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ObjectiveDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, many research studies were adapted, including our longitudinal study examining cognitive impairment (CI) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Cognitive testing was switched from in-person to virtual. This analysis aimed to determine if the administration method (in-person vs. virtual) of the ACR-neuropsychological battery (ACR-NB) affected participant cognitive performance and classification.MethodsData from our multi-visit, SLE CI study included demographic, clinical, and psychiatric characteristics, and the modified ACR-NB. Three analyses were undertaken for cognitive performance: (1) all visits, (2) non-CI group visits only and (3) intra-individual comparisons. A retrospective preferences questionnaire was given to participants who completed the ACR-NB both in-person and virtually.ResultsWe analysed 328 SLE participants who had 801 visits (696 in-person and 105 virtual). Demographic, clinical, and psychiatric characteristics were comparable except for ethnicity, anxiety and disease-related damage. Across all three comparisons, six tests were consistently statistically significantly different. CI classification changed in 11/71 (15%) participants. 45% of participants preferred the virtual administration method and 33% preferred in-person.ConclusionsOf the 19 tests in the ACR-NB, we identified one or more problems with eight (42%) tests when moving from in-person to virtual administration. As the use of virtual cognitive testing will likely increase, these issues need to be addressed - potentially by validating a virtual version of the ACR-NB. Until then, caution must be taken when directly comparing virtual to in-person test results. If future studies use a mixed administration approach, this should be accounted for during analysis.

Signaling via the B cell receptor (BCR) plays an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). This is underscored by the clinical effectiveness of ibrutinib, an inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) that can block BCR-signaling. However, ibrutinib cannot induce complete responses (CR) or durable remissions without continued therapy, suggesting alternative pathways also contribute to CLL growth/survival that are independent of BCR-signaling. ROR1 is a receptor for Wnt5a, which can promote activation of Rac1 to enhance CLL-cell proliferation and survival. In this study, we found that CLL cells of patients treated with ibrutinib had activated Rac1. Moreover, Wnt5a could induce Rac1 activation and enhance proliferation of CLL cells treated with ibrutinib at concentrations that were effective in completely inhibiting BTK and BCR-signaling. Wnt5a-induced Rac1 activation could be blocked by cirmtuzumab (UC-961), an anti-ROR1 mAb. We found that treatment with cirmtuzumab and ibrutinib was significantly more effective than treatment with either agent alone in clearing leukemia cells in vivo. This study indicates that cirmtuzumab may enhance the activity of ibrutinib in the treatment of patients with CLL or other ROR1+ B-cell malignancies.

Ofatumumab is a humanized anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody that has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. We conducted a phase II single-arm study at a single center. Patients received ofatumumab (300 mg then 1000 mg weekly for 12 weeks) and methylprednisolone (1000 mg/m(2) for 3 days of each 28-day cycle). Twenty-one patients enrolled, including 29% with unfavorable cytogenetics (del17p or del11q). Ninety percent of patients received the full course without dose reductions or delays. The overall response rate was 81% (17/21) with 5% complete response, 10% nodular partial response, 67% partial response, 14% stable disease and 5% progressive disease. After a median follow-up of 31 months, the median progression-free survival was 9.9 months and the median time to next treatment was 12.1 months. The median overall survival has not yet been reached. The combination of high-dose methylprednisolone and ofatumumab is an effective and tolerable treatment regimen. This regimen may be useful for patients who are unable to tolerate more aggressive therapies, or have not responded to other treatments.

In this study, comprehensive evaluation of the technologies on waste heat recovery technologies for maritime applications has been carried out. We have focused our research on exhaust gas turbine system (EGT), thermodynamic organic rankine cycle (RC), Kalina cycle (KC) and thermoelectric generators (TG), which are the most appropriate and most up - to - date techniques for recovering power from marine engines. Each technology has its own advantages and disadvantages, so the comprehensive evaluation of these technologies is essential to accurately determine which technology will be applied to which target. This belongs to the multi-criteria decision (MCDM) process. The combined assessment methodology, consisting of gray correlation and analysis hierarchy processes, has been applied to evaluate four waste heat recovery techniques in terms of technical, economic, social and environmental aspects. According to the comparison results, the exhaust gas turbine system has been evaluated as the most promising technology among the various WHR technologies that can be applied to marine engines. Sensitivity analysis suggests that if investment cost of TG falls to about the same level as the one of EGT, TG could be the best method among these technologies. Reduction of investment cost of TG technology could be realized by development of low cost thermoelectric material. We have analyzed the correlation between each cost through DOE analysis and investigate the effect of individual costs on the total cost.This work helps in identifying the most suitable heat recovery technologies for marine engine. Keywords: Waste heat recovery, Marine engine, Grey relational analysis, Analytic hierarchy process, Comprehensive evaluation

C24H18N4O4, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 16.5930(5) Å, b = 5.7298(2) Å, c = 20.8714(6) Å, β = 99.8620(10)°, V = 1955.02(11) Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0415, wRref(F2) = 0.1115, T = 193 K.

