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TiO2–Y2O3–ZrO2 composite ceramics exhibit excellent abrasion resistance, corrosion resistance, and high-temperature resistance, making them vital structural-functional materials in ceramics and refractories. The key to preparing high-quality TiO2–Y2O3–ZrO2 ceramic powders lies in controlling the agglomeration rate, which can be optimized by choosing an appropriate drying method. This study utilized microwave drying techniques to dehydrate TiO2–Y2O3–ZrO2 ceramic powders. It was found that the average drying rate is proportional to initial masses, initial moisture contents and microwave heating powers. To describe the drying process, four models—the Quadratic, Wang and Singh, Modified Page, and Page—were employed. The best model for the drying process was the Modified Page model. The specimens were analyzed to assess the alterations in the samples pre and post-drying by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The findings revealed that microwaves can hasten the drying process of TiO2–Y2O3–ZrO2 and enhance its spread. Utilizing Fick's second law, the effective diffusion coefficient was ascertained, showing an inverse proportionality to the sample mass, and a proportionality to the microwave heating power and initial moisture content. Using the Arrhenius exponential model, it was ascertained that the microwave drying process's activation energy stands at 13.81834 W/g. This paper demonstrates that microwave drying effectively achieves efficient drying and lays the theoretical and experimental groundwork for the microwave heating and drying of other powdered materials.

Zirconia composite ceramic materials are popular for their many excellent properties. In this study, nTi-3Y–ZrO2 composite ceramics were produced by the mechanical alloying-microwave sintering method with different Ti-doping amounts and microwave sintering temperatures. The sample's phase composition, stability rate, lattice parameters, micromorphology, relative density, and grain size are characterized. The results showed that when the sintering temperature is 1200 °C, the samples with different doping amounts are mainly mixed crystalline structures with tetragonal and cubic phases, and the stability rate remains above 90 %. As TiO2 doping increases, the lattice parameters a(Å) and b(Å)first increase and then decrease, while the lattice parameter c (Å) shows an overall increasing trend. Raman data demonstrated that the increase in Ti content promoted the generation of tetragonal phase zirconia. The average grain size is 61.33 nm, 76.23 nm, 58.77 nm, 63.35 nm, and 68.99 nm, respectively. The increase in doping is also accompanied by a narrowing of the grain size distribution, which increases the sintering activity of the sample. In addition, the relative densities of the samples were 67.85 %, 73.94 %, 84.25 %, 84.87 %, and 77.54 %, respectively, showing a gradual increasing trend overall. When the microwave sintering temperature is 1200 °C, and the doping amount is 5Ti–3Y–92Zr, the performance of the sample is superior to other groups. The preparation of nTi-3Y–ZrO2 composite ceramics can provide certain ideas for preparing ceramic materials with excellent performance in various aspects.

Background The prevention and prediction of sudden cardiac death (SCD) present persistent challenges, prompting exploration into common genetic variations for potential insights. T-box 5 (TBX5), a critical cardiac transcription factor, plays a pivotal role in cardiovascular development and function. This study systematically examined variants within the 500-bp region downstream of the TBX5 gene, focusing on their potential impact on susceptibility to SCD associated with coronary artery disease (SCD-CAD) in four different Chinese Han populations. Methods In a comprehensive case-control analysis, we explored the association between rs11278315 and SCD-CAD susceptibility using a cohort of 553 controls and 201 SCD-CAD cases. Dual luciferase reporter assays and genotype-phenotype correlation studies using human cardiac tissue samples as well as integrated in silicon analysis were applied to explore the underlining mechanism. Result Binary logistic regression results underscored a significantly reduced risk of SCD-CAD in individuals harboring the deletion allele (odds ratio = 0.70, 95% CI [0.55–0.88], p = 0.0019). Consistent with the lower transcriptional activity of the deletion allele observed in dual luciferase reporter assays, genotype-phenotype correlation studies on human cardiac tissue samples affirmed lower expression levels associated with the deletion allele at both mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, our investigation revealed intriguing insights into the role of rs11278315 in TBX5 alternative splicing, which may contribute to alterations in its ultimate functional effects, as suggested by sQTL analysis. Gene ontology analysis and functional annotation further underscored the potential involvement of TBX5 in alternative splicing and cardiac-related transcriptional regulation. Conclusions In summary, our current dataset points to a plausible correlation between rs11278315 and susceptibility to SCD-CAD, emphasizing the potential of rs11278315 as a genetic risk marker for aiding in molecular diagnosis and risk stratification of SCD-CAD.

