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Mengya Du,1– 3,&ast; Yuqin Gui,3,4,&ast; Yu Guo,1,3,&ast; Jie Liu,1– 3 Wenmin Deng,1– 3 Jingyan Huang,5 Tianrun Liu,1– 3 Xiangmin Zhang,2,5 Feng Pang1– 3 1Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Sleep Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510000, People’s Republic of China; 3Biomedical Innovation Center, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University., Guangzhou, 510000, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Anesthesiology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Foresea Life Insurance Guangzhou General Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xiangmin Zhang; Feng Pang, Department of Sleep Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, 26 Yuanchun Two Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510065, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 15013071537, Email zhangxm36@mail.sysu.edu.cn; pangf6@mail.sysu.edu.cnObjective: This study aims to analyze the tongue body shape and upper airway anatomical parameters in patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and to explore the anatomical causes of OSA.Methods: A total of 345 subjects participated in this study. Lateral pharyngeal images of the upper respiratory tract were captured in both normal and mandibular advancement states using X-ray plain film. Measurements were taken for the following parameters: Tongue Length, Tongue Thickness, Distance from the Mandibular Plane to the Hyoid, Soft Palate Length, Posterior Oropharyngeal Depth, Palatal Airway Space, Tongue Depth Space, and Mental Posterior Space. The correlation between the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) and these upper airway anatomical factors was analyzed using both univariate and multivariate analyses to develop a predictive model for OSA.Results: The anatomical structure of the upper airway in patients with OSA is narrower compared to non-OSA individuals, and these patients exhibit a longer and thicker tongue. During mandibular advancement, the pharyngeal airway widens; however, the tongue length decreases while its thickness increases. Univariate correlation analysis revealed that the severity of OSA was significantly associated with tongue length, the ratio of tongue length to tongue thickness, the distance from the mandibular plane to the hyoid, soft palate length, and body mass index (BMI) in both the normal position and during mandibular advancement (p < 0.001). Multivariate linear analysis indicated that the severity of OSA is linked with the mandibular plane to hyoid distance in the normal position (MPH(N)) and BMI. A nomogram was utilized to develop a predictive model for OSA, achieving an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.838.Conclusion: The pathogenesis of OSA is related to pharyngeal anatomy and tongue length in the state of mandibular advancement, which can be predicted by the measurement indexes of normal and anterior mandibular displacement lateral pharyngeal radiograph. This may potentially aid in early screening and diagnosis of OSA.Keywords: obstructive sleep apnea, tongue, pharyngeal radiographs, predicted model, mandibular advancement

Hong Chen,&ast; Xie Wang,&ast; Nian Peng, Yue Pu, Hao Ye, Yu Gui, Rui Zhang, Juan Zhang Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230031, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Juan Zhang, Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China, Email zhangdoumi2019@163.comBackground: Wilson’s disease (WD) is a hereditary disorder characterized by an abnormality in copper metabolism. Liver fibrosis, and potentially cirrhosis, induced by copper accumulation are critical factors in the pathogenesis of WD. CircRNAs exhibit high stability and play crucial roles in numerous biological processes.Methods: RNA-seq technology was employed to conduct transcriptome sequencing of the liver from 12 homozygous (TX) mice in the model group (NL group) and 12 wild-type (WT) mice in the control group (N group). Differentially expressed circular RNAs (DE-circRNAs) were identified, and following GO and KEGG analysis, a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network was constructed. The identified DE-circRNAs were then randomly validated using RT-qPCR.Results: Utilizing RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), the study identified 54 DE-circRNAs in TX-j mice with WD-induced liver fibrosis model, among which 19 were up-regulated and 35 were down-regulated. GO analysis revealed multiple biological processes, including single-organism process, cellular process, and metabolic process. Further pathway identification using KEGG implicated several pathways, including the HIF-1, PI3K-Akt, AMPK, FoxO, signaling pathway regulating pluripotency of stem cells, phospholipase D, mTOR, Ras, cGMP-PKG, and MAPK signaling pathway, among others. A ceRNA regulatory network was constructed with 20 circRNAs, 7 miRNAs, and 75 mRNAs as crucial core components. Additionally, RT-qPCR validation was performed on randomly selected DE-circRNAs, yielding consistent results (P< 0.05).Conclusion: The findings provide a significant molecular biology foundation for understanding the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis in WD and offer new insights for exploring potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets.Keywords: circRNA, circRNA-miRNA-mRNA, ceRNA, Wilson’s disease, liver fibrosis