In primary cementing of an oil well, the oil-based drilling mud (lubricant) is displaced by sequential pumping of an aqueous surfactant ‘spacer’ fluid, and then the aqueous cement slurry. The cement sets to seal the annular space between the geological formation and the steel wellbore casing. In the displacement process, there will be some intermixing of the fluids. Compatibility between the drilling mud, the spacer, and the cement slurry is necessary to achieve successful zonal isolation. In this study, steady shear and dynamic oscillatory shear were used to investigate the changes in rheology that occur as a result of this intermixing. For the steady shear measurements the Herschel-Bulkley model shows good agreement with measured stress-strain data, accurately capturing the yield stress and the plastic viscosity over the range of shear rates from 0.75 to 520 s-1. The viscoelastic properties, which are related to the microstructure of the slurry were examined by using dynamic oscillatory shear and it was demonstrated that this measurement could be utilized to evaluate the compatibility. Moreover, a close relationship between yield stress and storage modulus was observed, which enabled a correlation relating the steady shear and the dynamic oscillatory results.

Optical technologies are essential for the rapid and efficient delivery of health care to patients. Efforts have begun to implement these technologies in miniature devices that are implantable in patients for continuous or chronic uses. In this review, we discuss guidelines for biomaterials suitable for use in vivo. Basic optical functions such as focusing, reflection, and diffraction have been realized with biopolymers. Biocompatible optical fibers can deliver sensing or therapeutic-inducing light into tissues and enable optical communications with implanted photonic devices. Wirelessly powered, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and miniature lasers made of biocompatible materials may offer new approaches in optical sensing and therapy. Advances in biotechnologies, such as optogenetics, enable more sophisticated photonic devices with a high level of integration with neurological or physiological circuits. With further innovations and translational development, implantable photonic devices offer a pathway to improve health monitoring, diagnostics, and light-activated therapies.

As small-scale distributed energy is gradually expanding, commercialization of peer to peer(P2P) energy trading that freely exchanges energy among individuals in various countries is being commercialized, and the Microgrids (MGs) are considered to be an optimal platform for P2P energy trading. Although conducting electricity trade among individuals without going through power companies is still in its infancy, it is expected to expand gradually as the awareness of the shared economy grows and the MG spreads. Research on more efficient trading systems is needed while trading energy in MG. Therefore we propose a more efficient energy trading system that minimizes the loss in proportion to the distance of the power line when energy trading is performed in the MG. We have constructed a virtual MG environment and experimented with energy trading scenarios. As a result, when the algorithm is applied, loss in proportion to the distance is reduced by 2.495% and energy trading becomes more active. The amount of energy and the number of trades increased by 1.5 times during the energy trading process.

Abstract Background Visceral white adipose tissue (WAT) hypertrophy, adipokine production, inflammation and fibrosis are strongly associated with obesity, but the time-course of these changes in-vivo are not fully understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to establish the time-course of changes in adipocyte morphology, adipokines and the global transcriptional landscape in visceral WAT during the development of diet-induced obesity. Results C57BL/6 J mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) or normal diet (ND) and sacrificed at 8 time-points over 24 weeks. Excessive fat accumulation was evident in visceral WAT depots (Epidydimal, Perirenal, Retroperitoneum, Mesentery) after 2–4 weeks. Fibrillar collagen accumulation was evident in epidydimal adipocytes at 24 weeks. Plasma adipokines, leptin, resistin and adipsin, increased early and time-dependently, while adiponectin decreased late after 20 weeks. Only plasma leptin and adiponectin levels were associated with their respective mRNA levels in visceral WAT. Time-course microarrays revealed early and sustained activation of the immune transcriptome in epididymal and mesenteric depots. Up-regulated inflammatory genes included pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines (Tnf, Il1rn, Saa3, Emr1, Adam8, Itgam, Ccl2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9) and their upstream signalling pathway genes (multiple Toll-like receptors, Irf5 and Cd14). Early changes also occurred in fibrosis, extracellular matrix, collagen and cathepsin related-genes, but histological fibrosis was only visible in the later stages. Conclusions In diet-induced obesity, early activation of TLR-mediated inflammatory signalling cascades by CD antigen genes, leads to increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, resulting in chronic low-grade inflammation. Early changes in collagen genes may trigger the accumulation of ECM components, promoting fibrosis in the later stages of diet-induced obesity. New therapeutic approaches targeting visceral adipose tissue genes altered early by HFD feeding may help ameliorate the deleterious effects of diet-induced obesity.

Abstract Background Natural food supplements with high flavonoid content are often claimed to promote weight-loss and lower plasma cholesterol in animal studies, but human studies have been more equivocal. The aim of this study was firstly to determine the effectiveness of natural food supplements containing Glycine max leaves extract (EGML) or Garcinia cambogia extract (GCE) to promote weight-loss and lower plasma cholesterol. Secondly to examine whether these supplements have any beneficial effect on lipid, adipocytokine or antioxidant profiles. Methods Eighty-six overweight subjects (Male:Female = 46:40, age: 20~50 yr, BMI > 23 < 29) were randomly assigned to three groups and administered tablets containing EGML (2 g/day), GCE (2 g/day) or placebo (starch, 2 g/day) for 10 weeks. At baseline and after 10 weeks, body composition, plasma cholesterol and diet were assessed. Blood analysis was also conducted to examine plasma lipoproteins, triglycerides, adipocytokines and antioxidants. Results EGML and GCE supplementation failed to promote weight-loss or any clinically significant change in %body fat. The EGML group had lower total cholesterol after 10 weeks compared to the placebo group (p < 0.05). EGML and GCE had no effect on triglycerides, non-HDL-C, adipocytokines or antioxidants when compared to placebo supplementation. However, HDL-C was higher in the EGML group (p < 0.001) after 10 weeks compared to the placebo group. Conclusions Ten weeks of EGML or GCE supplementation did not promote weight-loss or lower total cholesterol in overweight individuals consuming their habitual diet. Although, EGML did increase plasma HDL-C levels which is associated with a lower risk of atherosclerosis.

