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Abstract Background Investigate the safety and efficacy of preoperative atomization inhalation of indocyanine green (ICG) solution in precise lesion resection of pediatric thoracoscopic intralobar pulmonary sequestration. Methods A multicenter 1:1 matched case-control study was adopted, to compare the safety and efficacy of the ICG group (preoperative atomization inhalation of 0.5 mg/kg ICG solution) with traditional group (no preoperative atomization inhalation of ICG solution). The baseline, intraoperative, and postoperative recovery conditions of the two groups were observed. Outpatient follow-up visits were conducted 3 to 6 months after surgery, including lung CT scans and pulmonary ventilation function tests. Results 134 patients were included in the study. The ICG group included 67 patients, and the traditional surgery group included 67 patients matched at a ratio of 1:1 according to age and lesion location. There were no reports of deaths or adverse reactions. The postoperative chest drainage tube indwelling time [(53.19 ± 8.15) hours vs. (73.25 ± 15.51) hours, P

Abstract Background Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is characterized by elevated levels of thyroid hormone (TSH) and normal levels of free thyroxine (FT4). The outcomes of SCH patients are crucial for determining treatment plans; therefore, our aim is to summarize the existing prospective studies to understand the changes in thyroid function over time in SCH patients and the factors influencing these changes, providing references for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science for prospective follow-up studies on natural outcomes of SCH published until September 2024. Results are presented as the overall risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results We reviewed 8 prospective follow-up studies involving 1,859 individuals and extracted data from them for a meta-analysis. We found that when TSH levels are ≥ 10 mU/L, patients with SCH are more likely to progress to overt hypothyroidism (OH) (RR11.38, 95%CI 4.98–26.03, P

Abstract Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is a widely employed tool for micro- and nanoscale topographic imaging. However, conventional AFM scanning struggles to reconstruct complex 3D micro- and nanostructures precisely due to limitations such as incomplete sample topography capturing and tip-sample convolution artifacts. Here, we propose a multi-view neural-network-based framework with AFM, named MVN-AFM, which accurately reconstructs surface models of intricate micro- and nanostructures. Unlike previous 3D-AFM approaches, MVN-AFM does not depend on any specially shaped probes or costly modifications to the AFM system. To achieve this, MVN-AFM employs an iterative method to align multi-view data and eliminate AFM artifacts simultaneously. Furthermore, we apply the neural implicit surface reconstruction technique in nanotechnology and achieve improved results. Additional extensive experiments show that MVN-AFM effectively eliminates artifacts present in raw AFM images and reconstructs various micro- and nanostructures, including complex geometrical microstructures printed via two-photon lithography and nanoparticles such as poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanospheres and zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) nanocrystals. This work presents a cost-effective tool for micro- and nanoscale 3D analysis.

Abstract Fast electrical signaling in dendrites is central to neural computations that support adaptive behaviors. Conventional techniques lack temporal and spatial resolution and the ability to track underlying membrane potential dynamics present across the complex three-dimensional dendritic arbor in vivo. Here, we perform fast two-photon imaging of dendritic and somatic membrane potential dynamics in single pyramidal cells in the CA1 region of the mouse hippocampus during awake behavior. We study the dynamics of subthreshold membrane potential and suprathreshold dendritic events throughout the dendritic arbor in vivo by combining voltage imaging with simultaneous local field potential recording, post hoc morphological reconstruction, and a spatial navigation task. We systematically quantify the modulation of local event rates by locomotion in distinct dendritic regions, report an advancing gradient of dendritic theta phase along the basal-tuft axis, and describe a predominant hyperpolarization of the dendritic arbor during sharp-wave ripples. Finally, we find that spatial tuning of dendritic representations dynamically reorganizes following place field formation. Our data reveal how the organization of electrical signaling in dendrites maps onto the anatomy of the dendritic tree across behavior, oscillatory network, and functional cell states.

Acoustic cavitation plays a critical role in various biomedical applications. However, uncontrolled cavitation can lead to undesired damage to healthy tissues. Therefore, real-time monitoring and quantitative evaluation of cavitation dynamics is essential for understanding underlying mechanisms and optimizing ultrasound treatment efficiency and safety. The current research addressed the limitations of traditionally used cavitation detection methods by developing introduced an adaptive time-division multiplexing passive cavitation imaging (PCI) system integrated into a commercial diagnostic ultrasound platform. This new method combined real-time cavitation monitoring with B-mode imaging, allowing for simultaneous visualization of treatment progress and 2D quantitative evaluation of cavitation dosage within targeted area. An improved delay-and-sum (DAS) algorithm, optimized with a minimum variance (MV) beamformer, is utilized to minimize the side lobe effect and improve the axial resolution typically associated with PCI. In additional to visualize and quantitatively assess the cavitation activities generated under varied acoustic pressures and microbubble concentrations, this system was specifically applied to perform 2D cavitation evaluation for ultrasound thrombolysis mediated by different solutions, e.g., saline, nanodiamond (ND) and nitrogen-annealed nanodiamond (N-AND). This research aims to bridge the gap between laboratory-based research systems and real-time spatiotemporal cavitation evaluation demands in practical uses. Results indicate that this improved 2D cavitation monitoring and evaluation system could offer a useful tool for comprehensive evaluating cavitation-mediated effects (e.g., ultrasound thrombolysis), providing valuable insights into in-depth understanding of cavitation mechanisms and optimization of cavitation applications.

In the emerging field of valleytronics, it is aimed to coherently manipulate the valley pseudospin as an information‐bearing degree of freedom. The 2D transition‐metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) provide a unique possibility to generate an excitonic valley pseudospin, opening the way to valley information. Although significant development of valley pseudospin in layered materials has been achieved recently, looking for new TMDCs featuring robust valley phenomenon at room temperature is still desirable for practical applications. Herein, the valley pseudospin of the spiral WS2 with different layer thicknesses at room temperature is investigated by both circular and linear polarization‐resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. In the experimental results, it is demonstrated that the spiral WS2 emerges robust valley polarization and valley coherence, the degree of circular polarization, and linear polarization gradually increase with the lift of the layer thicknesses, reaching up to 0.91 for valley polarization and 0.94 for valley coherence, respectively. The robust layer‐dependent valley pseudospin may originate from the intrinsic broken inversion symmetry, due to the spiral structure of the multilayer WS2. The robust and near‐unity valley polarization and valley coherence at room temperature in the spiral WS2 may provide a new platform for optical manipulation of the valley pseudospin for further valleytronics applications.