Xudong Hu,1,2 Sihui Zhu,1,2 Xiao Yang,1,2 Menglei Shan,1,2 Jiawei Wang,1,2 Xin Da,1,2 Yongkang Gui,1,2 Yang Liu,1,2 Rui Yang,1,2 Guanghong Xu1,2 1Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 2Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Guanghong Xu, Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230022, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax +86055162922344, Email xuguanghong2004@163.comPurpose: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common postoperative complication. Studies have reported that lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) was a predictor of many diseases associated with inflammation. However, further examination of the relationship between preoperative LMR and POCD is needed. We aimed to investigate the association between POCD and preoperative LMR levels to examine the potential of LMR to predict POCD.Patients and Methods: This was a prospective cohort study that included patients who underwent elective major abdominal surgery at our hospital between January 2019 and January 2022. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the effects of preoperative LMR on POCD development. The optimal threshold of preoperative LMR for predicting POCD was determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) approach. A subgroup analysis was performed according to age, sex, type of surgery and hypertension.Results: Of 964 patients, 362 (37.6%) developed POCD. The preoperative LMR level in the Non-POCD group was higher than that in the POCD group. According to the ROC curve, a cutoff value of 3.758 of the preoperative LMR level could be used to predict POCD occurrence and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.747 (95% CI: 0.715– 0.779, P < 0.001). The results of the subgroup analyses were consistent with the primary ones, and no heterogeneity was observed in the subgroup analyses (P for interaction > 0.05).Conclusion: LMR was significantly associated with the occurrence of POCD after major abdominal surgery. Preoperative low LMR levels can be used to identify patients who may be at high risk of POCD.Keywords: postoperative cognitive dysfunction, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio, abdominal surgery, systemic inflammation

By integrating a cantilever into a gain-embedded cavity magnonics platform, we investigate the impact of mechanical vibrations on gain-driven polaritons. The cantilever's modulation creates a series of Floquet states spaced by the mechanical vibration energy, leading to microwave frequency comb emission centered at 3.5 GHz, with comb spacing as narrow as a few kilohertz. When the modulation frequency drops below 1 kHz, where the modulation period significantly exceeds the emission coherence time (360 μ s), quasienergy level overlap results in broadband microwave emission. The emission bandwidth is determined by the combined effects of mechanical modulation of the cavity and magnon–photon coupling (i.e., detuning). These results highlight the potential of acoustic-frequency modulation in a gain-driven polariton system to precisely control microwave emission characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liuyang Wu,1,2 Wei Wang,2 Yang Gui,2 Qiqi Yan,1,2 Guangxin Peng,2 Xin Zhang,2 Lifang Ye,2 Lihong Wang2 1The Second Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Heart Center, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (Affiliated People’s Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Lihong Wang, Heart Center, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (Affiliated People’s Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College), No. 158 Shangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310014, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 136-6669-0589, Email wanglhnew@126.com; wlhhz2013@126.comPurpose: Our study aimed to identify new-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) risk factors in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients after treatment with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and investigate whether their nutritional status can be a predicting factor of NOAF.Patients and Methods: We analyzed 662 AMI patients after PCI for NOAF occurrence during follow-up hospitalization and divided them into an NOAF and non-NOAF group. The patients’ nutritional status was assessed using the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score and geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI). The Kaplan‒Meier analysis was used to assess NOAF-free survival in varying degrees of malnutrition. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify the risk factors for NOAF.Results: Eighty-four (12.7%) patients developed NOAF during hospitalization. There was a statistically significant difference in the occurrence of NOAF among different categories of nutritional status. The CONUT score and GNRI classifications were independent predictors of NOAF. NOAF occurrence was associated with older age, higher uric acid levels, higher N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels, greater left atrial size, and worse Killip class upon admission.Conclusion: The nutritional status can affect NOAF occurrence in AMI patients after PCI. The CONUT score and GNRI are ideal tools for evaluating the nutritional status of AMI patients, with an excellent predictive effect on NOAF.Keywords: atrial fibrillation, acute myocardial infarction, malnutrition, controlling nutritional status, geriatric nutritional risk index