Abstract In eukaryotes, the dynamic assembly of microtubules (MT) plays an important role in numerous cellular processes. The underlying mechanism of GTP triggering MT assembly is still unknown. Here, we present cryo-EM structures of tubulin heterodimer at their GTP- and GDP-bound states, intermediate assembly states of GTP-tubulin, and final assembly stages of MT. Both GTP- and GDP-tubulin heterodimers adopt similar curved conformations with subtle flexibility differences. In head-to-tail oligomers of tubulin heterodimers, the inter-dimer interface of GDP-tubulin exhibits greater flexibility, particularly in tangential bending. Cryo-EM of the intermediate assembly states reveals two types of tubulin lateral contacts, “Tube-bond” and “MT-bond”. Further, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations show that GTP triggers lateral contact formation in MT assembly in multiple sequential steps, gradually straightening the curved tubulin heterodimers. Therefore, we propose a flexible model of GTP-initiated MT assembly, including the formation of longitudinal and lateral contacts, to explain the nucleation and assembly of MT.

Y2O3–ZrO2 ceramic powder has emerged as a vital structural and functional material in ceramic applications owing to its remarkable performance including wear resistance, temperature resistance, and corrosion resistance. Agglomeration during the drying process is the other key issue that needs to be resolved, which improving the quality of zirconia powder becomes crucial in reducing industrial expenses. This study focuses on investigating the influence of modern microwave heating technology on the drying kinetics of Y2O3–ZrO2 ceramic powder. The experimental results revealed that the average drying rate of Y2O3–ZrO2 ceramic powder increased with sample water content, microwave heating power, and sample mass. Four kinetic fitting models, namely Page, Wang and Singh, Quadratic Model, and Modified Page, were employed to analyze the experimental data for Y2O3–ZrO2 ceramic powder with a mass of 20 g, initial water content of 7.5%, and the microwave heating power is 480 W. Among these models, the Modified Page model demonstrated the best fit and effectively described the drying kinetics of Y2O3–ZrO2 ceramic powder. The Modified Page model successfully captured the kinetics across varying masses, microwave heating powers, and initial water content. FT-IR spectroscopy was employed to describe the material before and after microwave drying. The results exhibited a significant reduction in water molecule content in the Y2O3–ZrO2 ceramic powder after microwave drying, thus confirming the high efficiency and rapidity of the microwave drying procedure. This research provides comprehensive experimental data and offers a theoretical foundation for the industrial application of microwave-enhanced drying of Y2O3–ZrO2 ceramic powder.

Estimating and monitoring chlorophyll content is a critical step in crop spectral image analysis. The quick, non-destructive assessment of chlorophyll content in rice leaves can optimize nitrogen fertilization, benefit the environment and economy, and improve rice production management and quality. In this research, spectral analysis of rice leaves is performed using hyperspectral and fluorescence spectroscopy for the detection of chlorophyll content in rice leaves. This study generated ninety experimental spectral datasets by collecting rice leaf samples from a farm in Sichuan Province, China. By implementing a feature extraction algorithm, this study compresses redundant spectral bands and subsequently constructs machine learning models to reveal latent correlations among the extracted features. The prediction capabilities of six feature extraction methods and four machine learning algorithms in two types of spectral data are examined, and an accurate method of predicting chlorophyll concentration in rice leaves was devised. The IVSO-IVISSA (Iteratively Variable Subset Optimization–Interval Variable Iterative Space Shrinkage Approach) quadratic feature combination approach, based on fluorescence spectrum data, has the best prediction performance among the CNN+LSTM (Convolutional Neural Network Long Short-Term Memory) algorithms, with corresponding RMSE-Train (Root Mean Squared Error), RMSE-Test, and RPD (Ratio of standard deviation of the validation set to standard error of prediction) indexes of 0.26, 0.29, and 2.64, respectively. We demonstrated in this study that hyperspectral and fluorescence spectroscopy, when analyzed with feature extraction and machine learning methods, provide a new avenue for rapid and non-destructive crop health monitoring, which is critical to the advancement of smart and precision agriculture.

Al2O3–ZrO2 composite ceramic is a significant structural material and functional material, and the preparation of high-quality Al2O3–ZrO2 powder is a key step to meeting practical application requirements. The major factor affecting the quality of Al2O3–ZrO2 powder is the drying effect. This paper uses modern microwave drying technology to dry Al2O3–ZrO2 powder. The result was indicative that the average drying rate increases with initial moisture content, initial mass, and microwave heating power. Four dynamic models were applied to fit the empirical data of Al2O3–ZrO2 powder under different pretreatment conditions, the Modified Page model can precisely delineate the Al2O3–ZrO2 microwave drying procedure. To evaluate the changes in samples before and post-drying, the specimens were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. These results demonstrate that microwaves can accelerate the drying of Al2O3–ZrO2 and improve its dispersion. Fick's second law calculates the effective diffusion coefficient. When the initial moisture content of Al2O3–ZrO2 was 5.6%, the microwave heating power is 560 W, and the initial quality is 15 g, the effective diffusion coefficient of Al2O3–ZrO2 is 0.006361 m2/s. Based on the relevance of the microwave power and activating energy, the activating energy of microwave drying Al2O3–ZrO2 was calculated, which is −34.80 g/W. This paper provides basic study data and theory instructions for microwave drying technology in drying Al2O3–ZrO2 even the drying process in green metallurgy.

