AML blasts and LSCs. Additionally, the NOT gate is implemented using an inhibitory CAR (iCAR) that recognizes the healthy cell protective antigen endomucin (EMCN) and targets endomucin which is designed to prevent CAR-mediated cytotoxicity against healthy cells, such as HSCs and early HPCs, potentially reducing on-target/off-tumor toxicities. Finally, crIL-15 provides NK cell activation and persistence via simultaneous autocrine, juxtracrine, and paracrine activities. Preclinical studies demonstrated the [antitumor] activity and tolerability of SENTI-202. All SENTI-202 components are stably expressed via a single g-retroviral vector. SENTI-202 preclinical pharmacokinetics and secondary pharmacodynamics demonstrated CAR target engagement, function, as well as mechanism of action for all components in different AML models. SENTI-202 CAR-NK cells demonstrated cytotoxic activity when co-cultured with AML target cells and primary patient-derived samples and had increased antitumor capacity compared to non-engineered NK cells. SENTI-202 induced the production of cytotoxic cytokines and increased expression of activation and cytotoxicity markers consistent with CAR-mediated activation of the NK cells. The presence of EMCN iCAR reduced cytotoxicity in an EMCN-dependent manner in target cells and primary HSCs. crIL-15 expression yielded functional pSTAT5 signaling and increased persistence of SENTI-202 in vitro and in vivo. These results demonstrate the antitumor activity and tolerability of SENTI-202 and warrant further clinical development as a novel therapeutic option for patients with CD33+ and/or FLT3+ tumors. Citation Format: Alba Gonzalez, Enping Hong, Gozde Yucel, Elizabeth Leitner, Pearley Chinta, Han Deng, Ian Li, Alice Lam, Abla Bakir, Brandon Lee, Papia Chakraborty, Carmina Blanco, Chen-Ting Lee, Niran Almudhfar, Mengxi Tian, Wenqi Song, Andrew Banicki, Otto Contreras, Martin Gieldin, Brian Garrison, Timothy K. Lu, Kanya Rajangam. Preclinical development of SENTI-202, an off-the-shelf logic gated CAR-NK cell therapy, for the treatment of CD33/FLT3+ hematologic malignancies including AML [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 3195.

Background Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is more frequently diagnosed in young patients, with an incidence of 26% of this population compared to 12% overall, and is characterized by high malignancy and poor prognosis. Limited data are available that contribute to a comprehensive summarization of the prognostic factors and the determination of surgical strategy that are associated with young patients with TNBC. We aimed to determine the optimal surgical approach (breast-conserving versus mastectomy) for patients aged < 40 years with TNBC and establish a prognostic model. Methods We performed a cohort study with a median follow-up of 31 months using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data of young patients < 40 years diagnosed with stage I–III TNBC between 2010 and 2016. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to investigate the effects of baseline characteristics on breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS). To ensure that differences in outcomes were not based on baseline differences in demographic and clinical characteristics, we performed Kaplan–Meier analysis before and after propensity score matching (1:1). Subgroup analyses stratified by TNM stage as well as further propensity score matching analyses were performed. A nomogram was constructed from the multivariate logistic regression to incorporate all the prognostic factors to predict the BCSS rates of patients at 3 years and 5 years. Young patients < 40 years diagnosed with stage I–III TNBC between 2006 and 2016 in Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital (SSPH) were enrolled as external validation. Results A total of 2,854 patients from SEER dataset and 250 from SSPH were included in this study. On multivariable analysis, unmarried status, lack of health insurance, advanced T stage, advanced N stage, invasive lobular carcinoma or mixed histologic type, were all significantly associated with poor BCSS and OS. Young patients with TNBC were more likely to undergo mastectomy than breast-conserving surgery. Notably, patients with T1N0M0 or T2-4N+M0 tumors who underwent breast-conserving surgery achieved longer BCSS and OS than those who underwent mastectomy; however, the type of surgery did not influence survival rates among patients with T1N+M0 or T2-4N0M0 tumors. The nomogram was constructed by the five variables and passed the calibration and validation steps (C-index: 0.774 for training cohort and 0.768 for validation cohort). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) predicting the 3-year and 5-year BCSS rates were calculated (0.783 and 0.774 in training cohort; 0.786 and 0.772 in validating cohort). Conclusions A localized surgical approach may be a superior option for young patients with TNBC, especially those with T1N0M0 and T2-4N+M0 tumors. Marital status, health insurance status, T stage, N stage, and histological type were independent prognostic factors, and a nomogram established based on these variables successfully predicted the 3- and 5-year survival probabilities among these patients. Citation Format: Yi-Zi Zheng, Yan Liu, Zhen-Han Deng, Guo-Wen Liu, Ni Xie. Determining prognostic factors and optimal surgical intervention for young patients with triple-negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-03-06.