BackgroundOver the past two decades, the incidence of thyroid disorders has been steadily increasing. There is evidence to suggest that air pollution may be one of the etiological factors of thyroid diseases. This comprehensive review aimed to examine the evidence related to air pollutants and thyroid disorders and thyroid hormones levels from an epidemiological perspective.MethodsThe scoping review adopted a systematic approach to search for, identify, and include peer-reviewed articles published in English. We performed a comprehensive search of three databases-PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science to identify relevant literature on the relationship between air pollution [particulate matter, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2)] exposure and thyroid disorders, including hypothyroidism, congenital hypothyroidism (CH), thyroid nodules, thyroid cancer, autoimmune thyroid diseases, as well as thyroid hormone levels, such as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), and free thyroxine (FT4). Articles published until August 1, 2023, were included.ResultsA total of 3,373 studies were retrieved, and among them, 25 studies covering eight different air pollutants were relevant. The most frequently studied air pollutants in this review included fine particulate matter (with fine particulate matter (PM2.5), n=21; inhalable particles (PM10), n=10; PM10-2.5, n=1) and nitrogen oxides (with NO2, n=13; NOx, n=3). The thyroid disorders and thyroid hormone levels most commonly associated with evidence of air pollution exposure were hypothyroidism (n=7) and TSH (n=12).ConclusionsDespite variations in study designs and exposure assessments, the findings consistently highlight the substantial health risks that air pollution, particularly PM2.5, poses to thyroid health, especially among vulnerable populations. Given that our study was limited to epidemiological investigations and the increasing prevalence of toxic substances in the environment, there is an urgent need for further research to elucidate the mechanisms by which these pollutants disrupt thyroid function and contribute to the development of thyroid diseases.

Metal halide perovskite has generated significant attention due to its high optical absorption coefficient, the tunability of bandgap, and its solution processing properties, all of which have led to a range of applications including solar cells, photodetectors, light-emitting diodes and lasers. However, the material's application as an optical modulator for high-energy ultrafast lasers is still limited by its slow nonlinear optical response, low damage threshold and the inferior stability. Herein, we developed a saturable absorber (SA) with the thermally stable Cs0.15FA0.85PbI2.85Br0.15 perovskite thin films as an optical modulator towards the near-infrared nanosecond passively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser generation for the first time. The Cs0.15FA0.85PbI2.85Br0.15 perovskite SA optical modulator produced an exceptional nonlinear optical response with a notable modulation depth of 15.1%, an ultrashort recovery time of 52.46 ps, and a high optical damage threshold exceeding 275.9 mJ/cm2. Of further significance, it displayed an excellent operational stability, and when incorporated into the oscillator of the Nd:YAG laser, allowed for a stable operation of 166 ns pulse laser with a center wavelength of 1.06 μm. The findings provide a pathway for the employment of the Cs0.15FA0.85PbI2.85Br0.15 perovskite SA optical modulator in near-infrared ultrafast laser applications.

ObjectiveThis study investigates the mediating role of social anxiety in the relationship between physical activity and problematic smartphone use among college students, and examines the moderating role of gender within this model.MethodsFrom April to May 2023, a survey was conducted involving 2905 undergraduate students from various medical schools in Shandong, China. Participants completed the Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3), Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale for College Students (MPATS), and the Social Anxiety Scale (IAS). Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and hierarchical regression analysis and other methods were employed to explore the relationships between the variables. The mediating effect of social anxiety on physical activity and mobile phone addiction was assessed using the bootstrapping method, while the moderating role of gender on social anxiety and mobile phone addiction was evaluated using the PROCESS macro's model 14.ResultsThe findings revealed that the scores of problematic smartphone use among medical students was 44.00 (35.00, 50.00), physical activity score was 16.00 (8.00, 32.00), and social anxiety score was 45.00 (42.00, 52.00). Physical activity was significantly and negatively correlated with both problematic smartphone use and social anxiety (P < 0.001), and social anxiety was significantly and positively correlated with problematic smartphone use (P < 0.001). Social anxiety partially mediated the effect between physical activity and problematic smartphone use (β = −0.04, 95%CI = −0.05 to −0.02), with a mediation effect proportion of 57.14%. Sex played a moderating role between social anxiety and problematic smartphone use (β = −0.30, 95%CI = −0.39 to −0.21).ConclusionPhysical activity influences problematic smartphone use among medical students both directly and indirectly through social anxiety. Sex significantly moderates the influence of social anxiety on problematic smartphone use, highlighting the need for gender-specific interventions in this demographic.

Abstract The construction practice of water conveyance tunnels often encounters various complex geotechnical engineering conditions, which bring huge challenges to the design and construction of water conveyance tunnels. Based on the theory of rock elastic–plastic mechanics and finite element analysis technology, this article carried out investigations of engineering geological features, geological formations and hydrological conditions establishes a calculation model for the 3# water conveyance tunnel of the Fenhe River Diversion Project, and analyzes the variation law of surrounding rock stress and displacement during TBM excavation of the tunnel. The results indicate that the dominant direction of the rock mass principal stress measured by the hydraulic fracturing method is NE84°, and the maximum horizontal principal stress, minimum horizontal principal stress, and vertical stress decrease sequentially, analyzing the characteristics of shield TBM construction technology, it is applied to the construction of water transfer tunnels. The numerical simulation of TBM construction using FLAC3D software shows that as the excavation surface advances, the subsidence value of the tunnel roof first slowly increases, then rapidly increases, and then tends to stabilize. The horizontal displacement of the surrounding rock is increasing. The maximum principal stress of the surrounding rock gradually increases. The final surrounding rock stress is 35 MPa. The TBM shield machine with mud water balance driven by indirectly controlled frequency conversion motor is selected for TBM construction of the tunnel. The study offers statistical information to support tunneling technology for water conveyance in the geotechnical engineering practice.

The achievement of size uniformity and monodispersity in perovskite quantum dots (QDs) requires the implementation of precise temperature control and the establishment of optimal reaction conditions. Nevertheless, the accurate control of a range of reaction variables represents a considerable challenge. This study addresses the aforementioned challenge by employing manganese (Mn) doping to achieve size uniformity in CsPbBr3 perovskite QDs without the necessity for the precise control of the reaction conditions. By optimizing the Mn:Pb ratio, it is possible to successfully dope CsPbBr3 QDs with the appropriate concentrations of Mn²⁺ and achieve a uniform size distribution. The spectroscopic measurements on single QDs indicate that the appropriate Mn²⁺ concentrations can result in a narrower spectral linewidth, a longer photoluminescence (PL) lifetime, and a reduced biexciton Auger recombination rate, thus positively affecting the PL properties. This study not only simplifies the size control of perovskite QDs but also demonstrates the potential of Mn-doped CsPbBr3 QDs for narrow-linewidth light-emitting diode applications.