The Fe3GeTe2 monolayer, a ferromagnetic topological candidate with a high Curie temperature of 130 K, has recently garnered considerable interest. We investigated the impact of strain on the electronic, magnetic, and topological properties of the Fe3GeTe2 monolayer using density functional theory calculations. Our results showed that the Fe3GeTe2 monolayer was an itinerant ferromagnet with a high spin polarization of 69.93% and out-of-plane easy magnetization. Tensile strain had no profound impact on the anomalous Hall conductivity (AHC). However, when applying a compressive biaxial strain of −3%, the AHC at the Fermi level was dramatically enhanced to 1.62 e2/h, which is much larger than that of the bulk (0.7 e2/h) and bilayer (1.5 e2/h) material. The large AHC nearly coincided with the singularity of the energy bands near the M point. Our results highlight the potential of using strain engineering to control and optimize the properties of two-dimensional topological materials.

Walton and Welsh proved that if a co-loopless regular matroid M does not have a minor in {M(K(3,3)),M∗(K5)}, then M admits a nowhere zero 4-flow. Lai, Li and Poon proved that if M does not have a minor in {M(K5),M∗(K5)}, then M admits a nowhere zero 4-flow. We prove that if a co-loopless regular matroid M does not have a minor in {M((P10)¯3 ),M∗(K5)}, then M admits a nowhere zero 4-flow where (P10)¯3 is the graph obtained from the Petersen graph P10by contracting 3 edges of a perfect matching. As both M(K3,3) and M(K5) are contractions of M((P10)¯3), our result extends the results of Walton and Welsh and Lai, Li and Poon.

Wannanhua (WH) is a pig breed indigenous to Anhui Province, China. This breed has a high intramuscular fat (IMF) content, making it an ideal model for investigating lipid deposition mechanisms in pigs. IMF content is one of the main indicators of meat quality in pigs and is regulated by multiple genes and metabolic pathways. Building upon our prior transcriptomic investigation, the present study focused on the longissimus dorsi muscle tissue of Wannanhua (WH) pigs in the rapid fat-deposition stages (120 and 240 days of age). Employing 4D label-free quantitative proteomic analysis, we identified 106 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). Parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) technology was used to verify the DEPs, and the results showed that the 4D label-free results were reliable and valid. Functional enrichment and protein–protein interaction analyses showed that the DEPs were mainly involved in the skeletal-muscle-associated structural proteins, mitochondria, energy metabolism, and fatty acid metabolism. By integrating transcriptomic data, we identified seven candidate genes including ACADL, ACADM, ANKRD2, MYOZ2, TNNI1, UCHL1, and ART3 that play a regulatory role in fat deposition and muscle development. These findings establish a theoretical foundation for future analyses of lipid deposition traits, contributing to potential enhancements in pig meat quality during breeding and advancing the selection process for Chinese indigenous breeds.

Abstract Objectives To identify the major complications independently associated with unfavorable outcomes in right‐sided large hemisphere infarction (RLHI) patients. Methods We retrospectively enrolled consecutive patients admitted within 24 h with the diagnosis of RLHI. The unfavorable outcome was defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 4–6 at 3 months. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the major complications independently associated with 3‐month unfavorable outcomes. Results Of the 171 cases with RLHI included, 126 (73.7%) had unfavorable outcomes at 3 months: A total of 64 (37.4%) cases died, and 62 (36.3%) lived with severe disability. Stroke‐related complications occurred in 168 (98.2%) patients during hospitalization. The five most common stroke‐related complications were pulmonary infection (75.4%), electrolyte disorder (61.4%), hypoalbuminemia (49.1%), malignant brain edema (MBE) (48.5%), and hemorrhagic transformation (48.0%). RLHI patients with unfavorable outcomes had more frequent MBE (58.7% vs. 21.4%, p