Dimeric cycloparaphenylene (CPP) architectures with well-defined flipping motion are constructed taking advantage of an efficient cyclocondensation reaction. Variable-temperature nuclear magnetic resonance (VT-NMR) analyses and theoretical calculations indicate rapid interconversion of cis and trans conformers at room temperature, while energetically favorable trans conformer exists at low temperature with the metastable cis conformer hidden. The trihexylsilylethynyl-substituted dimer exhibits bright emission in solution at 616 nm with quantum yield up to 80 %, representing the brightest CPP-based emitter beyond 600 nm. A 1:2 host-guest complex of the dimer and C60 is established with negative cooperativity, demonstrating the first example of 1:2 complex from CPP derivatives.

In more-electronics power systems, grid-forming power converters, which operate as ac voltage sources, regulate the grid frequency and voltages in replacement of synchronous generators. Notably, grid impedances greatly influence the small signal and voltage stability of grid-forming converters. As such, prior knowledge of grid impedances can be very helpful for controller design. However, grid impedance estimation schemes are normally designed for current-controlled grid-following converters. Moreover, they are either very complicated or only yield grid inductances in a generally intrusive way. To fill this research gap, an impedance estimation method well suited to grid-forming converters is proposed. The method consists of four operating modes, which work well in voltage and power control cases. In the voltage control case, the voltage amplitude perturbation or phase angle information is exploited. Subsequently, the grid inductance and resistance are derived from power measurement. Alternatively, the active or reactive power information serves to estimate the grid impedance in the power control case. The proposed method features an easy implementation without any harmonic distortion, safety concern, or dependence on control parameters. Moreover, the method operates nonintrusively in most scenarios. Furthermore, a novel Kalman filtering scheme is proposed to provide added incentives. Finally, simulation and experimental results validate the effectiveness and simplicity of the proposed method.

Although they are regarded as one of the most promising energy storage devices, lithium–sulfur batteries still suffer from severe “shuttle effects”, which limit their further applications. In this work, a unique two-dimensional metal–organic framework with a small perpendicular one-dimensional channel (5.2 A) was prepared and employed as a highly efficient ion sieve to suppress notorious “shuttle effects” in Li–S batteries. The thin but closely packed laminar-like 2D CuBDC sheets could effectively suppress the shuttle of polysulfides and cause facile transport kinetics of the lithium ions during cycling. Consequently, after use as a functional separator in an Li–S battery, a capacity of 830 mA h g−1 at 1 C was obtained after a long cycling period of 1000 cycles. The excellent capacity of 795 mA h g−1 could still be obtained when cycled at 0.5 C after 500 cycles under a high sulfur loading of 5.2 mg cm−2, suggesting the superb polysulfide sieving ability of 2D CuBDC sheets.