Synchronization is common in both nature and human physiology, often used to illustrate nonlinear dynamics. Interestingly, one can initiate their comprehension of this phenomenon from pure linear systems. In this Tutorial, we begin with a theoretical exploration of coupled oscillators' dynamic behavior, enabling us to discern and contrast the unique attributes of dissipative coupling as opposed to commonly observed coherent coupling. We then examine synchronization in two dissipative coupled linear systems: one with two pendulums mutually linked via the Lenz effect and the other with two RLC oscillators coupled via a resistor. This Tutorial is designed to serve as a concise starting point for researchers interested in exploring synchronization phenomena using a simplified model driven solely by dissipative coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yonghui Gui,1 Yuanhong Xu,2 Peng Yang1 1Department of Blood Transfusion, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Peng YangDepartment of Blood Transfusion, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail yangpeng00812@163.comYuanhong XuDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail xyhong1964@163.comObjective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of the platelet-to-albumin ratio (PAR) on the risk of death in patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome.Methods: Between Jan 2019 and June 2021, 127 cases which were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University have been included in this study. The laboratory data were selected at the time of admission. To identify the potential independent risk factors for severe fever associated with thrombocytopenia syndrome, multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the prediction accuracy of PAR in identifying patients exhibiting severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome.Results: Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that PAR could potentially serve as an independent risk factor for the death in patients with SFTS (OR = 4.023, 95% CI 1.204– 13.436, P=0.024). The prediction of the risk of death in patients with SFTS was assessed using the AUC. The AUC for the PAR was 0.729 (95% CI, 0.637– 0.82, P < 0.001), whereas the optimal cut-off value of PAR was found to be 1.43, with 54.9% sensitivity and 86.1% specificity.Conclusion: Our study demonstrated for the first time that PAR could act as an independent predictor for mortality in adult patients with SFTS.Keywords: severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome, risk factors, platelet-to-albumin ratio

Tongtong Zhou,1,2,&ast; Li Tan,1,&ast; Yang Gui,1 Jing Zhang,1 Xueqi Chen,1 Menghua Dai,3 Mengsu Xiao,1 Qing Zhang,1 Xiaoyan Chang,4 Qun Xu,5 Chunmei Bai,6 Yuejuan Cheng,6 Qiang Xu,3 Xue Wang,7 Hua Meng,1 Wanying Jia,1 Ke Lv,1 Yuxin Jiang1 1Department of Ultrasound, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Ultrasound, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Pathology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 6Department of Medical Oncology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 7Key Laboratory of Endocrinology of National Health Commission, Department of Endocrinology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Ke Lv; Yuxin JiangDepartment of Ultrasound, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/Fax +86 10-69155493; +86 10-69155491Email lvke@163.com; yuxinjiangxh@163.comObjective: Investigate the CEUS enhancement patterns of PDAC and analyse correlations between the CEUS enhancement pattern and both the degree of tumour tissue differentiation and overall survival (OS).Methods: The study included 56 patients with locally advanced PDAC, performed conventional ultrasound and CEUS, and analysed characteristics of the CEUS enhancement patterns. In addition, clinical data, such as serum level of CA19-9, TNM stage were collected, and patients’ survival times were followed up. TICs of dynamic CEUS images were acquired using image processing software to obtain the peak, TP, sharpness, and AUC. Correlations of the CEUS enhancement patterns of PDAC with the degree of differentiation of tumour tissue and OS were quantitatively analysed, as were the correlations of the TIC parameters and CEUS enhancement patterns with OS.Results: Enhancement in the arterial phase included iso-enhancement (30.3%) and hypo-enhancement (69.6%), and was not significantly correlated with sex, age at disease onset, or lesion size. Also was not significantly correlated with tumour tissue differentiation. Clear survival times were obtained for 50 patients during follow-up, and the median survival time was significantly longer for the patients with iso-enhancement than hypo-enhancement. Among the TIC parameters, peaktumour, sharpnesstumour, AEsharpness, and REsharpness differed significantly between the group with iso-enhancement and hypo-enhancement (p < 0.05).Conclusion: The CEUS enhancement patterns of PDAC in the arterial phase include iso-enhancement and hypo-enhancement. Enhancement pattern was not significantly correlated with the degree of differentiation of tumour tissue, but patient survival time differed significantly between the two enhancement patterns, with longer survival for patients with iso-enhancement.Keywords: contrast-enhanced ultrasound, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, survival time, enhancement pattern, time-intensity curve