The observation of magnetic ordering in atomically thin CrI_{3} and Cr_{2}Ge_{2}Te_{6} monolayers has aroused intense interest in condensed-matter physics and material science. Studies of van de Waals two-dimensional (2D) magnetic materials are of both fundamental importance and application interest. In particular, exciton-enhanced magneto-optical properties revealed in CrI_{3} and CrBr_{3} monolayers have expanded the understanding of exciton physics in 2D materials. Unlike CrI_{3} and CrBr_{3}, with out-of-plane magnetization, CrSBr has an in-plane magnetic moment, therefore providing a good opportunity to study the magnetic linear dichroism and high-order magneto-optical effects. Here, based on the many-body perturbation method within density-functional theory, we have studied quasiparticle electronic structure, exciton, and optical properties in CrSBr monolayer. A strongly bounded exciton has been identified with the first bright exciton located at 1.35 eV, in good agreement with an experiment of photoluminescence [Wilson et al., Nat. Mater. 20, 1657 (2021)1476-112210.1038/s41563-021-01070-8]. Strong contrast in the optical absorption is found between the electric fields lying along the in-plane two orthogonal directions. In accordance with a typical and realistic experimental setup, we show that the rotation angle of linear polarized light, either reflected or transmitted, could be comparable with those revealed in black phosphorene. Such large linear dichroism arises mainly from the anisotropic in-plane crystal structure. The magnetic contribution from the off-diagonal component of dielectric function to the linear dichroism in CrSBr is negligible. Our findings not only have revealed the excitonic effect on the optical and magneto-optical properties in 2D ferromagnet CrSBr, but also have shown its potential applications in 2D optics and optoelectronics.

In the hydrometallurgical process of zinc production, the residue from the leaching stage is an important intermediate product and is treated in a Waelz kiln to recover valuable metals. To ensure optimal results during the Waelz kiln process, it is necessary to pre-treat the residues by drying them first due to their higher water content. This work studies the residue’s drying process using microwave technology. The study results indicate that microwave technology better removes the residue’s oxygen functional groups and moisture. The dehydration process’s effective diffusion coefficient increases as the microwave’s heating power, the initial moisture content, and the initial mass increase. The Page model is appropriate for imitating the drying process, and the activation energy of the drying process for the residues is −13.11217 g/W. These results indicate that microwave technology efficiently dries the residues from the leaching stage. Furthermore, this study provides a theoretical basis and experimental data for the industrial application of microwave drying.

The importance of work stress on newcomers’ organizational socialization has been a topic of substantial interest. However, the impact mechanism of different stressors on newcomers’ organizational socialization is still in the early stages of theory development. This study, based on the theory of the dual work stress model, explored how to challenge stressors and hindrance stressors impact newcomers’ organizational socialization via the mediation of job crafting. Based on the empirical data from 247 newcomers, we found that challenge stressors positively affected newcomers’ organizational socialization; on the contrary, hindrance stressors would result in negative influences. In addition, leader-member exchange enhanced the positive effect of challenge stressors on newcomers’ job crafting and further moderated the indirect influence of challenge stressors on newcomers’ organizational socialization via job crafting. These findings provide a practical guide for organizations to apply stress management and promote newcomers’ socialization.

The high-risk stroke populations are significantly associated with an increased risk of stroke or other vascular events. Although proven primary and secondary stroke prevention medications are available, persistent use is required to be effective. However, the persistence of drug therapy and its association with outcomes in the high-risk stroke population have received limited study in China. Hence, according to the China National Stroke Screening Survey (CNSSS) program in 2015, we performed this multicenter population-based cross-sectional survey and prospective cohort study in Sichuan of southwestern China. The residents aged ≥ 40 years volunteered to participate in a face-to-face survey in 8 communities. Subjects with at least three of eight stroke-related risk factors or a history of stroke were defined as high-risk stroke population. The interviewers recorded individuals' medications at a face-to-face survey, and all the high-risk stroke population was followed up for 4.7 years. The persistence of antihypertensives, hypoglycemics, lipid-lowering medications, and antithrombotics for stroke was evaluated. The primary outcome was new stroke. Secondary outcomes included new composite vascular events of stroke, myocardial infarction, and death during follow-up periods. Among 16,892 participants, 2,893 (17.1%) participants were high-risk stroke population and 2,698 (93.3%) participants completed to follow-up. The 4.7-year persistence of therapy rate of antihypertensives, hypoglycemics, lipid-lowering medications, and antithrombotics was 38.0%, 39.9%, 43.9%, and 59.8%, respectively. The total persistence of therapy rate for antihypertensives, hypoglycemics, lipid-lowering medications, and antithrombotics was 47.6% (136/286) in patients with hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and stroke at the same time. During the 4.7-year follow-up, there were 118 (4.4%) new ischemic stroke, 24 (0.9%) hemorrhagic stroke, 53 (2.0%) myocardial infarctions, and 33 (1.2%) deaths. After adjusting for the covariates, 4.7-year persistence of antihypertensives, hypoglycemics, lipid-lowering therapy, antithrombotics, and total persistence was independently associated with less new ischemic stroke and less new composite vascular events. Thus, more effective public education and efforts to understand and enhance the persistence of drug therapy are crucial to improve population health and decrease stroke and other vascular events for the high-risk stroke population.