In this paper, the wave function is interpreted as space-time: under any representation, the real part of ‎the wave function ‎represents space and the imaginary part represents time. A wave function represents ‎the quantum entanglement (correlation) ‎between time and space. The unitary evolution process is the ‎mutual transformation of space-time. The imaginary time ‎indicates that it can entangle with space in a ‎nonlocalized way and dominate the integrity (unification) of a quantum, which ‎is the essence of ‎quantum entanglement.‎

Aberrant self-renewal of leukemia initiation cells (LICs) drives aggressive acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Here, we report that UHRF1, an epigenetic regulator that recruits DNMT1 to methylate DNA, is highly expressed in AML and predicts poor prognosis. UHRF1 is required for myeloid leukemogenesis by maintaining self-renewal of LICs. Mechanistically, UHRF1 directly interacts with Sin3A-associated protein 30 (SAP30) through two critical amino acids, G572 and F573 in its SRA domain, to repress gene expression. Depletion of UHRF1 or SAP30 derepresses an important target gene, MXD4, which encodes a MYC antagonist, and leads to suppression of leukemogenesis. Further knockdown of MXD4 can rescue the leukemogenesis by activating the MYC pathway. Lastly, we identified a UHRF1 inhibitor, UF146, and demonstrated its significant therapeutic efficacy in the myeloid leukemia PDX model. Taken together, our study reveals the mechanisms for altered epigenetic programs in AML and provides a promising targeted therapeutic strategy against AML.

Oral cancer is a multifactorial cancer that affects millions of peoples worldwide. The current exploration aimed to evaluate the mechanisms that thymoquinone nanoencapsulated carrier and its effects on 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) stimulated hamster buccal pouch cancer in Syrian hamster model. Nanocarrier was characterized by SEM, TEM, FTIR analysis. The incidence of tumor, and biochemicals makers was studied through standard methods. The mRNA expression level of inflammatory markers NF-κBp50, NF-κBp65, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR markers in the buccal tissues of control and experimental animals were investigated through RT-PCR analysis. In thymoquinone (TQ) loaded calcium alginate and polyvinyl alcohol carrier (TQ/Ca-alg-PVA) no squamous cell carcinogenesis developed and others moderate dysplasia revealed differentiated form of hyperplasia and keratosis. In biochemical analyses with DMBA + TQ/Ca-alg-PVA (20 mg/kg bw) orally administered hamsters showed restored the antioxidants, detoxification, xenobiotic metabolising enzymes in DMBA induced plasma and oral tissues of hamsters. Further, mRNA expression level of NF-κBp50/p65 and PI3K/AKT/mTOR were upregulated in the DMBA alone painted hamster. In contrast, these expressions were down regulated in orally TQ/Ca-alg-PVA treated experimental animals. This ability more eligible to deregulate the inflammatory and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway that proved it suppresses anti-invasion/metastasis activity during hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis. From this study, we recommended that TQ/Ca-alg-PVA has documented as effective chemopreventive agents, in further many molecular machineries need to study.

We have successfully synthesized a new transition metal tellurate compound K2Cu2(Te2O5)(TeO3)2·2H2O. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system with space group P21/c; the Te coordi...

Summary Traditional liquid electrolytes used in rechargeable batteries, fuel cells, and electrochemical capacitors composed of solvents, anions, and solvents solvated cations (e.g., lithium ions, Li+), follow classic “cations with solvation” electrolyte configuration and can be defined as “cations solvated electrolytes.” In these electrolytes, the de-solvation processes of solvated cations only occur when the cations inserted-deposited on the electrodes’ surface. Here, different from traditional electrolytes, a new liquid electrolyte with de-solvated Li+ was discovered (“Li+ de-solvated electrolyte”), since it merely composed of inactive “frozen-like” solvent and crystal-like salt solute. Inspiringly, its electrochemical stability was remarkably improved (extended to 4.5 V for “Li+ de-solvated ether-based electrolyte”). Ultra-stable high-energy-density lithium-metal batteries (LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2//Li) were achieved (half-cell: 140 mAh g−1 after 830 cycles; full-cell: 170 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles under twice excessed Li). It is also surprising that this does not present any cathode-electrolyte interface (CEI) layer on the cycled NCM-811 surface benefit from the “Li+ de-solvated electrolyte.”