Abstract Background The screening of peptide-based epitopes has been studied extensively for the purpose of developing therapeutic antibodies and prophylactic vaccines that can be potentially useful for treating cancer and infectious diseases such as influenza virus, malaria, hepatitis B, and HIV. To improve the efficacy of antibody production by epitope-based immunization, researchers evaluated liposomes as a means of delivering vaccines; they also formulated adjuvants such as flagella and CpG-DNA to enhance the magnitude of immune responses. Here, we provide a potent method for peptide-based epitope screening and antibody production without conventional carriers. Results We present that a particular form of natural phosphodiester bond CpG-DNA encapsulated in a specific liposome complex (Lipoplex(O)) induces potent immunomodulatory activity in humans as well as in mice. Additionally, Lipoplex(O) enhances the production of IgG2a specific to antigenic protein in mice. Most importantly, immunization of mice with several peptides co-encapsulated with Lipoplex(O) without carriers significantly induces each peptide-specific IgG2a production in a TLR9-dependent manner. A peptide-specific monoclonal antibody produced against hepatocellular carcinoma-associated antigen has functional effects on the cancer cells. Conclusions Our overall results show that Lipoplex(O) is a potent adjuvant and that complexes of peptide and Lipoplex(O) are extremely useful for B cell epitope screening and antibody production without carriers. Therefore, our strategy may be promptly used for the development of therapeutic antibodies by rapid screening of potent B cell epitopes.

Abstract This paper proposes a new efficient and secure anonymous authentication scheme for mobile satellite communication systems. Compared with the related schemes, the proposed scheme achieves the following three main advantages: (1) It is just based on a secure one-way hash function for avoiding complex computations for both mobile users and network control center (NCC), (2) it does not require sensitive verification table which may cause NCC to become an attractive target for numerous attacks (e.g., insertion attacks and stolen-verifier attacks), and (3) it provides higher security level (e.g., secure mutual authentication and key establishment, confidential communication, user's privacy, simple key management, and session key independence). As a result, the proposed scheme is very suitable for lightweight-device environments because of very low computation overload on the part of both mobile user and NCC.

Abstract Background Trans fat are not desirable in many aspects on health maintenance. Low trans structured fats have been reported to be relatively more safe than trans fats. Methods We examined the effects of low trans structured fat from corn oil (LC), compared with high trans fat shortening, on cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism in apo E deficient mice which is an atherogenic animal model. The animals were fed a high trans fat (10% fat: commercial shortening (CS)) or a low trans fat (LC) diet for 12 weeks. Results LC decreased apo B and hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride concentration compared to the CS group but significantly increased plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride concentration and fecal lipids with a simultaneous increase in HDL-cholesterol level, apo A-I, and the ratio of HDL-cholesterol to total cholesterol (HTR). Reduction of hepatic lipid levels by inclusion of LC intake was observed alongside modulation of hepatic enzyme activities related to cholesterol esterification, fatty acid metabolism and fecal lipids level compared to the CS group. The differential effects of LC intake on the plasma and hepatic lipid profile seemed to be partly due to the fatty acid composition of LC which contains higher MUFA, PUFA and SFA content as well as lower content of trans fatty acids compared to CS. Conclusions We suggest that LC may exert a dual effect on plasma and hepatic lipid metabolism in an atherogenic animal model. Accordingly, LC, supplemented at 10% in diet, had an anti-atherogenic effect on these apo E-/- mice, and increased fecal lipids, decreased hepatic steatosis, but elevated plasma lipids. Further studies are needed to verify the exact mode of action regarding the complex physiological changes and alteration in lipid metabolism caused by LC.

Abstract Background Bee venom therapy has been used to treat inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis in humans and in experimental animals. We previously found that bee venom and melittin (a major component of bee venom) have anti-inflammatory effect by reacting with the sulfhydryl group of p50 of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and IκB kinases (IKKs). Since mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase family is implicated in the NF-κB activation and inflammatory reaction, we further investigated whether activation of MAP kinase may be also involved in the anti-inflammatory effect of melittin and bee venom. Methods The anti-inflammatory effects of melittin and bee venom were investigated in cultured Raw 264.7 cells, THP-1 human monocytic cells and Synoviocytes. The activation of NF-κB was investigated by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were determined either by Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay or by biochemical assay. Expression of IκB, p50, p65, inducible nitric oxide synthetase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) as well as phosphorylation of MAP kinase family was determined by Western blot. Results Melittin (0.5–5 μg/ml) and bee venom (5 and 10 μg/ml) inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 1 μg/ml) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 200 μM)-induced activation of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) in RAW 264.7 cells in a dose dependent manner. However, JNK inhibitor, anthra [1,9-cd]pyrazole-6 (2H)-one (SP600215, 10–50 μM) dose dependently suppressed the inhibitory effects of melittin and bee venom on NF-κB dependent luciferase and DNA binding activity via suppression of the inhibitory effect of melittin and bee venom on the LPS and SNP-induced translocation of p65 and p50 into nucleus as well as cytosolic release of IκB. Moreover, JNK inhibitor suppressed the inhibitory effects of melittin and bee venom on iNOS and COX-2 expression, and on NO and PGE2 generation. Conclusion These data show that melittin and bee venom prevent LPS and SNP-induced NO and PGE2 production via JNK pathway dependent inactivation of NF-κB, and suggest that inactivation of JNK pathways may also contribute to the anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritis effects of melittin and bee venom.