Investigating the significant “roles” within financial complex networks and their stability is of great importance for preventing financial risks. On one hand, this paper initially constructs a complex network model of the stock market based on mutual information theory and threshold methods, combined with the closing price returns of stocks. It then analyzes the basic topological characteristics of this network and examines its stability under random and targeted attacks by varying the threshold values. On the other hand, using systemic risk entropy as a metric to quantify the stability of the stock market, this paper validates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as a widespread, unexpected event on network stability. The research results indicate that this complex network exhibits small-world characteristics but cannot be strictly classified as a scale-free network. In this network, key roles are played by the industrial sector, media and information services, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, transportation, and utilities. Upon reducing the threshold, the network’s resilience to random attacks is correspondingly strengthened. Dynamically, from 2000 to 2022, systemic risk in significant industrial share markets significantly increased. From a static perspective, the period around 2019, affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, experienced the most drastic fluctuations. Compared to the year 2000, systemic risk entropy in 2022 increased nearly sixtyfold, further indicating an increasing instability within this complex network.

Aiming at the shortcomings of single-sensor sensing information characterization ability, which is easily interfered with by external environmental factors, a method of intelligent perception is proposed in this paper. This method integrates multi-source and multi-level information, including spindle temperature field, spindle thermal deformation, operating parameters, and motor current. Firstly, the internal and external thermal-error-related signals of the spindle system are collected by sensors, and the feature parameters are extracted; then, the radial basis function (RBF) neural network is utilized to realize the preliminary integration of the feature parameters because of the advantages of the RBF neural network, which offers strong multi-dimensional solid nonlinear mapping ability and generalization ability. Thermal-error decision values are then generated by a weighted fusion of different pieces of evidence by considering uncertain information from multiple sources. The spindle thermal-error sensing experiment was based on the spindle system of the VMC850 (Yunnan Machine Tool Group Co., LTD, Yunnan, China) vertical machining center of the Yunnan Machine Tool Factory. Experiments were designed for thermal-error sensing of the spindle under constant speed (2000 r/min and 4000 r/min), standard variable speed, and stepped variable speed conditions. The experiment’s results show that the prediction accuracy of the intelligent-sensing model with multi-source information fusion can reach 98.1%, 99.3%, 98.6%, and 98.8% under the above working conditions, respectively. The intelligent-perception model proposed in this paper has higher accuracy and lower residual error than the traditional BP neural network perception and wavelet neural network models. The research in this paper provides a theoretical basis for the operation, maintenance management, and performance optimization of machine tool spindle systems.

The National Sustainable Development Agenda Innovation Demonstration Zones (NSDAIDZs) aim to spearhead green development through scientific and technological innovation, showcasing sustainable development to other regions in China and offering valuable insights for countries worldwide. Taking Chengde City, which is one of the cities in the second batch of NSDAIDZs, as a case study, we examine the quantitative impact of technological innovation on green development. Additionally, it investigates the threshold effect of Research and development investments (R&D investments) on the relationship between technological innovation and green development. The results indicate that: (1) technological innovation has a positive promoting effect on green development, with a 1.01% increase in green development for every one unit increase in technological innovation; (2) The positive effect of technological innovation on green development becomes fully realized only when R&D investments and the upgrading of industrial structure surpass a specific threshold value. We contribute to the existing research on the connection between technological innovation and green development in innovation demonstration zones. It also provides empirical insights to foster a mutually beneficial relationship between R&D investments, industrial structure upgrading, and technological innovation, ultimately maximizing the promoting role of technological innovation in green development.

An investigation was performed to evaluate the effect of vanadium (V) addition on the microstructure and the tensile behavior of Fe–27Mn–8Al-1.0C austenite lightweight steel after annealing and subsequently aging. The grain size of austenite in V-added steels was effectively refined and many nano-sized VC particles were observed in the austenite grains, compared to V-free steels, under annealed conditions. Subsequent aging promotes the precipitation of κ-carbide from the austenite matrix, and the dual-nanoprecipitation consisting of nano-sized VC and κ-carbide particles further improves the strength of the steel. Because of this, the current steels have good ductility (up to 41% total elongation) even when aged and high yield and ultimate tensile strengths of up to 1009 MPa and 1243 MPa, respectively. By examining the dislocation structure of the specimens during deformation, it was also possible to determine how precipitates affected the rate of strain hardening. As a result, the strain hardening rate of the V-added steel after aging is effectively improved at the initial deformation by the precipitation of VC particles, which compensates for the decrease in strain hardening rate due to shearable κ-carbide. This study provides a strategy to obtain an excellent combination of strength and ductility in lightweight steel by V microalloying and simple thermomechanical treatment.

In this study, four (TiZr)xNby(TaMo)z medium entropy alloys (MEAs) have been investigated as biomedical implants systematically, including their phase structure, microstructure, mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, in vitro biocompatibility and in vivo implantation. With the addition of Ta and Mo, the yield strength of the alloys increased from 678 ± 17 MPa to 821 ± 14 MPa, and their elastic modulus rose from 52 ± 2 GPa to 59 ± 2 GPa. The strength-elastic modulus performance of the alloys was superior to that of most β-titanium alloys. The pseudo-binary solid solution strengthening theory exhibited that the strength enhancement of the alloys was attributed to the high modulus mismatch between Mo, Ta and other elements. And the bonding force of transition group elements based on Coulomb's law and d-electron alloy theory could explained the change in elastic modulus precisely. The alloys with corrosion current densities ranging from 3.277 × 10−7 A/cm2 to 5.105 × 10−7 A/cm2 performed better corrosion resistance than pure Ti, and their oxide films were composed of oxides of each constituent element. In addition, the alloys exhibited comparable in vitro biocompatibility to pure Ti and Zr. Finally, the alloys with lowest elastic modulus were implanted in the mid-femur of Sprague Dawley (SD) rats for 12 weeks, no toxic tissue response was observed and the new bone formed around them. In summary (TiZr)xNby(TaMo)z alloys with low elastic modulus and good strength might be used as materials for bone nails, intramedullary nails and bone plates in the future.

Abstract Background The pathogenic variants responsible for Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome (BHDS) in folliculin (FLCN) gene mostly consist of point mutations. Although large intragenic deletions/duplications have been reported in several case reports, the relationship between large intragenic deletions/duplications and phenotype in BHDS remains unclear. Methods We retrospectively identified and reviewed patients with a large intragenic deletion spanning exons 1–3 and analyzed their phenotypic features to compare with those of point mutation carriers in our hospital from January 1, 2017 to August 31, 2022. Results Twenty unique point mutations (including 4 novel mutations) were detected in 62 patients from 45 families (90%). Exons 1–3 deletion were identified in 8 patients from 5 families (10%) that resided in the same region, Feidong County of Anhui Province, China. Breakpoint analysis indicated that all the deletion breakpoints were flanked by Alu repeats. The prevalence of exons 1–3 deletion carriers in Feidong County was 8.1-times higher than that for BHDS in Anhui Province, suggesting a clustered phenomenon of exons 1–3 deletion. Significantly increased risk of pneumothorax was observed in those with exons 1–3 deletion compared with point mutations (91% vs. 58%, p value 0.047). The risk of renal cancer may be higher in those with exons 1–3 deletion than for those with point mutations (18% vs. 4%, p > 0.05). Conclusions Large intragenic deletion of exons 1–3 in FLCN was identified as a local aggregation phenomenon in Feidong County, China, and was associated with a significantly higher risk of pneumothorax compared to those with point mutations.

