Search

Three multiphase metallaphotoredox catalysts M−Salen−CMP (M Zn, Cu and Co) with dual-catalytic functions were constructed by linking M−salen (M Zn, Cu and Co) and 2, 4, 6-tris(4-ethylphenyl)-1, 3, 5-triazine (TEPT) monomer via covalent bonds. The catalysts M−SATE−CMP (M Zn, Cu and Co) have different d-band centers based on different metal active centers, resulting in the difference of the optical property as well as their adsorption and activation capacities for the reactants. Therefore, they can selectively photocatalytically oxidize β-keto esters to α-hydroperoxide β-keto esters (ROOH) or α-hydroxyl β-keto esters (ROH), where ROOH is an intermediate of ROH. [Display omitted] Photocatalytic selective oxidation plays an important role in developing green chemistry. However, it is challenging to design an efficient photocatalyst for controlling the selectivity of photocatalytic oxidation reaction and exploring its detailed mechanism. Here, we synthesized three conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) with D-A structures, named M−SATE−CMPs (M Zn, Cu and Co), with different d-band centers based on different metal centers, resulting in the discrepancy in adsorption and activation capacities for the reactants, which produces the selectivity of β-keto esters being catalyzed into α-hydroperoxide β-keto esters (ROOH) or to α-hydroxyl β-keto esters (ROH). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations also demonstrate that the adsorption and activation capacities of the metal active centers in M−SATE−CMPs (M Zn, Cu and Co) for ROOH are the key factors to influence the photocatalytic selective oxidation of β-keto ester. This study provides a promising strategy for designing a metallaphotoredox catalyst whose photocatalytic selectivity depends on the d-band center of metal site in the catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse neonatal outcomes are a prevailing risk factor for both short- and long-term mortality and morbidity in infants. Given the importance of these outcomes, refining their assessment is paramount for improving prevention and care. Here we aim to enhance the assessment of these often correlated and multifaceted neonatal outcomes. To achieve this, we employ factor analysis to identify common and unique effects and further confirm these effects using criterion-related validity testing. This validation leverages methylome-wide profiles from neonatal blood. Specifically, we investigate nine neonatal health risk variables, including gestational age, Apgar score, three indicators of body size, jaundice, birth diagnosis, maternal preeclampsia, and maternal age. The methylomic profiles used for this research capture data from nearly all 28 million methylation sites in human blood, derived from the blood spot collected from 333 neonates, within 72 h post-birth. Our factor analysis revealed two common factors, size factor, that captured the shared effects of weight, head size, height, and gestational age and disease factor capturing the orthogonal shared effects of gestational age, combined with jaundice and birth diagnosis. To minimize false positives in the validation studies, validation was limited to variables with significant cumulative association as estimated through an in-sample replication procedure. This screening resulted in that the two common factors and the unique effects for gestational age, jaundice and Apgar were further investigated with full-scale cell-type specific methylome-wide association analyses. Highly significant, cell-type specific, associations were detected for both common effect factors and for Apgar. Gene Ontology analyses revealed multiple significant biologically relevant terms for the five fully investigated neonatal health risk variables. Given the established links between adverse neonatal outcomes and both immediate and long-term health, the distinct factor effects (representing the common and unique effects of the risk variables) and their biological profiles confirmed in our work, suggest their potential role as clinical biomarkers for assessing health risks and enhancing personalized care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The age, creatinine, and ejection fraction (ACEF) score has been accepted as a predictor of poor outcome in elective operations. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of ACEF score in acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) patients after total arch replacement. A total of 227 AAAD patients from July 2021 and June 2022 were enrolled and divided into Tertiles 1 (ACEF ≤ 0.73), Tertiles 2 (0.73 < ACEF ≤ 0.95), and Tertiles 3 (ACEF > 0.95). Using inverse probability processing weighting (IPTW) to balance the baseline characteristics and compare the outcomes. Cox logistic regression was used to further evaluate the survival prediction ability of ACEF score. The in-hospital mortality was 9.8%. After IPTW, in the baseline characteristics reached an equilibrium, a higher ACEF score before operation still associated with higher in-hospital mortality. After 1 year follow-up, 184 patients (90.6%) survival. Multivariable analysis revealed that ACEF score (adjusted hazard ratio 1.68; 95% confidence interval 1.34–4.91; p = 0.036) and binary ACEF score (adjusted HR 2.26; 95% CI 1.82–6.20; p < 0.001) was independently associated with 1-year survival. In addition, net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated differentiation improvement (IDI) verified that the ACEF score and binary ACEF score is an accurate predictive tool in clinical settings. In conclusions, ACEF score could be considered as a useful tool to risk stratification in patients with AAAD before operation in daily clinical work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To develop an automatic computer-based method that can help clinicians in assessing spine growth potential based on EOS radiographs. Methods: We developed a deep learning–based (DL) algorithm that can mimic the human judgment process to automatically determine spine growth potential and the Risser sign based on full-length spine EOS radiographs. A total of 3383 EOS cases were collected and used for the training and test of the algorithm. Subsequently, the completed DL algorithm underwent clinical validation on an additional 440 cases and was compared to the evaluations of four clinicians. Results: Regarding the Risser sign, the weighted kappa value of our DL algorithm was 0.933, while that of the four clinicians ranged from 0.909 to 0.930. In the assessment of spine growth potential, the kappa value of our DL algorithm was 0.944, while the kappa values of the four clinicians were 0.916, 0.934, 0.911, and 0.920, respectively. Furthermore, our DL algorithm obtained a slightly higher accuracy (0.973) and Youden index (0.952) compared to the best values achieved by the four clinicians. In addition, the speed of our DL algorithm was 15.2 ± 0.3 s/40 cases, much faster than the inference speeds of the clinicians, ranging from 177.2 ± 28.0 s/40 cases to 241.2 ± 64.1 s/40 cases. Conclusions: Our algorithm demonstrated comparable or even better performance compared to clinicians in assessing spine growth potential. This stable, efficient, and convenient algorithm seems to be a promising approach to assist doctors in clinical practice and deserves further study. Clinical relevance statement: This method has the ability to quickly ascertain the spine growth potential based on EOS radiographs, and it holds promise to provide assistance to busy doctors in certain clinical scenarios. Key Points: • In the clinic, there is no available computer-based method that can automatically assess spine