Summary Benefiting from the high-energy-density Li2O-based cathode and ultra-stable ether-based electrolyte system, we report a low-cost and high-energy-density 500 Wh/kg-cell Li-metal pouch cell driven by pure anionic redox activity. The non-superoxo/O2 “safe” charge depth has been extended to 750 mAh/g∼Li2O. Fairly taking the entire cathode mass loading (including inactive components) into calculation, a specific capacity of 477.3 mAh/g can be achieved. The cost/price of cathode catalytic matrix has been efficiently controlled by the employment of low-cost Ni-based catalyst substrate. Benefitting from the electrolyte modification, highly efficient and long-term stable Li-metal cycling guarantees the employment of limited Li metal in full-cell systems, which largely boosts the pouch-cell-level energy density. Finally, by explicitly sharing and analyzing the promoting space of each cell-level parameter in the current pouch-cell system, we want to pass a straightforward message to battery researchers, directing their attention to the development of this promising low-cost and high-energy-density cell system.

Background Local recurrence is the main cause of death among patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This study assessed near-infrared fluorescence (NIF) imaging and spectroscopy to monitor surgical margins intraoperatively for OSCC. Methods Cytological and animal experiments were first performed to confirm the feasibility of monitoring surgical margins with NIF imaging and spectroscopy. Then, 20 patients with OSCC were included in the clinical trials. At 6–8 h after 0.75 mg/kg indocyanine green (ICG) injection, all patients underwent surgery with NIF imaging. During the surgery, both NIF images and quantified fluorescence intensity were acquired to monitor the surgical margins. Results In cytological and animal experiments, the results showed it was feasible to monitor surgical margins with NIF imaging and spectroscopy. Fluorescence was detected in primary tumors in all patients. The fluorescence intensities of the tumor, peritumoral, and normal tissues were 398.863 ± 151.47, 278.52 ± 84.89, and 274.5 ± 100.93 arbitrary units (AUs), respectively (P < 0.05). The SBR of tumor to peritumoral tissue and normal tissues was computed to be 1.45 ± 0.36 and 1.56 ± 0.41, respectively. After primary tumor excision, the wounds showed abnormal fluorescence in four patients (4/20), and residual cancer cells were confirmed by pathological examination in two patients (2/20). Conclusion These findings confirmed the complementary value of NIF imaging during radical tumor resection of OSCC. Before tumor resection, we could utilize the fluorescence margin produced by ICG NIF imaging to determine the surgical margin. Moreover, after tumor blocks were removed, the status of surgical margin could also be evaluated rapidly by ICG NIF imaging of tumor bed and in vitro specimens.

Rechargeable aqueous zinc batteries (RAZB) have been re-evaluated because of the superiority in addressing safety and cost concerns. Nonetheless, the limited lifespan arising from dendritic electrodeposition of metallic Zn hinders their further development. Herein, a metal-organic framework (MOF) was constructed as front surface layer to maintain a super-saturated electrolyte layer on the Zn anode. Raman spectroscopy indicated that the highly coordinated ion complexes migrating through the MOF channels were different from the solvation structure in bulk electrolyte. Benefiting from the unique super-saturated front surface, symmetric Zn cells survived up to 3000 hours at 0.5 mA cm-2 , near 55-times that of bare Zn anodes. Moreover, aqueous MnO2 -Zn batteries delivered a reversible capacity of 180.3 mAh g-1 and maintained a high capacity retention of 88.9 % after 600 cycles with MnO2 mass loading up to 4.2 mg cm-2 .