Metal thiophosphates have recently received increasing research interest, thanks to their diversity in regard to metal cation occupation within the P–S scaffold, which produces a broad array of functional properties. Among them, In4/3P2S6 belongs to a special case as regards the ordering of metal cations and vacancy sites, whose physical properties remain largely unexplored, especially in the atomically thin limit. In this work, we undertake a comprehensive investigation on the thickness-dependent optical and vibrational properties of In4/3P2S6 from the bulk scale down to a few-layer flakes. Both optical birefringence and anisotropic photoelectric response are observed, which are closely linked to the monoclinic symmetry of the crystal lattice. The vanishing of Raman, absorption, and photoluminescence intensities at about three to four layers signifies the enhanced structural disorder and lattice incoherence when approaching the monolayer limit. Before reaching this critical thickness, phonon softening due to weakened interlayer coupling and bandgap widening due to quantum confinement are accompanied by thickness reduction. These findings shed light on a general understanding of the finite size effect on the physical properties of metal thiophosphates and deliver possible device applications by exploiting the property of optical anisotropy.

Abstract Background Early neurological deterioration (END) is common in acute ischemic stroke (IS). However, the underlying mechanisms for END are unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations of 16 variants in clopidogrel-relevant genes and interactions among these variants with END in acute IS patients receiving clopidogrel treatment. Methods We consecutively enrolled 375 acute IS patients between June 2014 and January 2015. Platelet aggregation was measured on admission and after the 7–10 days of clopidogrel treatment. The 16 variants in clopidogrel-relevant genes were examined using mass spectrometry. The primary outcome was END within the 10 days of admission. Gene-gene interactions were analyzed by generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) methods. Results Among the 375 patients, 95 (25.3%) patients developed END within the first 10 days of admission. Among the 16 variants, only CYP2C19*2 (rs4244285) AA/AG was associated with END using single-locus analytical approach. GMDR analysis revealed that there was a synergistic effect of gene-gene interactions among CYP2C19*2 rs4244285, P2Y12 rs16863323, and GPIIIa rs2317676 on the risk for END. The high-risk interactions among the three variants were associated with the higher platelet aggregation and independent predictor for END after adjusting for the covariates (hazard ratio: 2.82; 95% confidence interval: 1.36–7.76; P = 0.003). Conclusions END is very common in patients with acute IS. The mechanisms leading to END are most likely multifactorial. Interactions among CYP2C19*2 rs4244285, P2Y12 rs16863323, and GPIIIa rs2317676 may confer a higher risk for END. It was very important to modify clopidogrel therapy for the patients carrying the high-risk interactive genotypes. Clinical trial registration information The study described here is registered at http://www.chictr.org/ (unique Identifier: ChiCTR-OCH-14004724 ). The date of trial registration was May 30, 2014.

Abstract Background Stroke and its risk factors epidemiological survey can help identify individuals at higher risk and therefore promote stroke prevention strategies. The aim of this study was to estimate the current prevalence of stroke and high risk stroke population, and evaluate stroke associated risk factors in southwestern China. Methods This was a multi-center, cross sectional survey in southwestern China from May 2015 to September 2015. The eight communities were selected at random, and 17,413 residents aged ≥40 years volunteered to participate in this survey. Data were collected through face-to-face survey using a structured questionnaire. Five hundred twenty-one participants with incomplete questionnaires on stroke history or risk factors records were excluded. Results A total of 16,892 people included in analysis. The overall prevalence of stroke was 3.1% (95% CI 2.6–3.9%), 17.1% of participants were the high risk stroke population. After full adjustments, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, overweight, lack of exercise and family history of stroke were significantly associated with overall stroke and ischemic stroke. The largest contributor was hypertension (population-attributable risk 23.6%), followed by dyslipidemia, physical inactivity, family history of stroke, diabetes, and overweight. However, only hypertension (OR = 3.66, 95% CI 1.82–8.23) was significantly associated with hemorrhagic stroke. Conclusions The prevalence of stroke and high risk stroke population was high among adults aged ≥40 years in southwestern China. Hypertension, dyslipidemia and lack of exercise were stronger contributors for stroke, these findings suggest that individual-level and population-level interventions for these leading risk factors are necessary to prevent stroke.