growth potential. • We developed a deep learning–based method that could automatically ascertain spine growth potential. • Compared with the results of the clinicians, our algorithm got comparable results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to develop a model for predicting the risk of prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) following surgical repair of acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD). We retrospectively collected clinical data from 381 patients with AAAD who underwent emergency surgery. Clinical features variables for predicting postoperative PMV were selected through univariate analysis, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis, and multivariate logistic regression analysis. A risk prediction model was established using a nomogram. The model's accuracy and reliability were evaluated using the area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve and the calibration curve. Internal validation of the model was performed using bootstrap resampling. The clinical applicability of the model was assessed using decision curve analysis and clinical impact curve. Among the 381 patients, 199 patients (52.2%) experienced postoperative PMV. The predictive model exhibited good discriminative ability (area under the curve = 0.827, 95% confidence interval: 0.786-0.868, P < 0.05). The calibration curve confirmed that the predicted outcomes of the model closely approximated the ideal curve, indicating agreement between the predicted and actual results (with an average absolute error of 0.01 based on 1000 bootstrap resampling). The decision curve analysis curve demonstrated that the model has significant clinical value. The nomogram model established in this study can be used to predict the risk of postoperative PMV in patients with AAAD. It serves as a practical tool to assist clinicians in adjusting treatment strategies promptly and implementing targeted therapeutic measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To elevate the performance and durability of perovskite solar cells, a holistic approach to mitigating defects throughout the device is essential. While advancements in refining top interfaces have been significant, the potential of stabilizing buried interfaces and grain boundaries has not been fully tapped. The research underscores the transformative impact of guanidine phosphate (GP), a chemical agent that converts surplus PbI2 into a low‐dimensional perovskite, thus reinforcing the stability of both buried interfaces and grain boundaries. Employing GP on quantum dot tin dioxide (QD‐SnO2) surfaces revealed an exceptional grain wrapping effect at these critical junctures, as revealed by high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy. This novel low‐dimensional perovskite enveloping strategy not only passivates the grain boundaries but also delays the cooling of hot carriers, thereby diminishing charge carrier recombination. This strategy exhibits an enhanced power conversion efficiency, rising from 23.16% to 24.55%. Moreover, the modified device sustains over 90% of their initial efficiency after 1000 h of maximum power point tracking under one sun illumination and maintain 90% efficiency after 1400 h in moderate humidity, all achieved without the encapsulation. This breakthrough points to a robust method for augmenting perovskite solar cell, promising a more durable, and efficient solar energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The low response rate of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) prompts the exploration of novel combination therapies for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we aimed to examine the efficiency and potential mechanism of cryo‐thermal ablation (Cryo‐A) combined with anti‐programmed death protein 1 (αPD1) and/or cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte antigen 4 (αCTLA4) inhibitors in a murine hepatoma model. Method: Immunocompetent C57BL/6 mice inoculated with unilateral or bilateral H22 hepatic tumour cells were treated with Cryo‐A and/or ICIs (αPD1 and/or αCTLA4). Flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, ELISpot assay, time‐of‐flight cytometry, tumour rechallenging, and T‐cell depletion assay were used to assess the dynamic changes of immune cell subsets following therapy. Results: We found Cryo‐A resulted in immunogenic cell death of tumour cells, activation of dendritic cells, and enhancement of antitumor immunity. Cryo‐A alone was insufficient to extend survival, combining Cryo‐A with αPD1 and αCTLA4 further modulated the tumour microenvironment, inducing a durable antitumor immune response by tumour‐reactive CD8+ T cells and significantly prolonged survival. Time‐of‐flight cytometry (CyTOF) data revealed that combination therapies reshaped the tumour microenvironment by the increase of intratumoral CD8+ T cells expressed higher levels of cytotoxic markers and immune checkpoint molecules, and by downregulation of intratumoral granulocytes. The combination also resulted in the eradication of remote unablated tumours (abscopal effect). Conclusions: These findings suggested that Cryo‐A turned HCC from "cold" tumours to "hot" tumours and the combination of Cryo‐A with αPD1 and αCTLA4 may be a promising approach to improve the prognosis of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) has a high probability of postoperative adverse outcomes (PAO) after emergency surgery, so exploring the risk factors for PAO during hospitalization is key to reducing postoperative mortality and improving prognosis. An artificial intelligence approach was used to build a predictive model of PAO by clinical data‐driven machine learning to predict the incidence of PAO after total arch repair for AAAD. This study included 380 patients with AAAD. The clinical features that are associated with PAO were selected using the LASSO regression analysis. Six different machine learning algorithms were tried for modeling, and the performance of each model was analyzed comprehensively using receiver operating characteristic curves, calibration curve, precision recall curve, and decision analysis curves. Explain the optimal model through Shapley Additive Explanation (SHAP) and perform an individualized risk assessment. After comprehensive analysis, the authors believe that the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) model is the optimal model, with better performance than other models. The authors successfully built a prediction model for PAO in AAAD patients based on the XGBoost algorithm and interpreted the model with the SHAP method, which helps to identify high‐risk AAAD patients at an early stage and to adjust individual patient‐related clinical treatment plans in a timely manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SiO/C is currently considered the most favorable anode material for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Nevertheless, its potential applications are constrained because of its inherent capacity decay and thermal safety concerns engendered by its volumetric expansion during extended cycling periods. The present study investigated the effectiveness of 4,5-difluoro-1,3-dioxolane-2-one (DFEC) as a film-forming additive to augment the safety and electrochemical efficacy of LIBs. A blank electrolyte (BE) was used as a control. Electrochemical test and characterization results revealed that the capacity retention rate of a battery containing the DFEC additive improved significantly; specifically, it increased from 45.23% (for a battery with the BE) to 73.14%. DFEC also increased the quantity of LiF components on the anode surface, resulting in the formation of a robust and stable solid electrolyte interphase film, which enhanced the battery's cycling stability. Differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and thermokinetic analysis revealed that DFEC inhibited exothermic reactions between the electrolyte and the lithiated anode. Notably, the initial reaction temperature for the electrolyte slowly transitioned from 232.17 to 238.67 °C. The apparent activation energy increased from 439.56 to 506.995 kJ/mol. This study presents a practical approach for the development of safe, high-energy-density batteries by incorporating DFEC as a film-forming additive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Platinum-based chemotherapy remains a standard-of-care for most patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). DNA damage response (DDR) induced by platinum or Etoposide activated a panel of cell cycle-regulatory proteins including p21 through p53 pathway. Previous studies have reported that RanBPM has been involved in various cellular processes such as DDR by interacting with multiple proteins. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Methods: NSCLC tissue microarrays were used for assessing the expression of RanBPM by immunohistochemical staining. The roles of RanBPM in the DDR of NSCLC progression was examined in in vitro cell lines and in vivo animal models. The regulation of RanBPM on protein stability and ubiquitination levels were investigated by immunoblots and in vivo ubiquitylation assay. Results: The level of p21 or RanBPM is lower in NSCLC than non-malignant tissues and has a highly positive correlation. Mechanistically, RanBPM protein physically interacts with p21, and RanBPM deubiquitinates p21 by recruiting a deubiquitinase USP11 to maintain protein stability of p21. RanBPM silencing significantly decreased p21 protein level. Conversely, RanBPM overexpression led to the accumulation of endogenous p21 protein regardless of p53 status. Functionally, RanBPM regulates DDR in a p21-dependent manner. Furthermore, DNA damage significantly promoted the nuclear translocation of RanBPM protein through ATM signaling pathways. Conclusion: RanBPM is a novel regulator of P21 protein stability, and plays a critical role in the regulation of DDR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, an increasing number of studies have focused on exploring the principles and mechanisms underlying the emergence of collective intelligence in biological populations, aiming to provide insights for human society and the engineering field. Pigeon flock behavior garners significant attention as a subject of study. Collective homing flight is a commonly observed behavioral pattern in pigeon flocks. The study analyzes GPS data during the homing process and utilizes acceleration information, which better reflects the flock's movement tendencies during turns, to describe the leadership relationships within the group. By examining the evolution of acceleration during turning, the study unveils a dynamic leadership mechanism before and after turns, employing a more intricate dynamic model to depict the flock's motion. Specifically, during stable flight, pigeon flocks tend to rely on fixed leaders to guide homing flight, whereas during turns, individuals positioned in the direction of the flock's turn experience a notable increase in their leadership status. These findings suggest the existence of a dynamic leadership mechanism within pigeon flocks, enabling adaptability and stability under diverse flight conditions. From an engineering perspective, this leadership mechanism may offer novel insights for coordinating industrial multi-robot systems and controlling drone formations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total neointima implantation (patch neointima technique + triple‐branched stent graft placement) has been performed in proximal aortic repair for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) for more than 10 years at a center. However, there is no report on the mid‐term outcomes with a control group of the surgical procedure. Consequently, the authors aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this technique in this study. Patients who underwent the total neointima implantation were classified as Group A, and those who underwent the conventional aortic root reconstruction with the "sandwich" technique and the total aortic arch replacement were classified as Group B. Furthermore, the authors described the preoperative characteristics, operative data, and patient outcomes. Group A patients experienced a shorter surgery duration, lower volumes of perioperative bleeding, and fewer red blood cell transfusions. The incidence of neurological complications was significantly reduced in Group A. All patients maintained a normal range of proximal aortic sizes after surgery. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed no significant differences between the patients in the two groups regarding cumulative mortality and the incidence of moderate‐to‐severe aortic insufficiency. In well‐selected patients, total neointima implantation is an alternative procedure for the surgical repair of ATAAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the midterm efficacy of the Castor stent (CS) versus in situ fenestration (ISF) for reconstructing the left subclavian artery (LSA) in patients with type B aortic dissection (TBAD). Between July 2017 and July 2022, a total of 247 patients with TBAD were enrolled. One hundred thirty‐seven patients were treated using CSs (group A), while the remaining 110 patients received ISFs (group B). Data of the two groups were retrospectively analyzed. The success rates of surgery were 99.3% and 95.5% in groups A and B (p =.053), There were no deaths during hospitalization. During surgery, group B showed a longer surgical duration [68.0 (66.0, 77.0) vs. 62.0 (59.0, 66.0) min, p <.001] and intraoperative fluoroscopy time [18.0 (16.0, 20.0) vs. 16.0 (14.0, 18.0) min, p <.001] than group A. The follow‐up duration was similar for both groups (44.0 vs. 43.0 months, p =.877), and no patient died. Stent‐related complications were significantly lower in group A than in group B (1.5% vs. 8.4%, p =.009). Group A had fewer instances entry flow (0.7% vs. 4.7%, p =.048) and stent stenosis (0.7% vs. 2.8%, p =.206) than group B. All reintervention cases (4.7%) were from group B (p =.011). The rate of false aortic lumen thrombosis was significantly higher in group A than in group B (84.6% vs. 72.9%, p =.024). Both CSs and ISFs are evidently safe, feasible, and effective in achieving positive early outcomes in patients undergoing treatment for TBAD. Notably, at midterm follow‐up, CSs appeared to be superior to ISF in terms of reducing stent‐related complications and minimizing the need for reintervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mosquitoes transmit many pathogens, like malaria (by Anopheles), lymphatic filariasis (by Culex), Zika virus and Dengue virus (by Aedes). Female mosquitoes have robust preferences for human odours over animal odours. A recent study showed that some olfactory glomerulus within the Aedes aegypti was significantly activated by human odours but weakly activated by animal odours. Among the odour chemicals, decanal and undecanal played dominant roles. However, most previous studies adopted lab-reared mosquitoes who were investigated in 1-way or 2-way enclosed tunnels. Here we studied wild Anopheles and Culex mosquitoes in an open environment and found that no mosquito could be caught without either CO2 or heat, indicating that both CO2 and heat gate the responses to other odorant stimuli. Only wet clothes soaked