Flavonoids are important secondary metabolites found in Juglans mandshurica Maxim., which is a precious reservoir of bioactive substances in China. To explore the antitumor actions of flavonoids (JMFs) from the waste branches of J. mandshurica, the following optimized purification parameters of JMFs by macroporous resins were first obtained. The loading concentration, flow rate, and loading volume of raw flavonoid extracts were 1.4 mg/mL, 2.4 BV/h, and 5 BV, respectively, and for desorption, 60% ethanol (4 BV) was selected to elute JMFs-loaded AB-8 resin at a flow rate of 2.4 BV/h. This adsorption behavior can be explained by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model. Subsequently, JMFs were identified using Fourier transform infrared combined with high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry, and a total of 156 flavonoids were identified. Furthermore, the inhibitory potential of JMFs on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HepG2 cells was demonstrated. The results also show that exposure to JMFs induced apoptotic cell death, which might be associated with extrinsic and intrinsic pathways. Additionally, flow cytometry detection found that JMFs exposure triggered S phase arrest and the generation of reactive oxygen species in HepG2 cells. These findings suggest that the JMFs purified in this study represent great potential for the treatment of liver cancer.

We study a relaxed inertial forward–backward–half-forward splitting approach with variable step size to solve a monotone inclusion problem involving a maximal monotone operator, a cocoercive operator, and a monotone Lipschitz operator. The convergence of the sequence of iterations generated by the discretisations of a continuous-time dynamical system is established under suitable conditions. Given the challenges associated with computing the resolvent of the composite operator, the proposed method is employed to tackle the composite monotone inclusion problem. Additionally, a convergence analysis is conducted under certain conditions. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm, numerical experiments are performed on the image deblurring problem.

The integration of agricultural Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain has become the key technology of precision agriculture. How to protect data privacy and security from data source is one of the difficult issues in agricultural IoT research. This work integrates cryptography, blockchain and Interplanetary File System (IPFS) technologies, and proposes a general IoT blockchain terminal system architecture, which strongly supports the integration of the IoT and blockchain technology. This research innovatively designed a fine-grained and flexible terminal data access control scheme based on the ciphertext-policy attribute-based encryption (CP-ABE) algorithm. Based on CP-ABE and DES algorithms, a hybrid data encryption scheme is designed to realize 1-to-N encrypted data sharing. A "horizontal + vertical" IoT data segmentation scheme under blockchain technology is proposed to realize the classified release of different types of data on the blockchain. The experimental results show that the design scheme can ensure data access control security, privacy data confidentiality, and data high-availability security. This solution significantly reduces the complexity of key management, can realize efficient sharing of encrypted data, flexibly set access control strategies, and has the ability to store large data files in the agricultural IoT.

The innovative synthesis of 3,8-dibromo-2,9-dinitro-5,6-dihydrodiimidazo [1,2-a:2′,1′-c]pyrazine and 3,9-dibromo-2,10-dinitro-6,7-dihydro-5H-diimidazo [1,2-a:2′,1′-c][1,4]diazepine is described in this study. The tricyclic fused molecular structures are formed by the respective amalgamation of piperazine and homopiperazine with the imidazole ring containing nitro. Compound 1 and 2 possess excellent high-density physical properties (ρ1 = 2.49 g/cm3, ρ2 = 2.35 g/cm3) due to the presence of a fused ring structure and Br atom. In addition to their high density, they have high decomposition temperatures (Td > 290 °C) which means that they have excellent thermal stability and can be used as potential heat-resistant explosives. Low mechanical sensitivities (IS > 40 J, FS > 360 N) are observed. The twinning structure of 2 was resolved by X-ray diffraction. Non-covalent interaction analysis, Hirshfeld surfaces, 2D fingerprint plot, and Electrostatic potential analysis were used to understand the intramolecular interactions in relation to physicochemical properties. The unique structures of this type of compound provide new potential for the evolution of energetic materials.

To address the problem of a lack of accurate parameters in the discrete element simulation study of the machine-picked fresh tea leaf mechanized-sorting process, this study used machine-picked fresh tea leaves as the research object, established discrete element models of different fresh tea leaf components in EDEM software version 7.0.0. based on the bonded particle model using three-dimensional scanning inverse-modeling technology, and calibrated the simulation parameters through physical tests and virtual simulation tests. Firstly, the intrinsic parameters of machine-picked tea leaves were measured using physical tests; the physical-stacking tea leaf test was conducted using the cylinder lifting method, the tea leaf repose angle being 32.62° as measured from the stacking images using CAD. With the physical repose angle as the target value, the Plackeet–Burman test, the steepest-ascent test and the Box–Behnken optimization test were conducted in turn, and the results showed that the static friction coefficient between tea leaves, the rolling friction coefficient between tea leaves and the static friction coefficient between tea leaves and PVC have a major effect on the repose angle, and the optimal combination of the three significant parameters was determined. Finally, five simulations were conducted using the optimal combination of parameters, the relative error between the repose angle measured by the simulation test and the physical repose angle being just 0.28%. Moreover, the t-test obtained p > 0.05, indicating that there was no significant difference between the simulation test results and the physical test results. The results showed that the calibrated discrete element simulation parameters obtained could provide a reference for the discrete element simulation study of fresh tea leaves.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has garnered substantial attention due to its ability to achieve single-molecule sensitivity by utilizing metallic nanostructures to amplify the exceedingly weak Raman scattering process. However, the introduction of metal nanostructures can induce a background continuum which can reduce the ultimate sensitivity of SERS in ways that are not yet well understood. Here, we investigate the impact of laser irradiation on both Raman scattering and backgrounds from self-assembled monolayers within nanoparticle-on-mirror plasmonic nanocavities with variable geometry. We find that laser irradiation can reduce the height of the monolayer by inducing an irreversible change in molecular conformation. The resulting increased plasmon confinement in the nanocavities not only enhances the SERS signal, but also provides momentum conservation in the inelastic light scattering of electrons, contributing to the enhancement of the background continuum. The plasmon confinement can be modified by changing the size and the geometry of nanoparticles, resulting in a nanoparticle geometry-dependent background continuum in SERS. Our work provides new routes for further modifying the geometry of plasmonic nanostructures to improve SERS sensitivity.