The current study presents a quick and simple method for synthesizing Ir nanoclusters decorated on an N-doped carbon (NC) matrix via pulsed laser ablation in liquid, followed by pyrolysis. The resulting Ir-NC material acts as a dual-functional electrocatalyst, efficiently facilitating hydrogen generation through the hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR) and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline seawater. The optimized Ir-NC-2 catalyst exhibits a low operating potential of 23 mV versus the reversible hydrogen electrode for HzOR and a remarkably low overpotential of 24 mV for HER, achieving a current density of 10 mA cm -2 in alkaline seawater, surpassing the performance of the Pt/C catalyst. Notably, the Ir-NC-2 catalyst also demonstrates superior dual-functionality in overall hydrazine-assisted seawater splitting, requiring only 0.1 V at 10 mA cm -2 while maintaining stability. Moreover, density functional theory calculations reveal that the strong electronic interaction between the Ir nanoclusters and the NC matrix enhances mass transfer and electron conductivity, significantly boosting HER activity and accelerating the kinetics of hydrazine dehydrogenation. Consequently, the Ir-NC-2 catalyst performs efficiently in a Zn-hydrazine battery, achieving high energy efficiency of 95.5% and demonstrating excellent stability for 120 h (360 cycles), indicating its potential for practical applications., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: There is a lack of evidence of the diagnosis and treatment-related epidemiological studies of symptomatic discoid meniscus. This study analyzed the national epidemiological data for discoid meniscus in South Korea., Methods: From 2011 to 2019, data related to the diagnosis and procedure codes of discoid meniscus were obtained from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. All patients encoded as discoid meniscus were included. Data were extracted and further analyzed as follows: (1) the total number and the incidence (cases per 100,000) of discoid meniscus diagnosis per year, (2) sex distribution, (3) age distribution, (4) discoid meniscus ratio (total discoid meniscus coding per total meniscus injury coding), and (5) surgical procedures after discoid meniscus injury., Results: The total number of discoid meniscus diagnosed was 4576 in 2011 and increased to 6639 in 2019, representing a 45.1% increase. The incidence was 9.5 in 2011 and increased to 13.0 in 2019. Concerning sex, discoid meniscus was more common in females (55%) than in males (45%) over the study period. Regarding age, the peak age of discoid meniscus in 2011 was "under 19," whereas in 2019, the peak age was observed in the 50s. The discoid meniscus ratio range was 2.12-2.60% from 2011 to 2019. The total number of meniscectomy increased by 20% from 2000 in 2011 to 2475 in 2014. However, the total number of meniscus repairs was 318 in 2011 and increased to 502 in 2019, indicating an increase of 58%., Conclusions: The total number and incidence of symptomatic discoid as well as the discoid meniscus ratio and the incidence of total discoid meniscus repair steadily increased from 2011 to 2019. The number of meniscus repair procedures increased more rapidly than that of meniscectomy. The current study helps understand the epidemiology of symptomatic discoid meniscus, its prevention, and cost-saving measures in South Korea., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease (SARD) patients have been excluded from sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) trials given putative risks, but this risk magnitude is unknown. We aimed to quantify SGLT2i adverse event risks among patients with vs. without SARD.   METHODS: In a retrospective cohort study, patients with SARD at Mass General Brigham, a multihospital system in Boston, Massachusetts, prescribed SGLT2i were age-, self-reported race-, and sex-matched to patients prescribed the same SGLT2i between 1/1/2016 and 12/10/2021. Cumulative incidence and Cox models, overall and sex-stratified, estimated patient-reported adverse event risks from prescription date, censoring for discontinuation, death, or study end (12/12/2022)., Results: Four hundred sixty-eight SARD and 420 matched non-SARD patients were compared: mean age 64 years (SD 11.3), 61% female, and 70% White. SARD patients had shorter SGLT2i use duration (8.4 vs. 12.7 months; p < 0.0001) and time to adverse event (0.59 vs. 0.85 years; p 0.04). Yeast infections (9.8% vs. 6.2%; p 0.047) and muscular symptoms (3.4% vs. 1.0%, p 0.01) were more prevalent among those with SARD. Adjusting for baseline demographics, adverse event risk was higher (MV HR 1.68; 95% CI 1.28, 2.21), in patients with vs. without SARD. Risk was higher in women than men overall and in women with SARD vs. without (adjusted HR 1.86; 95% CI 1.36, 2.54)., Conclusion: Patients with vs. without SARD had 68% higher adverse event risk with SGLT2i use. Women with vs. without SARD had > 85% higher adverse event risks, although most were not serious. Trials of safety and efficacy of SGLT2i among SARD patients are warranted. Key Points •To our knowledge, this is the first study to compare adverse events associated with SGLT2i utilization in patients with vs. without SARD, despite RCT exclusion and documented SGLT2i use in the population. •In our comparison of 468 patients with SARD and 420 patients without, we identified a greater than 65% increase in risk of adverse event outcomes among patients with SARD. •Furthermore, we found that this risk disproportionately affected female patients, with a 4.4-fold increased risk among women with SARD compared to men without., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR).)