It is expected that 6G communication technology will achieve a peak data rate capability of 1 Tbit/s. One way of reaching this goal is to employ THz frequencies for carrying wireless signals. THz frequencies have large continuous bandwidths which allow for high data rate signals. In order to support the development of THz communications and accompanying technologies, a 6G THz Communications Testbed has been set-up at the National Physical Laboratory. In this paper, the best signal performance for a variety of different baud rates and modulation schemes is explored for both a direct connection between the waveform generator and measuring oscilloscope and for several different Over-The-Air (OTA) path lengths up to 4 m specular Non-Line-of-Sight. For the direct connection, signals of up to 210 Gbit/s were achieved and data rates of up to 150 Gbit/s were achieved for OTA transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale, Aims, and Objectives Methods Results Conclusion The Perceptions of Palliative Care Instrument (PPCI) is a tool used to access perceptions towards palliative care in patients with advanced cancer. However, its psychometric properties have not been widely tested using modern psychometric methods. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the PPCI in patients with advanced cancer using Rasch analysis.Four hundred and forty four Participants were recruited from the Department of Medical Oncology at a tertiary care hospital in Xinxiang City, Henan Province, China, between October 2020 and February 2021. Participants completed the PPCI. Rasch analysis procedures were conducted, including assessment of unidimensionality, model‐date fit, rating scale function, differential item functioning, item‐person map, and person and item reliability.The unidimensionality of the PPCI was confirmed, although two items (18 and 21) did not fit the Rasch model. The degree of fit of each item to its respective dimension was excellent, with Infit MNSQ and Outfit MNSQ values ranging from 0.73 to 1.33. The PPCI demonstrated high reliability, with an item reliability of 0.99 and a person reliability of 0.77.The PPCI is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing perceptions of palliative care in advanced cancer patients. However, to further improve the quality and applicability of the PPCI, the deletion of items 18 and 21 is recommended, as they did not fit the Rasch model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tao Jin,1 Jiachen Gu,1 Zongshan Li,1 Zhongping Xu,2 Yaxing Gui1 1Department of Neurology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, People’s Republic of China; 2Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USACorrespondence: Yaxing GuiDepartment of Neurology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail guiyaxing@zju.edu.cnAbstract: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are particles released by multiple cells, encapsulated by lipid bilayers and containing a variety of biological materials, including proteins, nucleic acids, lipids and metabolites. With the advancement of separation and characterization methods, EV subtypes and their complex and diverse functions have been recognized. In the central nervous system (CNS), EVs are involved in various physiological and pathological processes, such as regulation of neuronal firing, synaptic plasticity, formation and maintenance of myelin sheath, propagation of neuroinflammation, neuroprotection, and spread and removal of toxic protein aggregates. Activity-dependent alteration of constituents enables EVs to reflect the change of cell and tissue states, and the wide distribution of EVs in biological fluids endows them with potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for CNS diseases, including neurodegenerative disease, cerebrovascular disease, traumatic brain disease, and brain tumor. Favorable biocompatibility, ability of crossing the blood–brain barrier and protecting contents from degradation, give promising therapeutic effects of EVs, either collected from mesenchymal stem cells culture conditioned media, or designed as drug delivery vehicles loaded with specific agents. In this review, we summarized EVs’ basic biological properties, and mainly focused on their applications in CNS diseases.Keywords: EVs, exosomes, CNS, blood–brain barrier, neurodegenerative disease, stroke

Xuejing Yue,1 Lixia Liu,1 Haiqing Yan,2 Yongkun Gui,2 Jun Zhao,2 Ping Zhang2 1School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453100, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Ping ZhangDepartment of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453100, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-373-3029917Email zhangpingsjnk@126.comBackground: IL-12 inhibition of the endothelial cell functions and angiogenesis is mediated by the cross-talk between the lymphocyte and the endothelial cells, which plays a key role in inhibiting the process of angiogenesis in the eyeballs and in malignant tumors.Methods: We established the intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) rat model, and IL-12 receptor beta monoclonal antibody was injected into the ICH rats. Western blot, immunofluorescence and RT-qPCR were used to detect the gene expression. Brain water content, EB staining, Garcia test, Beam walking test and wire hanging test were used to assess the injury of brain in ICH rats.Results: IL-12 gene was significantly increase in hematoma border tissue of ICH rats, and IL-12 protein mainly localized in monocytes. Anti-IL-12 treatment with IL-12 monoclonal antibodies could not only significantly decrease the brain water content and EB content in brain tissues of ICH rats, but also significantly increase the score of the Garcia, Beam balance and the Wire hanging test in ICH rats. Moreover, anti-IL-12 treatment significantly decrease the expression of pro-inflammatory gene, inflammatory gene, p-JAK2/JAK2 and p-STAT4/STAT4 protein, but significantly increase the expression anti-inflammatory gene and CD31 protein, and M2 macrophage ratio in hematoma border tissues of ICH rats. In vitro, rmIL-12 inhibited the tube formation of brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMVES) in BMVES and bone marrow-derived monocytes (BMDM) co-culture systems, but not work in a separately cultured BMVES system. In addition, Fedratinib not only reduced p-JAK2/JAK2 and p-STAT4/STAT4 protein expression in BMDM after treating with b-FGF and rmIL-12, but also significantly increased the tube formation of BMVES in BMVES and BMDM co-culture systems after treating with b-FGF and rmIL-12.Conclusion: Blockade of IL-12 receptor attenuated brain injury after ICH in rat by promoting angiogenesis, and the mechanism might be related to blocking IL-12 could inhibit M2 cell activation via the JAK2/STAT4 pathway.Keywords: interleukin-12, intracerebral hemorrhage, vascular regeneration, macrophages