We theoretically prove that it is possible to realize strong photon blockade at n-order exceptional points (EPn) in a two-level quantum emitter (QE)–cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED) system even if the emitter–cavity coupling strength is weak. When the single-mode cavity is gain, we show that the ultrastrong single-photon blockade (1 PB) emerges at two-order exceptional points (EP2), avoiding the strong non-linearity of the system. In addition, we first give the pseudo-Hermitian condition for the non-Hermitian cavity QED system and find that the third-order exceptional points (EP3) can be predicted under certain constraints of the parameters. For this case, the pronounced 1 PB at EP3 will be triggered. Furthermore, we also consider the usual EP2-enhanced 1 PB existing in the system with or without the dipole–dipole interaction (DDI) under the pseudo-Hermitian condition. A striking feature is that the system without DDI can realize more obvious 1 PB at EP2 than the case of with DDI. What is important is that both EP2 and EP3 will appear in the weak coupling regime. Our proposal sheds new light on strong EP-engineered photon blockade in the weak coupling regime, providing a unique platform for making high-quality single-photon sources.

Abstract Background Diagnosis of rare diseases remains a challenge in China. We describe our experience with Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome (BHDS) encountered at a Rare Lung Disease Clinic recently established in China. Methods After the first patient with BHDS was recognized in 2017, a Rare Lung Disease Clinic with a multidisciplinary team of specialists was established. We retrospectively analyzed the data of consecutive patients with BHDS encountered from inception to December 2021. Results There were 1, 1, 15, 12 and 21 cases with BHDS diagnosed from year 2017 to 2021, respectively. All 50 patients (34 women) were of Han race with a mean age of 47.4 years. The common manifestations were pulmonary cysts (98%), pneumothorax (54%) and skin lesions (68%). Renal cancer was detected in two patients and renal angiomyolipoma in four other patients. The main presentations leading to diagnosis were pneumothorax (42%), family screening (36%), and lung cysts identified on radiologic imaging (20%). The average delay in diagnosis was 8.3 years, and 4.7 years in patients with only pulmonary cysts. The most frequent pathogenic variant was c.1285del/dup on exon 11 (23%) among 44 patients confirmed by genetic testing. Renal cancer has not been found on follow-up surveillance thus far. Conclusions Increasing number of patients with BHDS are being recognized in China, facilitated by establishment of a Rare Lung Disease Clinic. Pulmonary cysts and pneumothorax were commonly encountered features, but skin lesions appeared to be more prevalent in Chinese subjects than previously reported in other Asian countries.

Abstract Background The diagnosis of patients with Birt–Hogg–Dubé (BHD) syndrome is always delayed (even for more than 10 years). Improving the understanding and diagnosis of this disease is vital for clinicians and radiologists. In this study we presented the chest computed tomography (CT) findings of BHD syndrome and offered suggestions for BHD cases with spontaneous pneumothorax. Methods Twenty-six BHD patients from 11 families (10 men, 16 women; mean age: 46 ± 12 years, 20–68 years) were included. The clinical features of the patients included pneumothorax, renal lesions, and skin lesions. Twenty-three patients underwent chest CT imaging. The cyst condition of each patient derived from reconstructed chest CT imaging was recorded, including the cyst number, size, volume, pattern, and distribution. Results Pneumothorax occurred in 54% (14/26) of patients. Among them, 43% (6/14) had pneumothorax more than twice. However, typical skin and renal lesions were absent. Four patients had renal hamartoma. CT showed that 23 (100%) patients had lung cysts. Pulmonary cysts were bilateral and multiple, round, irregular, or willow-like. And 93.6% of the large cysts (long-axis diameter ≥ 20 mm) were under the pleura, and near the mediastinum and spine. The long-axis diameter, short-axis diameter and volume of the largest cysts were associated with the occurrence of pneumothorax (all P

This paper presents a Transformer-based Visual Exploration Network (TVENet) that capably serves as a solution for active perception problems, especially the visual exploration problem: How could a robot that is equipped with a camera explore an unknown 3D environment? The TVENet consists of a Mapper, a Global Policy and a Local Policy. The mapper is trained by supervised learning to take the visual observation as input and generate an occupancy grid map for the explored environment. The Global Policy and the Local Policy are trained by reinforcement learning in order to make navigation decision. Most state-of-the-art methods in visual exploration domain use ResNet as feature extractor, and few of them pay attention to the extraction capability of the extractor. Therefore, this paper focuses on enhancing the extraction capability, and proposes a Transformer-based Feature Pyramid Module (TFPM). Moreover, two tricks for training process are introduced to improve the performance (M.F. and Aux.) Our experiments in photo-realistic simulated environment (Habitat) demonstrate the higher-accuracy mapping of TVENet. Experimental results prove that the TFPM and tricks have positive impacts on the mapping accuracy of the visual exploration and increase it by 5.31% compared with the state-of-the-art. Most importantly, the TVENet is deployed on a real robot (NVIDIA Jetbot) to prove the feasibility of Embodied AI approaches. To the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first one that proves the viability of the Embodied AI style approach for visual exploration tasks and deploys the pre-trained model on the NVIDIA Jetson robot.

Abstract Placozoa is a phylum of non-bilaterian marine animals. These small, flat organisms adhere to the substrate via their densely ciliated ventral epithelium, which mediates mucociliary locomotion and nutrient uptake. They have only six morphological cell types, including one, fiber cells, for which functional data is lacking. Fiber cells are non-epithelial cells with multiple processes. We used electron and light microscopic approaches to unravel the roles of fiber cells in Trichoplax adhaerens, a representative member of the phylum. Three-dimensional reconstructions of serial sections of Trichoplax showed that each fiber cell is in contact with several other cells. Examination of fiber cells in thin sections and observations of live dissociated fiber cells demonstrated that they phagocytose cell debris and bacteria. In situ hybridization confirmed that fiber cells express genes involved in phagocytic activity. Fiber cells also are involved in wound healing as evidenced from microsurgery experiments. Based on these observations we conclude that fiber cells are multi-purpose macrophage-like cells. Macrophage-like cells have been described in Porifera, Ctenophora, and Cnidaria and are widespread among Bilateria, but our study is the first to show that Placozoa possesses this cell type. The phylogenetic distribution of macrophage-like cells suggests that they appeared early in metazoan evolution.

Rhee, Pokrovskaya et al. utilize 3D electron microscopy of mouse jugular vein puncture wounds to reveal thrombi structured around localized, nucleated platelet aggregates that produced a vaulted thrombus capped by extravascular platelet adherence. As a result, the authors propose a “Cap and Build” paradigm of primary hemostasis.