Nonaqueous zinc-ion batteries (NZIBs) featuring manganese dioxide (MnO 2 ) cathodes position themselves as viable options for large-scale energy storage systems. Herein, we demonstrate the use of ammonium cation as a preintercalant to improve the performance of the δ-MnO 2 cathode in wet dimethyl sulfoxide based electrolytes. Employing in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and synchrotron X-ray diffraction, we reveal that the integration of ammonium cations promotes the formation of NH-O-Mn networks. These networks are crucial for manipulating the distortion of the MnO 6 octahedral units during discharging, thereby mitigating charge disproportionation, which is a primary limitation to MnO 2 's charge-storage efficiency. The modified MnO 2 , through this idea, displays a notable improvement in capacity (∼247 mAh/g) and can pass charge-discharge cycles up to 500 cycles with a capacity retention of 85%. These findings underscore the potential of modified MnO 2 in advancing MnO 2 -based hosts for Zn-MnO 2 batteries, marking significant progress toward next-generation energy storage solutions.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify attributes of resilience among nursing students., Design: The concept analysis method was used., Data Sources: Literature reviews from the past 10 years were searched in Science Direct, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PubMed, and the Wiley online library. The literature search database and review period were determined after verification of validity by five experts (nursing professors). The inclusion criteria for the literature review were that the paper must be written in English, and the abstract or title of the paper should have included attributes of nursing students' resilience. Exclusion criteria were papers written in languages other than English, papers that did not include the attributes of resilience of nursing students, and duplicate papers. Seventeen studies were included in the analysis., Results: Resilience among nursing students comprised three attributes and 28 sub-attributes. The three attributes were individual, educational, and situational. Individual attributes included personal competency characteristics (e.g., self-confidence and self-efficacy) and consisted of 15 sub-attributes. Educational attributes included characteristics related to academic and clinical practicum (e.g., coping with academic work pressure) and consisted of seven sub-attributes. Situational attributes comprised characteristics that changed according to circumstances (e.g., coping with increased levels of patient acuity during the crisis), such as the COVID-19 pandemic and social support from significant others, and consisted of six sub-attributes., Conclusions: This study identified resilience attributes reflecting the characteristics of nursing students and recent situational changes. Consequently, tools to assess resilience should be developed based on study findings and utilized in various studies aimed at enhancing the resilience of nursing students., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Herein, a straightforward approach using pulsed laser technology to synthesize selective hexagonal-close-packed (hcp) Ru nanoparticles attached to Cu nanospheres (Ru/Cu) as bifunctional electrocatalyst for catalyzing the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and formaldehyde oxidation reaction (FOR) are reported. Initially, Ru-doped CuO flakes are synthesized using a coprecipitation method followed by transformation into Ru/Cu composites through a strategy involving pulsed laser irradiation in liquid. Specifically, the optimized Ru/Cu-4 composite not only demonstrates a low overpotential of 182 mV at 10 mA·cm -2 for the HER but also an ultralow working potential of 0.078 V (versus reversible hydrogen electrode) for the FOR at the same current density. Remarkably, the FOR∥HER-coupled electrolyzer employing the Ru/Cu-4∥Ru/Cu-4 system achieves H 2 production at both electrodes with a cell voltage of 0.42 V at 10 mA·cm -2 while co-synthesizing formic acid. Furthermore, density functional theory analyses elucidate that the superior activity of the Ru/Cu composite originates from optimized adsorption energies of reactive species on the catalyst surfaces during the HER and FOR, facilitated by the synergistic coupling between Ru and Cu. This study presents an alternative strategy for synthesizing highly effective electrocatalytic materials for use in energy-efficient H 2 production with the cosynthesis of value-added chemicals suitable for practical applications., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