ObjectivesTo assess the gender differences in the prevalence of carotid vulnerable plaques in high-risk individuals for stroke in a multicenter, cross-sectional study.MethodsIn the year 2015, 18595 residents who were at the age of 40 or older participated in a face-to-face study in eight communities in southwestern China. Totally 2,644 participants at high risk of stroke were enrolled. Before and after propensity score matching (PSM), the prevalence of carotid plaques and vulnerable plaques were compared between men and women. Multivariate analyses were applied to explore the association between the gender and carotid plaques. Stratified analyses and interaction tests were performed to identify factors that might modify the association between the gender and carotid plaques.ResultsAmong 2644 high-risk individuals enrolled, there were 1,202 (45.5%) men and 1442 (54.5%) women. Carotid plaques were detected in 904 (34.2%) participants, while vulnerable plaques were found in 425 (16.1%) participants. Before PSM, carotid plaques were more prevalent in male individuals than the female (36.7% vs. 32.1%, p = 0.01), as well as vulnerable plaque (20.0% vs. 12.8%, p < 0.01). Men tend to have a higher prevalence of vulnerable plaques in multivariate analyses (adjusted OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.10–2.62, p = 0.02). Stratified analyses and interaction tests demonstrated that the association between male sex and vulnerable carotid plaque did not change by age, family history of stroke, histories of chronic disease, smoking status, drinking status, physical activity, and BMI (all p for interaction > 0.05). After PSM, vulnerable plaques were still more prevalent in male individuals than the female (17.03% vs. 12.07%, p = 0.032).ConclusionMale individuals had a higher risk of vulnerable carotid plaque independent of classical vascular risk factors. Whether there is a gender-specific association between variations in genes related to inflammation, lipid metabolis, and endothelial function and plaque vulnerability needs to be further studied.

Abstract Background Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) is a rare but severe complication of valve replacement surgery, with an incidence rate of 0.3–1.2% per patient-year. At present, staphylococci are the predominant causative microorganism of PVE. Herein, we report a confirmed case of late PVE in a mechanical aortic valve caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Case presentation A 32-year-old immunocompetent man with recurrent fever and 5-kg weight loss had a history of having undergone the Bentall procedure due to congenital heart disease. Nine years after the operation, he developed a paravalvular abscess in the mechanical aortic valve, presented with evidence of pulmonary tuberculosis on CT scan and was diagnosed with tuberculous endocarditis. This case report highlights a rare and non-negligible example of tuberculous endocarditis involving a mechanical valve. Conclusions Tuberculous PVE should be considered in patients with a history of valve replacement, recurrent fever, unexplained weight loss, pulmonary tuberculosis and meaningful valvular findings on echocardiogram.

A graph G is perfect matching transitive, shortly PM-transitive, if for any two perfect matchings M and N of G, there is an automorphism f : V(G) ↦ V(G) such that fe(M) = N, where fe(uv) = f(u)f(v). In this paper, the author proposed the definition of PM-transitive, verified PM-transitivity of some symmetric graphs, constructed several families of PM-transitive graphs which are neither vertex-transitive nor edge-transitive, and discussed PM-transitivity of generalized Petersen graphs.

Objective: Neurological and medical complications are major causes of morbidity and mortality after ischemic stroke. This study aimed to identify the incidence of stroke-related complications following large hemisphere infarction (LHI) and to explore their influence on unfavorable outcome in LHI patients. Methods: We prospectively enrolled consecutive patients with LHI. The unfavorable outcome was defined as an modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 4–6 at 3 months. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify the stroke-related complications associated with unfavorable outcome. Results: Of the 256 cases with LHI included, 41 (16.0%) died during hospitalization, 94 (36.7%) died and 140 (55.3%) patients had unfavorable outcome at 3 months. A total of 194 (75.8%) had at least one complication. The three most common medical complications were pneumonia (53.5%), electrolyte disorder (30.9%), and urinary incontinence (18.4%), and the three most common neurological complications were malignant brain edema (31.2%), hemorrhagic transformation (27.7%), and poststroke seizures (7.0%). Overall, LHI patients with unfavorable outcome had more frequent stroke-related complications (91.4% versus 55.8%, p