PURPOSE: One critical step in routine orthognathic surgery is to reestablish a desired final dental occlusion. Traditionally, the final occlusion is established by hand articulating stone dental models. To date, there are still no effective solutions to establish the final occlusion in computer-aided surgical simulation. In this study, we consider the most common one-piece maxillary orthognathic surgery and propose a three-stage approach to digitally and automatically establish the desired final dental occlusion. METHODS: The process includes three stages: (1) extraction of points of interest and teeth landmarks from a pair of upper and lower dental models; (2) establishment of Midline-Canine-Molar (M-C-M) relationship following the clinical criteria on these three regions; and (3) fine alignment of upper and lower teeth with maximum contacts without breaking the established M-C-M relationship. Our method has been quantitatively and qualitatively validated using 18 pairs of dental models. RESULTS: Qualitatively, experienced orthodontists assess the algorithm-articulated and hand-articulated occlusions while being blind to the methods used. They agreed that occlusion results of the two methods are equally good. Quantitatively, we measure and compare the distances between selected landmarks on upper and lower teeth for both algorithm-articulated and hand-articulated occlusions. The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the algorithm-articulated and hand-articulated occlusions. CONCLUSION: The proposed three-stage automatic dental articulation method is able to articulate the digital dental model to the clinically desired final occlusion accurately and efficiently. It allows doctors to completely eliminate the use of stone dental models in the future.

Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely studied for its efficacy in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. However, berberine-mediated neuroprotection in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease is still uncertain. In this study, the effects of berberine on rotenone-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells were investigated. The results showed that berberine treatment significantly alleviated rotenone-induced decrease in the cell viability in SH-SY5Y cells. Further studies demonstrated that berberine suppressed the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species, restored the mitochondrial transmembrane potential, increased Bcl-2/Bax ratio, and decreased caspase-3 activation that induced by rotenone. Furthermore, berberine also restored the phosphorylation of Akt, which was downregulated by rotenone in SH-SY5Y cells. These results suggest that berberine protects rotenone-treated SH-SY5Y cells by antioxidation and activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

The detrimental decomposition of electrolytes, in particular the dehydrogenation of solvents, would accelerate the degradation of batteries and hinder the development of high-energy-density lithium–metal batteries (LMBs). The purpose of building classic concentrated electrolytes is to decrease the proportion of solvents, so that the solvent-related parasitic reactions can be suppressed. However, accompanied by the reduction of solvents, the electrolyte concentration processes would reach their limits when saturated states are achieved. Herein, beyond the concentrated electrolytes (solvent-definite state), an electrolyte with a more aggregative configuration was obtained after further depleting the solvent molecules within a Li+ solvation sheath. The prepared electrolyte demonstrated a largely expanded electrochemical stability window (enlarged from 4.5 V to 5.4 V vs. Li/Li+), enhanced stability towards high-Ni NCM-811 cathode and thin cathode electrolyte interlayer (CEI) films. Assembled with high-voltage cathodes (NCM-811 and 5.0 V-class LiCoMnO4 (LCMO)) and limited excess lithium metal, high-energy-density LMB full cells (above 630 W h kg−1) with ultra-stable cycling performance were achieved. We expect this electrolyte design strategy to expand the family of electrolytes and remedy the inherent defects of conventional electrolytes for high-energy-density LMBs.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.7150/thno.42795.].

Induced by the hydrolysis of electrolytes, hydrofluoric acid (HF) can exacerbate the notorious transition metal dissolution, which seriously restricts the development of high-energy-density lithium batteries based on high-voltage cathodes. Irremovable water, not limited to trace water originally contained in electrolytes, can also be continuously produced upon battery fabrication and electrochemical cycling processes, which has been ignored for a long time. Herein, exempting cells from cumbersome and time-consuming industrial water-removal procedures, we simply introduced a metal–organic framework (MOF) into the inside of cells as an effective in-built water scavenger. As a result, pairing the in-built water scavengers with various high-voltage cathodes (LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4, LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2, etc.), we demonstrated superior cycling stability (72% capacity retention after 400 cycles for LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2, calculated from the 4th cycle after 3 cycles of activation) even under a harsh environment (200 ppm water containing electrolyte). Simply using a MOF as a water scavenger can simultaneously reduce the manufacturing costs of lithium-ion batteries while improving their lifespan and safety.