This study addresses the urgent need to focus on the nitrite reduction reaction (NO 2 - RR) to ammonia (NH 3 ). A ternary-metal Prussian blue analogue (CoCuFe-PBA) was utilized as the template material, leveraging its tunable electronic properties to synthesize CoCuFe oxide (CoCuFe-O) through controlled calcination. Subsequently, a CoCuFe alloy (CoCuFe-A) was obtained via pulsed laser irradiation in liquids. The electrochemical properties of CoCuFe-O, derived from the PBA crystal structure, demonstrated a high yield of NH 4 + at a rate of 555.84 μmol h -1 cm -2 , with the highest Faradaic efficiency of 91.8% and a selectivity of 97.3% during a 1-h NO 2 - RR under an optimized potential of -1.0 V vs. Ag/AgCl. In situ Raman spectroscopy revealed the collaborative role of redox pairs (Co 3+ /Co 2+ and Fe 3+ /Fe 2+ ) as proton (H + ) suppliers, with Cu centers serving as NO 2 - binders, thereby enhancing the reaction rate. Additionally, theoretical studies confirmed that Fe and Co atoms are more reactive than Cu toward intermediates playing crucial roles in hydrogenation, while Cu primarily activates NO owing to hydrogenation by the Fe and Co atoms and a high kinetic barrier in H 2 O* adsorption. This comprehensive investigation provides valuable insights into the electrochemical NO 2 - RR, establishing a foundation for efficient and sustainable NH 3 synthesis strategies.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the effects of nurse's knowledge and self-efficacy on nursing performance in pediatric intravenous fluid management and provide the primary data necessary for the efficient intravenous injection management of hospitalized children., Methods: This study was a descriptive study design with 141 nurses who perform pediatric intravenous therapy care at eight hospitals in the S, C, D, and S regions. Data were collected from September 1, 2023, to September 30, 2023., Results: Nursing performance of pediatric intravenous injection management was significantly positively correlated with knowledge (r=.44, p<.001) and self-efficacy (r=.19, p=.022). Nurses' knowledge (β=.42, p<.001) and self-efficacy (β=.22, p=.004) of pediatric intravenous injection management and care were identified as significant predictors of nursing performance thereof, with these two factors explaining 21.9% of the variance., Conclusion: This study found that knowledge and self-efficacy of pediatric intravenous injection management are significant predictors of the practice of intravenous care among pediatric nurses. Therefore, considering these factors, education and intervention programs should be developed to enhance pediatric nurses' knowledge and self-efficacy regarding intravenous injection management.

Background: Pharmacological inhibition of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation after ischemia alleviates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury., Purpose: To investigate whether AhR antagonist administration after reperfusion was also effective in attenuating cerebral IR injury., Material and Methods: A total of 24 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into the sham-operated group (no IR), control group (IR), and 6,2',4'-trimethoxyflavone (TMF) group (IR + TMF administration), with 10 rats assigned to each group. Cerebral IR injury was induced by 60 min of middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by reperfusion. TMF (5 mg/kg) was used as the AhR antagonist and was administered intraperitoneally immediately after reperfusion. Cerebral IR injury was observed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neurobehavioral assessments at baseline, immediately after ischemia, and at 3 days after ischemia., Results: On MRI, the TMF group showed no significant differences in relative apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), T2, and fractional anisotropy (FA) values; midline shift value; and infarct volume. In terms of neurobehavioral function, factors such as grip strength, contralateral forelimb use, time to touch, and time to remove adhesive tape from the forepaw, were also not significantly different between the control and TMF groups., Conclusion: This study demonstrated that AhR treatment after reperfusion had no noticeable effect on reducing cerebral IR injury in rats., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Purpose: In this study, we evaluated 66 patients diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) enrolled in two Korean Cancer Study Group trials to investigate the response and progression patterns in recurrent and/or metastatic ACC treated with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (VEGFR-TKIs)., Materials and Methods: We evaluated 66 patients diagnosed with ACC who were enrolled in the Korean Cancer Study Group trials. The tumor measurements, clinical data, treatment outcomes, and progression patterns of therapy were analyzed., Results: In the 66 patients (53 receiving axitinib and 13 receiving nintedanib), the disease control rate was 61%, and three patients achieved partial response. The median follow-up, median progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival, and 6-month PFS rate were 27.6%, 12.4%, and 18.1% months and 62.1%, respectively. Among 42 patients who experienced progression, 27 (64.3%) showed target lesion progression. Bone metastasis was an independent poor prognostic factor., Conclusion: Overall, most patients demonstrated stable disease with prolonged PFS; however, prominent target lesion progression occurred in some patients. Thus, PFS may capture VEGFR-TKI efficacy better than the objective response rate.