Abstract Objectives The mechanisms of ischemic stroke severity and early neurologic deterioration (END) are not fully understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of six variants in MMP‐9 gene with ischemic stroke severity and the risk for END in ischemic stroke (IS) patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods This was a multi‐center, prospective, observational study of 615 acute IS patients with AF admitted to six participating hospitals between June 2016 and October 2017. Ischemic stroke severity was assessed using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score on admission. END was defined as an increase of four or more points in NIHSS within 10 days of admission. Six variants of MMP‐9 gene were examined using mass spectrometry. Results Among the 615 enrolled patients, 112 (18.2%) patients presented with moderate or severe stroke (NIHSS score ≥16), and 108 (17.6%) patients suffered from END within 10 days of admission. Multiple logistic analysis showed that prestroke antiplatelet therapy, prestroke anticoagulant therapy, rs3918242 CT/TT, and rs3787268 AG/GG were independent predictors for stroke severity. Cox proportional hazard regression revealed that diabetes mellitus, prestroke antiplatelet therapy, prestroke anticoagulant therapy, rs1056628 AC/CC, and rs3918242 CT/TT were independently associated with the risk of END. Conclusions The incidence of moderate or severe stroke and END was very common in acute IS patients with AF. MMP‐9 polymorphisms were independently associated with severe stroke and higher risk of END, and prestroke antithrombotic treatment was associated with less severe stroke and lower risk of END in patients with AF.

Abstract Objective The potential effect of matrix metalloproteinase‐9 (MMP‐9) variants and these variants interactions on hemorrhagic transformation (HT) risk after ischemic stroke (IS) remain unclear. The aims of present study were to investigate the associations of six variants in MMP‐9 with HT, and these variants interactions whether related to increased HT risk. Method A total of 705 patients with IS who were admitted to the participating hospitals within 48 hr of symptom onset were consecutively enrolled between March 2014 and December 2016. HT was confirmed by brain computed tomography (CT) scan during 14 days from stroke onset. Six variants of MMP‐9 gene were measured by mass spectrometry. Interactions of gene variant–gene variant were assessed through generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction method (GMDR). Results HT occurred in 104 (14.8%) patients. There were no differences in genotypes for the six variants between patients with and without HT using univariate analysis (all p > 0.05). GMDR analysis revealed that there was a synergistic effect of gene variant–gene variant interactions between rs3918242 and rs3787268 in MMP‐9 gene. Cox regression analysis showed that high‐risk interactions of rs3918242 and rs3787268 were associated with increased risk of HT after adjusting for covariates (hazard ratio: 2.08; 95% confidence interval: 1.34–7.85; p = 0.016). Conclusion Incidence of HT is common in acute IS in Chinese population. The mechanisms leading to HT are most likely multifactorial. Two‐loci interactions of rs3918242 and rs3787268 in MMP‐9 gene may confer a higher risk for HT.

Semiconductor-based photocatalytic technology is regarded as a promising strategy for solve environmental and energy problems. Here, g-C3N4/BiVO4 heterojunction photocatalysts were prepared by a modified sol-gel technique by varying the weight ratio of g-C3N4 under facile conditions. The incorporation of g-C3N4 is found to significantly improve the photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical activity of BiVO4. The optimized g-C3N4/BiVO4 sample exhibits a greatly improved kinetic constant in photocatalytic degradation that is 7.7 times of that in pure BiVO4, and an enhancement of 3 time for the photocurrent density. Systematic experimental studies, combined with first-principles calculations, reveal that the improved photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical activities arise from the efficient separation of charge carriers due to the heterojunctions formed between g-C3N4 and BiVO4. Our work provides a feasible route to develop a high-efficiency photocatalytic technology for environmental contaminants degradation and renewable energy.

Due to the exciton effects, two-dimensional materials have displayed strong light-matter interactions. Here, by considering many-body effects of electron-electron and electron-hole interactions, we provide a more accurate quasiparticle electronic structure, exciton, and optical absorption spectrum of Hittorf's phosphorene, a monolayer of Hittorf's (or violet) phosphorus obtained recently via exfoliation method. The fibrous nature of the crystal structure with twofold rotation symmetry leads to anisotropic electron-hole excitations, and an obvious dichroism in optical absorption is revealed over a wide spectral range. The first exciton state located at 2.4 eV is bright with a large binding energy of 0.9 eV and a lifetime of 18 ns. These unusual excitonic and optical properties demonstrate its potential applications in optoelectronics.