with human sweat (but not human-scented dry clothes) attracted 20–50% more mosquitoes at 37°C and showed no effect at 25°C. Thus for Anopheles and Culex, human odour may only play a significant role in the host-seeking behavior only upon sweating. And neither decanal nor undecanal attracted mosquitoes in our field study, indicating inefficacy of any single volatile substance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purposes of this study were to develop and validate a nomogram for predicting postoperative transient neurological dysfunctions (TND) in patients with acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) who underwent modified triple‐branched stent graft implantation. This retrospective study developed a nomogram‐based model in a consecutive cohort of 146 patients. Patient characteristics, preoperative clinical indices, and operative data were analyzed. Univariate and multivariable analyses were applied to identify the most useful predictive variables for constructing the nomogram. Discrimination and the calibration of the model was evaluated through the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), the Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness‐of‐fit test and the decision curve analysis (DCA). At the same time, to identify and compare long‐term cumulative survival rate, Kaplan‐Meier survival curve was plotted. The incidence rate of postoperative TND observed in our cohort were 40.9%. Supra‐aortic dissection with or without thrombosis, creatinine >115 μmol and albumin <39.7 g/L, selective antegrade cerebral perfusion (SACP) time >7 min and total operation time >303 min, were confirmed as independent predictors that enhanced the likelihood of TND. Internal validation showed good discrimination of the model with under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.818 and good calibration (Hosmer–Lemeshow test, p >.05). DCA revealed that the nomogram was clinically useful. In the long‐term survival there was no significant difference between patients with or without TND history. The results showed the predict model based on readily available predictors has sufficient validity to identify TND risk in this population, that maybe useful for clinical decision‐making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore the function of circRIMS in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (CIR) and its regulatory mechanism. The expression of the circRIMS was examined in GEO chip data and validated by qRT-PCR analysis. A middle cerebral artery occlusion/repression (MCAO/R) model was developed using C57BL/6J mice. Starbase and circinteractome were employed to identify the target miRNA and mRNA. The result was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay, and biotinylated RNA-pulldown assay. The cell viability and apoptosis were confirmed through CCK-8 and flow cytometry assay. This study revealed that circRIMS expression was upregulated in MCAO mice model and OGD/RX-simulated cell model. Knockdown circRIMS demonstrated the functional of circRIMS in increasing cell viability, reducing apoptosis, LDH activity and inflammatory factors secretion in OGD/RX-simulated CIR injury in vitro. Additionally, miR-96-5p was identified as a target of circRIMS, while the STAT1 gene is a downstream gene of miR-96-5p, and JAK was also considered to be a downstream gene of the JAK-STAT pathway. Furthermore, inhibition of miR-96-5p or overexpression of STAT1 promoted the progression of CIR injury by elevating apoptosis, reducing cell viability, and increasing the secretion of inflammatory cytokines. CircRIMS contributes to the progression of CIR injury via regulating miR-96-5p/JAK/STAT1 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index has been evaluated as a reliable surrogate for insulin resistance (IR) and has been proven to be a predictor of poor outcomes in patients with cardiovascular diseases. However, data are lacking on the relationship of the TyG index with prognosis in nondiabetic patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Thus, the purpose of our current study was to investigate the potential value of the TyG index as a prognostic indicator in patients without diabetes mellitus (DM) after CABG. Methods: This multicenter, retrospective cohort study involving 830 nondiabetic patients after CABG from 3 tertiary public hospitals from 2014 to 2018. Kaplan–Meier survival curve analysis was conducted followed by the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to explore the association between the TyG index and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). The incremental predictive power of the TyG index was evaluated with C-statistics, continuous net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). Results: An incrementally higher TyG index was associated with an increasingly higher cumulative incidence of MACEs (log-rank test, p < 0.001). The hazard ratio (95% CI) of MACEs was 2.22 (1.46–3.38) in tertile 3 of the TyG index and 1.38 (1.18–1.62) per SD increase in the TyG index. The addition of the TyG index yielded a significant improvement in the global performance of the baseline model [C-statistic increased from 0.656 to 0.680, p < 0.001; continuous NRI (95% CI) 0.269 (0.100–0.438), p = 0.002; IDI (95% CI) 0.014 (0.003–0.025), p = 0.014]. Conclusions: The TyG index may be an independent factor for predicting adverse cardiovascular events in nondiabetic patients after CABG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Laboratory tests to diagnose neurosyphilis using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are currently disadvantageous as a lumbar puncture is required, which may result in patients with neurosyphilis missing an opportunity for early diagnosis. Thus, blood biomarker candidates that are more convenient and minimally invasive to collect for diagnosing neurosyphilis is urgently needed. Methods This observational study aimed to analyze serum ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and neurofilament light chain (NF-L) levels in 153 patients without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and to evaluate their diagnostic performance in neurosyphilis compared with CSF. Results Serum UCH-L1, GFAP, and NF-L levels were significantly higher in patients with neurosyphilis compared with patients with uncomplicated syphilis or non-syphilis. For the diagnosis of neurosyphilis, serum UCH-L1, GFAP, and NF-L revealed sensitivities of 90.20%, 80.40%, and 88.24%, and specificities of 92.16%, 78.43%, and 80.39%, respectively, at cutoff levels of 814.50 pg/mL, 442.70 pg/mL, and 45.19 pg/mL, respectively. In patients with syphilis, serum UCH-L1, GFAP, and NF-L levels correlated strongly or moderately with those in the CSF, with similar or better diagnostic performance than those in the CSF. The testing algorithms' sensitivity and specificity increased to 98.04% and 96.08%, respectively, when subjected to parallel and combination testing, respectively. Conclusions To avoid lumbar puncture, each serum UCH-L1, GFAP, and NF-L is a good entry point and biomarker candidate for the diagnosis of neurosyphilis among patients without HIV. These proteins used in concerto can further improve the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The weight-adjusted-waist Index (WWI), an innovative metric for assessing obesity, exhibits superior efficacy in appraising lean muscle and adipose tissue mass relative to both the Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist Circumference (WC). The objective of this research paper is to investigate the correlation between WWI and the incidence of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: In this population-based study, we collected data from adult participants aged 20–80 years using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2011 and 2020 to analyze the association between WWI and the occurrence of RA and OA. NHANES, a nationally representative cross-sectional survey, is designed to evaluate the health and nutritional status of the U.S. population. The current research incorporates an extensive, nationally representative sample of U.S. adults, utilizing weighted multivariate linear regression and smoothed curve fitting techniques to examine linear and non-linear relationships. Threshold effects were determined through a two-part linear regression model. Additionally, subgroup analyses and interaction tests were conducted to explore the connection between WWI and the incidence of RA and OA. Results: Our findings reveal a linear positive correlation between WWI and OA prevalence, indicating that an increase in WWI is linked to a heightened risk of OA. Conversely, a non-linear relationship was observed between WWI and RA prevalence, exhibiting a significant threshold effect with a saturation value of 11.21 cm/√kg. A positive association was detected to the left of the saturation point, while no significant association was present between the two variables to the right of the saturation point, suggesting a complex non-linear relationship between RA prevalence and WWI. Conclusions: This investigation demonstrates a positive linear association between WWI and OA prevalence, as well as a complex non-linear relationship with RA prevalence in U.S. adults aged 20–80 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positive ratios of normal random variables are required for meaningful advertising claims. Positive ratios less than 1 for supporting superiority claims on attributes deemed important to minimize (e.g., our soap cleans effectively and is only 1/3 as harsh as the leading competitor) require estimating (1 − α) upper confidence bounds (UCBs) to protect against unwarranted deflated estimates. Here, we extend the ratio and multiplicative methods to estimate the UCB. Results show that the UCBs estimated by the ratio method are superior to those estimated by the multiplicative method and that the ratio method maintains inverse relation between the ratios X/Y and Y/X. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space-time domain decomposition methods have been successfully applied to solve linear systems that arise from the discretization of time-dependent problems. In this paper, we present a space-time pure multiplicative Schwarz method for solving linear parabolic equations. With this method, the systems of equations are first coupled together and then solved by preconditioned GMRES, so the solutions at arbitrary time steps can be obtained simultaneously at a time. Under some mild assumptions, we develop an optimal convergence theory and show that the convergence rate is bounded independently of the mesh sizes, the subdomain partition and the window size. Some numerical results are reported to illustrate the optimality and scalability of the proposed method. Moreover, the numerical comparison also shows that our method has a faster convergence rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the popularization of robot-assisted spinal surgeries, it is still uncertain whether robots with different designs could lead to different results in the accuracy of pedicle screw placement. This study aimed to compare the pedicle screw inserting accuracies among the spinal surgeries assisted by various types of robot and estimate the rank probability of each robot-assisted operative technique involved. Methods: The electronic literature database of PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, CNKI, WANFANG and the Cochrane Library was searched in November 2021. The primary outcome was the Gertzbein–Robbins classification of pedicle screws inserted with various operative techniques. After the data extraction and direct meta-analysis process, a network model was established in the Bayesian framework and further analyses were carried out. Results: Among all the 15 eligible RCTs, 4 types of robot device, namely Orthbot, Renaissance, SpineAssist and TiRobot, were included in this study. In the network meta-analysis, the Orthbot group (RR 0.27, 95% CI 0.13–0.58), the Renaissance group (RR 0.33, 95% CI 0.14–0.86), the SpineAssist group (RR 0.14, 95% CI 0.06–0.34) and the conventional surgery group (RR 0.21, 95% CI 0.13–0.31) were inferior to the TiRobot group in the proportion of grade A pedicle screws. Moreover, the results of rank probabilities revealed that in terms of accuracy, the highest-ranked robot was TiRobot, followed by Renaissance and Orthbot. Conclusions: In general, current RCT evidence indicates that TiRobot has an advantage in the accuracy of the pedicle screw placement, while there is no significant difference among the Orthbot-assisted technique, the Renaissance-assisted technique, the conventional freehand technique, and the SpineAssist-assisted technique in accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we mainly focus on the valuation for the risk-based premium of private pension plan with termination provided by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). The dynamics for assets of both the pension fund and the sponsoring company are described by jump diffusion processes. We obtain the pricing formula for the risk-based premium with premature termination and analyze the impact of certain parameters on the premium through numerical simulations. Results indicate that the risk-based premium for PBGC increases with the increase of the risky asset investment proportion, the volatility of risky asset, and pension benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pathological angiogenesis is an important manifestation of syphilis, but the underlying mechanism of Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum (T. pallidum)‐induced angiogenesis is poorly understood. Objectives: The objective of this study is to investigate the role and related mechanism of the T. pallidum membrane protein Tp47 in angiogenesis. Methods: The proangiogenic activity of recombinant T. pallidum membrane protein Tp47 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was assessed by tube formation assay, three‐dimensional angiogenesis analysis and experiments with a zebrafish embryo model. The effects of mitochondrial ROS and NADPH oxidase on intracellular ROS induced by Tp47 were further investigated. Furthermore, the levels of autophagy‐related proteins and autophagic flux were measured. Finally, the role of ROS‐induced autophagy in angiogenesis was studied. Results: Tp47 promoted tubule formation and the formation of angiogenic sprouts in vitro. In addition, a significant increase in the number of subintestinal vessel branch points in zebrafish injected with Tp47 was observed using a zebrafish embryo model. Tp47 also significantly increased intracellular ROS levels in a dose‐dependent manner. Tp47‐induced tube formation and angiogenic sprout formation were effectively prevented by the ROS inhibitor NAC. In addition, Tp47 enhanced the production of mitochondrial ROS and expression of the NADPH oxidase‐related proteins Nox2 and Nox4. The production of mitochondrial ROS and intracellular ROS was reduced by the NADPH oxidase inhibitors DPI and apocynin. Furthermore, Tp47 significantly increased expression of the autophagy‐related proteins P62 and Beclin 1 and the LC3‐II/LC3‐I ratio and promoted an increase in autophagic flux, which could be effectively rescued by coincubation with the ROS inhibitor NAC. Further