Efficient and durable electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline seawater environments are essential for sustainable hydrogen production. Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) is synthesized through pulsed laser ablation in liquid, followed by pyrolysis, producing N-doped porous carbon (NC). NC matrix serves as a self-template, enabling Pt nanocluster decoration (NC-Pt) via pulsed laser irradiation in liquid. NC-Pt exhibits a large surface area, porous structure, high conductivity, N-rich carbon, abundant active sites, low Pt content, and a strong NC-Pt interaction. These properties enhance efficient mass transport during the HER. Remarkably, the optimized NC-Pt-4 catalyst achieves low HER overpotentials of 52, 57, and 53 mV to attain 10 mA cm -2 in alkaline, alkaline seawater, and simulated seawater, surpassing commercial Pt/C catalysts. In a two-electrode system with NC-Pt-4(-)ǀǀIrO 2 (+) as cathode and anode, it demonstrates excellent direct seawater electrolysis performance, with a low cell voltage of 1.63 mV to attain 10 mA cm -2 and remarkable stability. This study presents a rapid and efficient method for fabricating cost-effective and highly effective electrocatalysts for hydrogen production in alkaline and alkaline seawater environments., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Objective: Medication nonadherence challenges the management of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs). We investigated cost-related medication behaviors among patients with SARDs, and compared them to those of patients without SARDs, in a large diverse cohort across the United States., Methods: As part of the All of Us (version 7), a nationwide diverse adult cohort with linked electronic health records begun in 2017, participants completed questionnaires concerning cost-related medication behaviors. Chi-square tests compared responses between patients with SARDs, by disease and medication type, and to those without SARDs. Logistic regression analyses were used to calculate odds ratios (95% confidence intervals [CIs])., Results: We analyzed data from 3,997 patients with SARDs and 73,990 participants without SARDs. After adjustment, patients with versus without SARDs had 1.56 times increased odds of reporting unaffordability of prescription medicines (95% CI 1.43-1.70), 1.43 times increased odds of cost-related medication nonadherence (95% CI 1.31-1.56), and 1.23 times increased odds of using cost-reducing strategies (95% CI 1.14-1.32). Patients with SARDs who reported unaffordability were 16.5% less likely to receive a disease-modifying drug (95% CI 0.70-0.99) but 18.1% more likely to receive glucocorticoids (95% CI 0.99-1.42). In addition, unaffordability of prescription medicines was likely to have 1.27 times increased odds of one to two emergency room visits per year (95% CI 1.03-1.57) and 1.38-fold increased odds of three or more emergency room visits per year (95% CI 0.96-1.99)., Conclusion: In this large diverse cohort, patients with versus without SARDs had more self-reported cost-related medication behaviors, and those who reported medication unaffordability received fewer disease-modifying drugs and had more emergency room visits., (© 2024 American College of Rheumatology.)

Introduction: Despite progress in our understanding of disease pathogenesis for systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARD), these diseases are still associated with high morbidity, disability, and mortality. Much of the strongest evidence to date implicating environmental factors in the development of autoimmunity has been based on well-established, large, longitudinal prospective cohort studies., Methods: Herein, we review the current state of knowledge on known environmental factors associated with the development of SARD and potential areas for future research., Results: The risk attributable to any particular environmental factor ranges from 10-200%, but exposures are likely synergistic in altering the immune system in a complex interplay of epigenetics, hormonal factors, and the microbiome leading to systemic inflammation and eventual organ damage. To reduce or forestall the progression of autoimmunity, a better understanding of disease pathogenesis is still needed., Conclusion: Owing to the complexity and multifactorial nature of autoimmune disease, machine learning, a type of artificial intelligence, is increasingly utilized as an approach to analyzing large datasets. Future studies that identify patients who are at high risk of developing autoimmune diseases for prevention trials are needed., Competing Interests: MC has received consulting fees from AstraZeneca, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, MitogenDx, Werfen, Celltrion, Organon, and GlaxoSmithKline. MF is the Medical Director of Mitogen Diagnostics Corp and a consultant to Werfen. The remaining author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Choi, Costenbader and Fritzler.)

Objective: Autoantibodies and autoimmune diseases after SARS-CoV-2 infection are widely reported. Given evolving variants, milder infections, and increasing population vaccination, we hypothesized that SARS-CoV-2 infection earlier in the pandemic would be associated with more autoimmune connective tissue disease (CTD) symptoms and immunologic abnormalities., Methods: Patients ≥18 years old with COVID-19 3/1/2020-8/15/2022 completed the CTD Screening Questionnaire and were tested for 27 autoimmune serologies, SARS-CoV-2 serologies, cell-bound complement activation products (CB-CAPs), and T and B lymphocyte immunophenotypes by flow cytometry. We assessed relationships between symptoms, serologies, and immunophenotypes in earlier (3/1/2020-1/31/2021) vs. later (2/1/2021-8/15/2022) periods, with different predominating SARS-CoV-2 viruses., Results: 57 subjects had earlier and 23 had later pandemic COVID-19. 35 % of earlier vs. 17 % of later pandemic patients had CTD symptoms (p 0.18). More patients were antinuclear antibody (ANA) positive (44 % vs. 13 %, p 0.01) and had lupus anticoagulant (11 % vs. 4 %, p 0.67). After adjustment for age, race, and sex, earlier (vs. later) COVID-19 was associated with increased ANA positivity (OR 4.60, 95%CI 1.17, 18.15). No subjects had positive CB-CAPs. T and B cell immunophenotypes and SARS-CoV-2 serologies did not differ by group. In heatmap analyses, higher autoantibody variety was seen among those with infection in the early pandemic., Conclusion: In this sample, having COVID-19 infection in the earlier (pre-2/1/2021) vs. later pandemic was associated with more CTD symptoms, ANA positivity, and autoantibody reactivities. Earlier SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in a less vaccinated population with less natural immunity may have been more immunogenic., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Roberta Alexander is a former employee and shareholder of Exagen Inc. May Choi is the Associate Director of MitogenDx. Dr. Sparks has received research support from Bristol Myers Squibb and performed consultancy for AbbVie, Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Gilead, Inova Diagnostics, Janssen, Optum, Pfizer, ReCor, Sobi, and UCB unrelated to this work. Dr. Solomon receives salary support through unrelated research contracts to Brigham and Women's Hospital from CorEvitas, Janssen, and Novartis. Dr. Costenbader acknowledges the following: Amgen (Consultant, Grant/Research Support); AstraZeneca (Grant/Research Support); Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) (Consultant); Cabaletta Bio (Consultant); Eli Lilly (Consultant); Exagen Inc. (Grant/Research Support); Gilead (Grant/Research Support); GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) (Consultant, Grant/Research Support); Janssen (Consultant, Grant/Research Support). The funders had no role in the decision to publish or preparation of this manuscript. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of Harvard University, its affiliated academic health care centers, or the National Institutes of Health., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical characteristics associated with chronic pachychoroid neovasculopathy (PNV) accompanying recalcitrant intraretinal cysts., Methods: This is a retrospective, single-center, case-series study involving 20 eyes of 18 patients with PNV who did not respond to bevacizumab or ranibizumab and had to switch to aflibercept. Optical coherence tomography images were assessed before and after switching of intravitreal injection drug., Results: The intraretinal cysts involved the outer nuclear layer and inner nuclear layer in 15 patients (75.0%), and involved only the inner nuclear layer in five patients (25.0%). All participants showed retinal pigment epithelium atrophy and outer retinal layer defect including external limiting membrane defect co-localized to the intraretinal cystic lesion. With the initial injection, bevacizumab and ranibizumab injections did not show a significant decrease in choroidal thickness (CT). Twenty (100.0%) patients showed poor response of intraretinal cyst response (IRCR). After a switch to aflibercept, IRCR was good in 17 (85.0%) patients and poor in three (15.0%) patients. Reduction of CT was great in aflibercept injections (from 229.0 μm to 204.0 μm, median, p < 0.001). Best-corrected visual acuity did not show significant improvement before or after switching drugs., Conclusion: Intravitreal aflibercept injections were more effective in the reduction of CT and IRCR than bevacizumab and ranibizumab injections. The primary source of the intraretinal cyst fluid could be from the choroid., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: Won Ki Lee declare(s) personal fees from Bayer. Won Ki Lee has served on advisory boards for Bayer and has received consultancy fee from this company. He has received payments for lectures from Bayer. Won Ki Lee declare(s) personal fees from Novartis. Won Ki Lee has served on advisory boards for Novartis and has received consultancy fee from this company. He has received payments for lectures from Novartis. Won Ki Lee declare(s) personal fees from Roche. Won Ki Lee has served on advisory boards for Roche and has received consultancy fee from this company. He has received payments for lectures from Roche. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Choi et al.)