BACKGROUND:Perineural dexamethasone has been shown to prolong the duration of local anesthetic (LA) effect in regional anesthesia; however, the use of perineural dexamethasone as an adjuvant to to the transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block remains controversial. This meta-analysis sought to assess the efficacy of dexamethasone in prolonging the TAP block and enhancing recovery after abdominal surgery. METHODS:We identified and analyzed 9 RCTs published on or before September 30, 2017, regardless of the original language, after searching the following 6 bibliographic databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, Springer, Ovid, and the Cochrane Library. databases. These studies compared the effects of perineural dexamethasone mixed with local anesthetic versus local anesthetic alone in the TAP block. The Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias Tool was used to evaluate the methodological quality of each RCT. The primary outcomes were the time until the first request for postoperative analgesics and the analog pain scores at 2, 6, 12, and 24 h after surgery. The secondary outcomes were the analgesic consumption and the incidence of nausea and vomiting on the first day after surgery. We used Trial Sequential Analysis (TSA) to control for random errors. RESULTS:Perineural dexamethasone prolonged the duration of LA effect in the TAP block [mean difference (MD): 2.98 h; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.19 to 3.78] and reduced analog pain scores at 2 h [MD: -1.15; 95% CI: -2.14 to -0.16], 6 h [MD: -0.97; 95% CI: -1.51 to -0.44], and 12 h [MD: -0.93; 95% CI: -1.14 to -0.72] postoperatively. Furthermore, the use of perineural dexamethasone was associated with less analgesic consumption [standard mean difference: -1.29; 95% CI: -1.88 to -0.70] and a lower incidence of nausea and vomiting [odds ratio: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.16 to 0.49] on the first day after surgery. CONCLUSION:Dexamethasone prolongs the LA effect when used as an adjuvant in the TAP block and improves the analgesic effects of the block.

Ulcerative colitis is a gastrointestinal disorder characterized by local inflammation and impaired epithelial barrier. Previous studies demonstrated that CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) antagonists could reduce colonic inflammation and mucosal damage in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Whether CXCR4 antagonist has action on intestinal barrier and the possible mechanism, is largely undefined. In the present study, the experimental colitis was induced by administration of 5% DSS for 7 days, and CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 was administered intraperitoneally once daily during the study period. For in vitro study, HT-29/B6 colonic cells were treated with cytokines or AMD3100 for 24 h until assay. DSS-induced colitis was characterized by morphologic changes in mice. In AMD3100-treated mice, epithelial destruction, inflammatory infiltration, and submucosal edema were markedly reduced, and the disease activity index was also significantly decreased. Increased intestinal permeability in DSS-induced colitis was also significantly reduced by AMD3100. The expressions of colonic claudin-1, claudin-3, claudin-5, claudin-7 and claudin-8 were markedly decreased after DSS administration, whereas colonic claudin-2 expression was significantly decreased. Treatment with AMD3100 prevented all these changes. However, AMD3100 had no influence on claudin-3, claudin-5, claudin-7 and claudin-8 expression in HT-29/B6 cells. Cytokines as TNF-α, IL-6, and IFN-γ increased apoptosis and monolayer permeability, inhibited the wound-healing and the claudin-3, claudin-7 and claudin-8 expression in HT-29/B6 cells. We suggest that AMD3100 acted on colonic claudin expression and intestinal barrier function, at least partly, in a cytokine-dependent pathway.

Thomassen conjectured that every $4$-connected line graph is hamiltonian. A vertex cut $X$ of $G$ is essential if $G-X$ has at least two nontrivial components. We prove that every $3$-connected, essentially $11$-connected line graph is hamiltonian. Using Ryjáček's line graph closure, it follows that every $3$-connected, essentially $11$-connected claw-free graph is hamiltonian.

Objective: To investigate the incidence, clinical and genetic characteristics of pediatric lymphoma patients of China with inborn errors of immunity (IEI)-related gene mutations, which have not been fully studied. Method: From Jan. 2020 to Mar. 2023, IEI-related genetic mutations were retrospectively explored in 108 children with lymphomas admitted to Beijing Children's Hospital by NGS. Genetic rule and clinical characteristics as well as treatment outcomes were compared between patients with or without IEI-related gene mutations. Results: A total of 17 patients (15.7 %) harbored IEI-associated mutations, including 4 cases with X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome (XLP), 3 cases had mutations in tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily 13B (TNFRSF13B), 2 cases with Activated p110 syndrome (APDS). Patients with IEI all had alteration of immunocompetence with decreased levels of immunoglobulin and lymphocyte subsets. Recurrent infection existed in 41.2 % of patients. The 18-month event-free survival (EFS) and the overall response rate (ORR) of patients with IEI are significantly lower than those without IEI (33.86% vs. 73.26 %, p = 0.011; 52.94% vs. 87.91 %, p = 0.002, respectively). In addition, patients with IEI had a higher progression disease (PD) rate of 23.5 % than those without IEI of 4.4 % (p = 0.006). Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that IEI-associated lymphomas were much more common than originally appreciated in pediatric lymphomas, and those were insensitive to treatment and more likely to progress or relapse. The genomic analysis and a thorough review of the medical history of IEI can be used to distinguish them from pediatric lymphomas without IEI, which are beneficial for the early diagnosis and direct intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]