intervention with the autophagy inhibitor BafA1 significantly inhibited tube formation and angiogenic sprout formation. Conclusions: Tp47‐induced NADPH oxidase enhanced intracellular ROS production via mitochondrial ROS and promoted angiogenesis through autophagy mediated by ROS. These findings may contribute to our understanding of pathological angiogenesis in syphilis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light olefins are important raw materials in the petrochemical industry for the production of many chemical products. In the past few years, remarkable progress has been made in the synthesis of light olefins (C2–C4) from methanol or syngas. The separation of light olefins by porous materials is, therefore, an intriguing research topic. In this work, single-component ethylene (C2H4) and propylene (C3H6) gas adsorption and binary C3H6/C2H4 (1:9) gas breakthrough experiments have been performed for three highly porous isostructural metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) denoted as Fe2M-L (M = Mn2+, Co2+, or Ni2+), three representative MOFs, namely ZIF-8 (also known as MAF-4), MIL-101(Cr), and HKUST-1, as well as an activated carbon (activated coconut charcoal, SUPELCO©). Single-component gas adsorption studies reveal that Fe2M-L, HKUST-1, and activated carbon show much higher C3H6 adsorption capacities than MIL-101(Cr) and ZIF-8, HKUST-1 and activated carbon have relatively high C3H6/C2H4 adsorption selectivity, and the C2H4 and C3H6 adsorption heats of Fe2Mn-L, MIL-101(Cr), and ZIF-8 are relatively low. Binary gas breakthrough experiments indicate all the adsorbents selectively adsorb C3H6 from C3H6/C2H4 mixture to produce purified C2H4, and 842, 515, 504, 271, and 181 cm3 g−1 C2H4 could be obtained for each breakthrough tests for HKUST-1, activated carbon, Fe2Mn-L, MIL-101(Cr), and ZIF-8, respectively. It is worth noting that C3H6 and C2H4 desorption dynamics of Fe2Mn-L are clearly faster than that of HKUST-1 or activated carbon, suggesting that Fe2M-L are promising adsorbents for C3H6/C2H4 separation with low energy penalty in regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective * To investigate the effect of icariin on the transition from acute kidney disease (AKI) to chronic kidney disease (CKD) in mice and the possible mechanism. Methods * C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with aristolochic acid for 2 weeks to mimic AKI to CKD transition. Icariin was intragastrically administered for 2 or 5 weeks at the end of 2 weeks of aristolochic acid injection or 1 week before modeling. The renal function and pathological injury of the mice were monitored. The mitochondrial structure of renal tubular epithelial cells was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The indexes related to fatty acid oxidative metabolic pathway, fibrosis, and inflammation were detected by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and immunohistochemical staining. The rat renal fibroblast cell line and the rat renal tubular epithelial cell lines were co-cultured in Transwell cell chambers to simulate the interaction between the two types of cells. The renal tubular epithelial cells were pretreated with icariin for 1 h, and then treated with aristolochic acid for 24 h. After removing the two drugs, the renal tubular epithelial cells and the fibroblasts were co-cultured for 24 h. The mRNA or protein expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor a (Ppara), pro-fibrotic factors, inflammatory factors, activated caspase-3 (cleaved caspase-3), and extracellular matrix-associated genes in renal fibroblasts were detected by qPCR or Western blotting. The renal tubular epithelial cells were transfected with Ppara-siRNA to observe the expression changes of cleaved caspase-3 and the related indicators of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidative metabolism in the downstream of PPARa after icariin intervention prior to aristolochic acid. Results * Compared with the control group, the serum creatinine and urea nitrogen levels of the mice injected with aristolochic acid only were significantly higher, with a large number of inflammatory cells infiltrating into the kidney and serious renal tubular injury at the end of 2 weeks of aristolochic acid injection and 2 weeks after the last injection (4 weeks). The renal function was significantly improved, and the pathological damage was attenuated in the mice pretreated with icariin. After 4 weeks of modeling, the mitochondrial structure of renal tubular epithelial cells was seriously damaged in the aristolochic acid group, and the mRNA levels of fatty acid oxidative metabolic pathway- related genes were significantly downregulated, compared to the control group, accompanied by macrophage infiltration and renal fibrosis. Icariin pretreatment attenuated these damages generated by aristolochic acid. The serum creatinine and urea nitrogen levels, renal pathological injury, and fibrotic markers of the mice treated with icariin at the end of 2 weeks of aristolochic acid injection showed no difference from the aristolochic acid group. In the in vitro experiments, aristolochic acid treatment suppressed Ppara mRNA expression and elevated cleaved caspase-3, inflammatory factors, and pro-fibrotic factors in renal tubular epithelial cells. It also upregulated the expression of extracellular matrix-related genes in co-cultured renal fibroblasts. In contrast, icariin pretreatment abrogated the changes caused by aristolochic acid. The knockdown of Ppara by siRNA in renal tubular epithelial cells removed the preventive effects of icariin on aristolochic acid inhibiting fatty acid oxidative metabolism and promoting cell apoptosis. Conclusion Icariin prevents AKI to CKD transition induced by aristolochic acid in mice. It may play its protective role by improving the mitochondrial fatty acid oxidative metabolic pathway, especially through PPARa, in renal tubular epithelial cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gene expression studies offer promising opportunities to better understand the processes underlying alcohol use disorder (AUD). As cell types differ in their function, gene expression profiles will typically vary across cell types. When studying bulk tissue, failure to account for this cellular diversity has a detrimental impact on the ability to detect disease associations. We therefore assayed the transcriptomes of 32,531 individual nuclei extracted from the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of nine donors with AUD and nine controls (72% male). Our study identified 17 clearly delineated cell types. We detected 26 transcriptome‐wide significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that mainly involved medium spiny neurons with both D1‐type and D2‐type dopamine receptors, microglia (MGL) and oligodendrocytes. A higher than expected number of DEGs replicated in an existing single nucleus gene expression study of alcohol dependence in the prefrontal cortex (enrichment ratio 1.91, p value 0.019) with two genes remaining significant after a Bonferroni correction. Our most compelling result involved CD53 in MGL that replicated in the same cell type in the prefrontal cortex and was previously implicated in studies of DNA methylation, bulk gene expression and genetic variants. Several DEGs were previously reported to be associated with AUD (e.g., PER1 and MGAT5). The DEGs for MSN.3 seemed involved in neurodegeneration, disruption of circadian rhythms, alterations in glucose metabolism and changes in synaptic plasticity. For MGL, the DEGs implicated neuroinflammation and immune‐related processes and for OLI, disruptions in