Background: The grey garden slug (Deroceras reticulatum) is considered the most damaging slug pest in global agriculture. Control methods primarily rely on chemical pesticides, which pose environmental risks and potential hazards to human health. There is a need for sustainable management alternatives such as biologically-based slug control options. However, the efficacy of nonchemical measures for controlling pest slug populations remains limited, particularly in the context of variable outdoor conditions. Neuropeptides and their corresponding receptors have been proposed as promising biological targets for the development of new pest management strategies., Results: A total of 23 bioactive peptides belonging to the PRX family, previously identified from the grey garden slug, D. reticulatum, were injected into or fed to this species. The detrimental effects of these peptides, including a reduction in body weight and an inhibition of feeding activity, were evaluated in feeding choice tests with D. reticulatum. Furthermore, the bioactive peptide formulated with a lipid particle demonstrated a feeding deterrent effect. One of the myomodulin (MM) peptides, APPLPRY, demonstrated a significant reduction in feeding activity, resulting in a reduction in slug weight or mortality in just 30 min., Conclusion: The results represent the first evidence of a bioactive peptide having detrimental effects on D. reticulatum including causing feeding deterrent for this slug pest. The in vivo results provide insights into the potential development of active ingredients for managing slugs in the field. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Developing sustainable energy solutions is critical for addressing the dual challenges of energy demand and environmental impact. In this study, a zinc-nitrate (Zn-NO 3 - ) battery system was designed for the simultaneous production of ammonia (NH 3 ) via the electrocatalytic NO 3 - reduction reaction (NO 3 RR) and electricity generation. Continuous wave CO 2 laser irradiation yielded precisely controlled CoFe 2 O 4 @nitrogen-doped carbon (CoFe 2 O 4 @NC) hollow nanocubes from CoFe Prussian blue analogs (CoFe-PBA) as the integral electrocatalyst for NO 3 RR in 1.0 M KOH, achieving a remarkable NH 4 + production rate of 10.9 mg h -1  cm -2 at -0.47 V versus Reversible Hydrogen Electrode with exceptional stability. In situ and ex situ methods revealed that the CoFe 2 O 4 @NC surface transformed into high-valent Fe/CoOOH active species, optimizing the adsorption energy of NO 3 RR (*NO 2 and *NO species) intermediates. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations validated the possible NO 3 RR pathway on CoFe 2 O 4 @NC starting with NO 3 - conversion to *NO 2 intermediates, followed by reduction to *NO. Subsequent protonation forms the *NH and *NH 2 species, leading to NH 3 formation via final protonation. The Zn-NO 3 - battery utilizing the CoFe 2 O 4 @NC cathode exhibits dual functionality by generating electricity with a stable open-circuit voltage of 1.38 V versus Zn/Zn 2+ and producing NH 3 . This study highlights the innovative use of CO 2 laser irradiation to transform Prussian blue analogs into cost-effective catalysts with hierarchical structures for NO 3 RR-to-NH 3 conversion, positioning the Zn-NO 3 - battery as a promising technology for industrial applications., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)