This study aimed to examine the corrosion behavior of Inconel 625 in a molten salt system of sodium sulfate and vanadium pentoxide at varying temperatures and durations. The corrosion products, microstructure, and element distribution of hot extruded Inconel in Na2SO4 and V2O5 molten salt systems were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analyses. This study demonstrates that corrosion of the alloy increases with time at a constant temperature. During the initial stage of corrosion, the surface of the alloy is primarily composed of a dense oxide layer consisting of Cr2O3 and NiO. However, after exposure to the salt bath for 24 h, a chemical reaction occurs between the alloy and vanadium (V), resulting in the formation of CrVO4 and Ni3V2O8. Furthermore, the intrusion of sulfur (S) element into the matrix leads to the formation of internal sulfides, including Ni-, Cr-, and Mo-based sulfides, which accelerate intergranular and intracrystalline corrosion. As the corrosion temperature rises, the surface microstructure of the corrosion layer transforms from powder to salt particles and then to massive particles. The corrosion products exhibit a clear stratification, while the alloy undergoes simultaneous oxidation and vulcanization processes.

Mice and mouse platelets are major experimental models for hemostasis and thrombosis; however, important physiological data from this model has received little to no quantitative, 3D ultrastructural analysis. We used state-of-the-art, serial block imaging scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM, nominal Z-step size was 35 nm) to image resting platelets from C57BL/6 mice. α-Granules were identified morphologically and rendered in 3D space. The quantitative analysis revealed that mouse α-granules typically had a variable, elongated, rod shape, different from the round/ovoid shape of human α–granules. This variation in length was confirmed qualitatively by higher-resolution, focused ion beam (FIB) SEM at a nominal 5 nm Z-step size. The unexpected α-granule shape raises novel questions regarding α-granule biogenesis and dynamics. Does the variation arise at the level of the megakaryocyte and α-granule biogenesis or from differences in α-granule dynamics and organelle fusion/fission events within circulating platelets? Further quantitative analysis revealed that the two major organelles in circulating platelets, α-granules and mitochondria, displayed a stronger linear relationship between organelle number/volume and platelet size, i.e., a scaling in number and volume to platelet size, than found in human platelets suggestive of a tighter mechanistic regulation of their inclusion during platelet biogenesis. In conclusion, the overall spatial arrangement of organelles within mouse platelets was similar to that of resting human platelets, with mouse α-granules clustered closely together with little space for interdigitation of other organelles.

BackgroundPrognostic factors in a pneumonectomy (PN) are not yet fully defined. This study sought to analyze and evaluate long-term survival after pneumonectomies (PNs) for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).MethodsWe obtained data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database for patients who underwent PNs between 2004 and 2015. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis and Kaplan–Meier curves were used to estimate overall survival (OS), while univariate and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were applied to create a forest plot.ResultsIn total, 1,376 patients were grouped according to right/left PNs. Before matching, OS was worse after a right PN [hazard ratio (HR): 1.459; 95% CI 1.254–1.697; P

AbstractRock bridge of jointed rock plays a key role in its instability failure and has great influence on underground engineering. In this paper, the direct shear tests of jointed rocks with different rock bridge lengths are carried out, and the mechanical properties, acoustic emission (AE) characteristics, and fracture mechanism during the failure of rock bridge are studied. The results show that the shear strength increases with the increase of normal stress. When the rock bridge is long, cohesion c plays a leading role to control the failure of jointed rock; on the contrary, the internal friction angle φ plays a leading role. AE count rate, cumulative AE counts, and peak AE energy rate increase with the increase of rock bridge length. With the increase of rock bridge length, peak AE energy rate and AE count rate occur earlier. Considering the influence of rock bridge length, the fracture criterion and crack growth angle of shear fracture are derived based on linear elastic fracture mechanics. The theoretically calculated result is consistent with the experimental result. The research in this paper can provide relevant theoretical basis and useful reference for the instability and failure analysis of jointed rock.

With the increasing cultivation scale of Camellia oleifera in China, the demand on the mechanical harvesting machinery is very urgent. Inefficient fruit harvesting has become a bottleneck hindering the development of Camellia oleifera industry. In order to achieve high fruit harvesting percentage and low detachment percentage of the flower buds, a canopy shaking mechanism is proposed for massively harvesting Camellia oleifera fruits which applies the reciprocating linear motion of multiple beating-bar arrays to the tree canopy. The multiple beating-bar arrays driven by the eccentric disk can generate comb-brushing effects on the tree canopy. Three kinds of Camellia oleifera tree architecture were modelled and their dynamics were simulated by finite element analysis. Their modal analysis results show that the low-order natural frequencies of the Camellia oleifera trees with different canopy shapes are very close. According to harmonic response analysis, the low-frequency excitation is used to harvest Camellia oleifera fruit. The orthogonal experiments were carried out on the canopy shaker prototype with the motor speed, reciprocating stroke and duration of vibration as the influencing factors, and the fruit harvesting percentage and the detachment percentage of the flower buds as the evaluation indices. The results show that the same optimal parameter combination can be used for three kinds of Camellia oleifera tree architecture, in which the motor speed is 360 r/min, the reciprocating stroke is 80 mm and the duration of vibration is 8 s. The average fruit harvesting percentage is 72.3% and the average detachment percentage of the flower buds is 13.9%.

Abstract Objective To clarify the epidemiological and clinical features of Birt–Hogg–Dubé syndrome (BHDS) in Chinese patients. Methods We identified reports on Chinese patients with BHDS by searching the China Academic Journals Database, Wanfang Chinese Database, and PubMed databases, either in Chinese or English languages published from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2020. Studies without sufficient clinical data were excluded and cases under 18 years old were excluded. Results Twenty papers were included and comprised 120 families with 221 cases. Most families with BHDS were reported from institutions in Beijing (66.7%) and Jiangsu Province (15.8%); 80.8% of cases were reported within the past five years. The average duration from clinical presentation to diagnosis was 9.6 years. The average age was 47.0 ± 13.9 years (range, 18–84 years) and the ratio of male to female was 1:1.6. The most common manifestations of BHDS were multiple pulmonary cysts (92.4%), spontaneous pneumothorax (71.0%), skin lesions (18.1%) and renal tumors (3.6%). Pulmonary cysts were predominantly distributed in the lower lobe on chest CT imaging. Family history of spontaneous pneumothorax was identified in 84.7% of the families and average number of pneumothoraxes was 1.8 (range, 1–6). The FLCN gene mutation c.1285dupC/delC in exon 11 was the most frequent mutation observed (17.4% of patients). The recurrence rate of pneumothorax after conservative treatment (including tube thoracostomy) was 29/41 (71%) while the pneumothorax recurred after surgical treatment (pulmonary bullectomy or pleurodesis) in only 4/37 (11%). Conclusions Although BHDS has been increasingly reported in the recent years, only minority of families were reported from institutions outside of Beijing and Jiangsu Province. The dominant clinical manifestations were pulmonary cysts associated with recurrent pneumothorax, while skin lesions and renal tumors were less commonly reported. Delayed diagnosis along with suboptimal management appear to represent critical challenges for Chinese patients with BHDS.

The canalicular system (CS) has been defined as: 1) an inward, invaginated membrane connector that supports entry into and exit from the platelet; 2) a static structure stable during platelet isolation; and 3) the major source of plasma membrane (PM) for surface area expansion during activation. Recent analysis from STEM tomography and serial block face electron microscopy has challenged the relative importance of CS as the route for granule secretion. Here, We used 3D ultrastructural imaging to reexamine the CS in mouse platelets by generating high-resolution 3D reconstructions to test assumptions 2 and 3. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of whole platelet reconstructions, obtained from immediately fixed or washed platelets fixed post-washing, indicated that CS, even in the presence of activation inhibitors, reorganized during platelet isolation to generate a more interconnected network. Further, CS redistribution into the PM at different times, post-activation, appeared to account for only about half the PM expansion seen in thrombin-activated platelets, in vitro, suggesting that CS reorganization is not sufficient to serve as a dominant membrane reservoir for activated platelets. In sum, our analysis highlights the need to revisit past assumptions about the platelet CS to better understand how this membrane system contributes to platelet function.

As the two largest developing countries globally, China and India have become the top 1 and 3 carbon emitters, respectively. Quantitating their CO2 emissions in terms of the characteristics and driving factors is highly significant to mitigating global climate change. This study compiled the CO2 emission inventories from 1990 to 2017 in China and India. The Tapio model and index decomposition analysis were used to analyze the impact of socio-economic factors on CO2 emissions. We found that 1) CO2 emissions of China and India reached 9526 and 2242 Mt, respectively, in 2017. CO2 emissions increased during 1990–2017 with an average annual growth rate of 5% in both countries. 2) In China, the economic development has remained weakly decoupling from emissions since 2012, reaching a strong decoupling (-0.2) in 2017. In contrast, the contribution of India’s economy to emissions continued to increase, and the decoupling status showed continuous fluctuations. 3) Economic development and population explosion were the dominant factors driving CO2 emissions in the countries. The effect of energy intensity inhibited India’s emissions growth after 2008 with an impact degree lower than China. Overall, our findings on the impact of the economy and emission development may provide references for other developing countries at different stages to achieve low-carbon development.

Objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of arthroscopic management of posttraumatic elbow stiffness due to soft tissue problems. Methods A retrospective review of 30 consecutive arthroscopic elbow releases for posttraumatic stiff elbow from November 2011 to December 2019 was conducted. Stiff elbows with bony problems, such as heterotopic ossification, intraarticular nonunion or malunion, and cartilage lesions were excluded from this study. Contracture and adhesion of soft tissue around the elbow were identified. Surgical treatments included arthroscopic capsulectomy, ligaments and muscle release, and ulnar nerve release. The results were evaluated using the Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS) and range of motion of the elbow. Surgery‐related complications were assessed. Results Patients who underwent arthroscopic release were followed up for between 6 and 35 months, with a mean follow‐up time of 10.1 months. The postoperative elbow ROM was 123.2° ± 19°, which was significantly different compared to the preoperative value of 68° ± 32°. In addition, the MEPS score improved from 71.2 ± 10.3 preoperatively to 93.7 ± 6.6 at the final follow‐up, a mean improvement of 22.5 (range, 0–55; P

Rainfall-induced shallow landslides are widely concerned for their sudden and group occurrences and serious threat to both lives and property. In this study, a hydraulic model coupling surface runoff and interstitial flow was established to study the failure characteristics of soil slopes under heavy rainfall. Based on the coupling of surface runoff and interstitial flow, we propose a modified failure mode for shallow soil slopes. In this mode, the safety factor of the shallow soil slope is derived, while the shear force acting on the slope from surface runoff is considered, as well as the resistance from the upper and lower edges of the sliding body. Compared with the classical infinite slope failure mode, the safety factor obtained by the method proposed herein is slightly larger. Additionally, the drag effect of runoff contributed positively to slope failure, and the safety factor decreased by approximately 7% while considering the drag force in slope stability analysis. Finally, theoretical analysis is verified by simulation experiments, and the results indicate good agreement between calculated and test values for failure shape and critical runoff depth.

Abstract Background State‐of‐the‐art 3‐dimensional (3D) electron microscopy approaches provide a new standard for the visualization of human platelet ultrastructure. Application of these approaches to platelets rapidly fixed prior to purification to minimize activation should provide new insights into resting platelet ultrastructure. Objectives Our goal was to determine the 3D organization of α‐granules, dense granules, mitochondria, and canalicular system in resting human platelets and map their spatial relationships. Methods We used serial block face–scanning electron microscopy images to render the 3D ultrastructure of α‐granules, dense granules, mitochondria, canalicular system, and plasma membrane for 30 human platelets, 10 each from 3 donors. α‐Granule compositional data were assessed by sequential, serial section cryo‐immunogold electron microscopy and by immunofluorescence (structured illumination microscopy). Results and Conclusions α‐Granule number correlated linearly with platelet size, while dense granule and mitochondria number had little correlation with platelet size. For all subcellular compartments, individual organelle parameters varied considerably and organelle volume fraction had little correlation with platelet size. Three‐dimensional data from 30 platelets indicated only limited spatial intermixing of the different organelle classes. Interestingly, almost 70% of α‐granules came within ≤35 nm of each other, a distance associated in other cell systems with protein‐mediated contact sites. Size and shape analysis of the 1488 α‐granules analyzed revealed no more variation than that expected for a Gaussian distribution. Protein distribution data indicated that all α‐granules likely contained the same major set of proteins, albeit at varying amounts and varying distribution within the granule matrix.

Background and AimWe evaluated the clinical features of neonatal Hirschsprung's disease (HD)-associated bowel perforation (perforated HD) and investigated risk factors related to it.MethodsWe retrospectively collected clinical data of neonates (

Organometal halide perovskites are promising materials for optoelectronic devices; however, nonradiative recombination under various atmospheric conditions severely affects the photostability of the materials and limits their potential applications. Further efforts to improve the stability are restricted by limited knowledge on nonradiative mechanisms. Herein, the contribution of nonradiative centers in photoluminescence (PL) response of methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) crystals is resolved by studying atmosphere‐dependent PL blinking dynamics at single‐particle level. It is observed that interaction with nitrogen (N2) under illumination leads to PL quenching, revealing that N2 would activate highly efficient nonradiative recombination centers, which are previously passivated by oxygen (O2). In contrast, exposure to O2 results in the accumulation of the numbers of less‐efficient quenchers, leading to smooth PL decline. In a phenomenological model, the observed PL fluctuation is attributed to the switch of nonradiative recombination centers between their active and passive states and the change of the relative energy level. It is proposed that variation of stoichiometry from crystal to crystal causes the diverse PL response under different atmospheres. The results provide fundamental insights into the correlation between the nonradiative recombination sites and surrounding atmosphere conditions and may help for further improving the material quality and processing.

Video processing plays an important role in the intelligent monitoring and management system of agricultural information. Video shot boundary detection is the basic symmetry step underlying video processing techniques. According to the current shot boundary detection algorithm, the feature changes between gradual transition frames are difficult to detect, and the misdetection situation is caused by ignoring the attention of the target feature during the feature extraction. A novel symmetry multi-step comparative scheme of shot boundary detection algorithm based on global features and target features is proposed. First, the RGB color histogram features of the video frame are extracted. Second, foreground object detection for the video frames is performed using the Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM), and the scale-invariant features transformation (SIFT) of the foreground targets is extracted. Finally, global features and target features fusion through weights, calculating the difference between adjacent frames across multiple steps, generate a pattern distance map. The pattern distance map of the gradual transition and the cut detection is different; we can judge the gradual transition and the cut detection according to the pattern distance map. Experiments show that the proposed symmetry method improves by about 2% in recall and accuracy compared to other algorithms.

BackgroundThyroid function can be influenced by external stimuli such as light and temperature. However, it is currently unknown whether there is seasonal variation of thyroid function in women of reproductive age. Adequate thyroid function in reproductive-aged women is necessary for optimal fetal–maternal outcomes. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the seasonal changes in levels of thyrotropin (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), and TSH index (TSHI) in women of reproductive age.MethodsA large retrospective study was conducted that included women aged 20–49 years who visited our outpatient or checkup center between 2012 and 2018. Thyroid function was measured using the automated immunochemiluminescent assay kit. Subjects with overt thyroid dysfunction, pregnancy, thyroid disease, cancer, and severe infectious or psychological disease were excluded. Seasonal differences of thyroid function were analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis test or the analysis of means with transformed ranks. Spearman’s correlation was performed to evaluate the association between thyroid function parameters and age. A subset of 181 subjects was included in the longitudinal analyses. Differences in thyroid function between summer and winter were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.ResultsA total of 48,990 women with a median age of 39 years were included. The prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism was lower in summer but higher in winter (5.6% vs. 7.0%, p < 0.05). The TSH, FT3, and FT4 levels and TSHI reached a peak in winter, while they declined to trough in summer. The TSH concentrations (r = 0.044, p < 0.001) and TSHI (r = 0.025, p < 0.001) were positively correlated with age, whereas FT3 (r = -0.073, p < 0.001) and FT4 (r = -0.059, p < 0.001) were negatively correlated with age. The associations of thyroid parameters with age were similar between subjects with positive thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) and those with negative TPOAb. In the matched longitudinal analysis of 181 subjects, no differences were detected in the thyroid parameters between summer and winter.ConclusionsThis retrospective single-center study showed that thyroid hormone levels and central sensitivity to thyroid hormones are influenced by age and seasonal fluctuations among women of reproductive age, while their impact on reproductive health remains to be elucidated in future studies.

Summary: In the finely regulated process of mammalian erythropoiesis, the path of the labile iron pool into mitochondria for heme production is not well understood. Existing models for erythropoiesis do not include a central role for the ubiquitous iron storage protein ferritin; one model proposes that incoming endosomal Fe3+ bound to transferrin enters the cytoplasm through an ion transporter after reduction to Fe2+ and is taken up into mitochondria through mitoferrin-1 transporter. Here, we apply a dual three-dimensional imaging and spectroscopic technique, based on scanned electron probes, to measure Fe3+ in ex vivo human hematopoietic stem cells. After seven days in culture, we observe cells displaying a highly specialized architecture with anchored clustering of mitochondria and massive accumulation of nanoparticles containing high iron concentrations localized to lysosomal storage depots, identified as ferritin. We hypothesize that lysosomal ferritin iron depots enable continued heme production after expulsion of most of the cellular machinery.

Objective To retrospectively analyze the biological compatibility and oncologic outcomes of autogenous, allogeneic, or combined bone grafting. Methods From April 2000 to December 2016, 37 patients with histologically confirmed low-grade intramedullary chondrosarcoma of the long bones at Kyungpook National University Hospital were enrolled in this retrospective study. All 37 patients underwent intralesional curettage (with or without cryotherapy) followed by bone grafting. Among the 24 patients who underwent cryotherapy, 13 were treated by prophylactic internal fixation (10 in the femur, 1 in the tibia, and 2 in the humerus). Thirteen patients underwent the same treatment without cryotherapy, whereas 12 did not undergo preventive internal fixation. Results A single intraoperative fracture was managed by plate fixation. One patient who underwent cryotherapy and internal fixation developed a fracture distal to the operation site 25 days after surgery, and this fracture was repaired with a long plate. None of the 37 patients showed any recurrence or metastasis. Conclusions Adequate intralesional curettage (with or without cryosurgery) combined with bone grafting using autogenous and allogeneic bone chips was effective for the treatment of low-grade intramedullary chondrosarcoma. Therefore, prophylactic internal fixation using a plate is recommended in the cryotherapy of definite cortical invasion in weight-bearing bones.

Detailed understanding of the electronic energy transfer dynamics in conjugated polymer molecules and their conformation dependence is central for improving the photophysical properties as well as the performance of devices based on conjugated polymers. In this work, we demonstrate simultaneous measurement of the absorption and emission sites in single conjugated polymer poly[2,7-(9,9-dioctyluorene)-alt-4,7-bis(thiophen-2-yl)benzo-2,1,3-thiadiazole] (PFO-DBT) molecules based on polarization-resolved confocal fluorescence microscopy with excitation of phase-modulated ultrashort pulse pairs. The evolution of absorbing chromophores can be derived by modulating the relative phase between ultrashort pulse pairs and extracting modulation information in phase-dependent fluorescence. Meanwhile, the emitting chromophore can be measured by polarization-resolved emission. Simultaneous absorption and emission measurements give new insights into the evolution of energy transfer pathways in individual conjugated polymer molecules. The results suggest that the conformation of single conjugated polymer chains can be influenced by solvents. Single PFO-DBT conjugated molecules spin-cast from toluene solution have relatively fixed absorption and emission dipole moments. In contrast, single conjugated polymer molecules prepared with chloroform show multichromophore behavior that is responsible for distribution of absorption and emission in a single chain. The proposed scheme paves the way for further understanding of conformation dependent photophysical properties and the possible role of quantum effects in the energy transfer pathway in both natural and artificial light harvesting systems in the nanoscale.