myelination. This identification of the specific cell‐types from which the association signals originate will be key for designing proper follow‐up experiments and, eventually, novel clinical interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethylene produced by plants generally induces ripening and promotes decay, whereas the effect of ethylene produced by pathogens on plant diseases remains unclear. In this study, four ethylene-producing fungi including Alternaria alternata (A. alternata , Aa), Fusarium verticilliodes (F. verticillioides , Fv), Fusarium fujikuroi 1 (F. fujikuroi 1, Ff-1) and Fusarium fujikuroi 2 (F. fujikuroi 2, Ff-2) were severally inoculated in potato dextrose broth (PDB) media and postharvest green peppers, the ethylene production rates, disease indexes and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were determined. The results showed that Ff-2 and Fv in the PDB media had the highest and almost the same ethylene production rates. After inoculation with green peppers, Ff-2 treated group still exhibited the highest ethylene production rate, whereas Aa treated group had a weak promotion effect on ethylene production. Moreover, the ethylene production rate of green peppers with mechanical injury was twice that without mechanical injury, and the ethylene production rates of green peppers treated with Aa, Ff-1 , Ff-2 and Fv were 1.2, 2.6, 3.8 and 2.8 folds than those of green peppers without treatment, respectively. These results indicated that pathogen infection stimulated the synthesis of ethylene in green peppers. Correlation analysis indicated that the degreening of Fusarium -infected green pepper was significantly positively correlated with the ethylene production rate of green pepper, whereas the disease spot of Aa -infected green pepper had a significant positive correlations with the ethylene production rate of green peppers. Chlorophyll fluorescence results showed that the green peppers already suffered from severe disease after being infected with fungi for 4 days, and Fusarium infection caused early and serious stress, while the harm caused by A. alternata was relatively mild at the early stage. Our results clearly showed that α-keto-γ-methylthiobutyric acid (KMBA)-mediated ethylene synthesis was the major ethylene synthesis pathway in the four postharvest pathogenic fungi. All the results obtained suggested that ethylene might be the main infection factor of Fusarium spp. in green peppers. For pathogenic fungi, stimulating green peppers to produce high level of ethylene played a key role in the degreening of green peppers. • Effect of four ethylene-producing fungi on diseases of green peppers was studied. • Fungi tended to stimulate peppers to produce large amounts of ethylene. • Ethylene induced by A. alternate in peppers was lower than that by Fusarium spp. • Fungal infection increased ethylene production in peppers and the quality losses. • Four fungi synthesized ethylene primarily through the KMBA pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell-cell mechanotransduction regulates tissue development and homeostasis. α-catenin, the core component of adherens junctions, functions as a tension sensor and transducer by recruiting vinculin and transducing signals that influence cell behaviors. α-catenin/vinculin complex-mediated mechanotransduction regulates multiple pathways, such as Hippo pathway. However, their associations with the α-catenin-based tension sensors at cell junctions are still not fully addressed. Here, we uncovered the TRIP6/LATS1 complex co-localizes with α-catenin/vinculin at both bicellular junctions (BCJs) and tricellular junctions (TCJs). The localization of TRIP6/LATS1 complex to both TCJs and BCJs requires ROCK1 and α-catenin. Treatment by cytochalasin B, Y-27632 and blebbistatin all impaired the BCJ and TCJ junctional localization of TRIP6/LATS1, indicating that the junctional localization of TRIP6/LATS1 is mechanosensitive. The α-catenin/vinculin/TRIP6/LATS1 complex strongly localized to TCJs and exhibited a discontinuous button-like pattern on BCJs. Additionally, we developed and validated an α-catenin/vinculin BiFC-based mechanosensor that co-localizes with TRIP6/LATS1 at BCJs and TCJs. The mechanosensor exhibited a discontinuous distribution and motile signals at BCJs. Overall, our study revealed that TRIP6 and LATS1 are novel compositions of the tension sensor, together with the core complex of α-catenin/vinculin, at both the BCJs and TCJs. • The TRIP6/LATS1 complex co-localizes with α-catenin/vinculin at bicellular and tricellular junctions in states of tension. • ROCK1 controlled α-catenin mediates both the bicellular and tricellular junctional localization of TRIP6/LATS1. • Actin polymerization and contractility are required for the junctional localization of TRIP6/LATS1. • A BiFC-based mechanical sensor for α-catenin/vinculin displays discontinuous and dynamic signals at bicellular junctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the P-doped FePt films were successfully prepared by electrodeposition and subsequent annealing. Varied NaH2PO2•H2O was added to adjust the content of P in the FePtP film. Crystalline structure, morphologies in micro- and nano-scales, and magnetic property of FePtP films were investigated. The P doping significantly enhances the coercivity in the FePtP films. High coercivity of 23.8 kOe is achieved in the FePtP film with 22 at% P. The P doping promotes the formation of L10 FePt phase. Nonmagnetic Fe2P and PtP2 are formed by the P doping and segregate at grain boundary, which reduces the exchange coupling between magnetic particles. These two factors result in the enhancement of coercivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of two different metal oxide catalysts, SnO and Li2O, on the dehydrogenation temperature of Carbazole and N-Ethylcarbazole (NE), respectively, were investigated by the Thermogravimetric analyzer and Differential Scanning Calorimetry. Thermogravimetric experiments were performed with 10wt% SnO and Li2O added to Carbazole and N-Ethylcarbazole, respectively, and compared to pure Carbazole and N-Ethylcarbazole. The results showed that the dehydrogenation temperature of N-Ethylcarbazole was lower than that of Carbazole, and the dehydrogenation temperature of N-Ethylcarbazole +SnO was the lowest, and SnO is an ideal dehydrogenation catalyst for N-Ethylcarbazole. Experiments using Differential Scanning Calorimetry and a Thermogravimetric analyzer showed that with the addition of catalyst, the activation energy of the mixture was more significant and stable, and the thermal hazard was reduced, whereas the relative dehydrogenation temperature was increased. This study provides important information for improving the design of dehydrogenation catalysts for organic liquid hydrogen storage processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we investigate the risk model based on an entrance process with stochastic investment, where an insurance company invest risky stock market with a geometric Brownian motion, and risk-free market. Under the assumptions that the entrance process is a renewal process and the claims sizes are pairwise strong quasi-asymptotically independent, which belong to the different heavy-tailed distribution classes,the finite-time and infinite-time asymptotic estimates of the risk model with stochastic investment are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the early- and mid-term outcomes of aortic root repair and replacement, and to provide evidence to improve root management in acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD). This study enrolled 455 patients who underwent AAAD root repair (n = 307) or replacement (n = 148) between January 2016 and December 2017. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) method was used to control for treatment selection bias. The primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality, mid-term survival, and proximal aortic reintervention. The success rate of root repair was 99.7%. The in-hospital mortality in the conservative root repair (CRR) and aggressive root replacement (ARR) were 8.1% and 10.8%. The median follow-up time was 67.76 months (IQR, 67–72 months). After adjusting for baseline factors, there was no significant differences in mid-term survival (p =.750) or the proximal aortic reintervention rate (p =.550) between the two groups. According to Cox analysis, age, hypertension, severe aortic regurgitation, CPB time, and concomitant CABG were all factors associated with mid-term mortality. Regarding reintervention, multivariate analysis identified renal insufficiency, bicuspid aortic valve, root diameter ≥ 45 mm, and severe aortic regurgitation as risk factors, while CRR did not increase the risk of reintervention. The subgroup analysis revealed heterogeneity in the effects of surgical treatment across diverse populations based on a variety of risk factors. For patients with AAAD, both CRR and ARR are appropriate operations with promising early and mid-term outcomes. The effects of treatment show heterogeneity across diverse populations based on various risk factors. • New technique for aortic root repair in acute type A aortic dissection. • Comparison of safety and feasibility, assessing survival and reintervention rates. • Large sample size and moderate-length follow-up period. • Subgroup analysis conducted. • Use of inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) for variable balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transportation infrastructure development, such as expressways, could impact economic development in local and neighboring regions differently. However, there is limited evidence of these impacts on rural and developing areas. Here, we use Heyuan, a rural region in China, as the case to examine the effects of expressway access on entrepreneurial activity. Using detailed township-level panel data from 2004 to 2016 and a multiple-period DID model with spatial effects, we find that opening entrances and exits significantly promotes entrepreneurial activities in local towns but suppress them in adjacent towns. Furthermore, we find that the development of expressways leads to a greater concentration of firms in the provincial centers of towns with better economic development. The development of expressways has had a significant boost on tertiary industries. This study shows that the construction of highways attracts entrepreneurial activities to regions with better conditions, and this maximizes economic efficiency but at the expense of creating regional economic imbalances. Therefore, this model may be the primary model of China's economic development in the future. • Expressway access positively impacts entrepreneurial activities in local towns but negatively affects adjacent towns. • The development of expressways concentrates firms in provincial centers of towns with better economic growth. • Expressways facilitate the growth of more micro and small businesses, particularly in the tertiary sectors. • Expressway construction enhances economic efficiency but potentially causes regional economic imbalances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermionic reactor, with its advantages of small size, simple structure and high technical maturity, will become a relatively feasible reactor type in space nuclear reactors in the future. In order to study the application of thermionic reactor in megawatt nuclear spacecraft and the higher technical requirements under high power, a reactor core structure scheme of a megawatt thermionic reactor controlled by control rods is proposed in this paper. The influence of core parameters of fuel element, fuel enrichment, fuel center hole size and radial reflector thickness on reactor miniaturization and radial power flattening is analyzed by Monte Carlo method, and reactor core optimization results based on miniaturization and higher power flattening objectives are obtained. The operation safety characteristics and accident safety characteristics of the optimized thermionic reactor are analyzed. The analysis results show that the reactor has physical safety. The present work provides the foundation and support for the optimization design and thermal safety analysis of megawatt thermionic reactor in the future. • The core structure of thermionic reactor at megawatt level was optimized. • Physical parameters of reactor are optimized for power flattening of high power reactor. • The reactivity temperature coefficient of thermionic thermoelectric conversion materials was analyzed. • The safety characteristics of the space thermionic reactor under the accident are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the relationship between the strength of posterior cervical extensors (PCEs) and cervical sagittal alignment in Hirayama disease (HD) patients. Methods: We analyzed the (magnetic resonance imaging) MRI T2WI and X-rays of 60 HD patients who visited Huashan Hospital from June 2017 to February 2020. Symptoms of these patients include adolescent onset, manifestation of unilateral upper limb muscle weakness and muscle atrophy of the forearm and hand. MRI images were used to measure (the cross-sectional area) CSA of cervical PCEs. The ratio of muscle CSA to vertebral body areas at the same level is defined as R-CSA. Cervical sagittal alignment includes the C2–7 Cobb angle, T1 slope and C2–7 sagittal vertical axis (SVA). The geometric center of the C3–6 vertebral body was determined using the line connecting the C2 inferior endplate and the C7 upper endplate. When located behind the line, it is defined as a "local kyphotic deformity." The number of vertebral bodies involved in kyphotic deformity was determined by measuring the local kyphosis angle (LKA). Spearman correlation analysis (α = 0.05) was used to determine the relationship between R-CSA and sagittal parameters. ROC curves were used to analyze the sensitivity and specificity of relevant variables. Results: Spearman correlation test revealed that R-CSA negatively correlated with T1S (S = 0.34, r = 0.34, p = 0.01) and LKA (S = 0.44, r = 0.5, p = 0.01), but did not correlate with the C2-C7 Cobb angle (S = 0.20, p = 0.12) or C2-C7 SVA (S = − 0.17, p = 0.46). (p < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the areas under the curve (AUCs) of the T1 slope and LKA was 0.6696 and 0.7646, respectively. T1 slope, cutoff value: 17.2°; sensitivity: 0.5806; specificity: 0.7241; p < 0.05. LKA: cutoff value: − 14°; sensitivity: 1; specificity: 0.5333; p < 0.05. Conclusions: In patients with Hirayama disease, the strength of posterior cervical extensors and cervical sagittal alignment are closely related. The local kyphosis angle can be used as a reference for the strength of posterior cervical extensors. These results indicate the weakness of PCEs, which may predispose the cervical spine of HD patients to a less stable situation. Therefore, patients with Hirayama disease should strengthen the exercise of the PCEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 4-MV self-triggered switch based on ultraviolet (UV) illumination technology is designed and tested under approximate 800-ns rise time pulse voltage. The switch is composed of five sections in series, and each section comprises an UV-illuminating gap (UV gap) and a main gap. The voltage charged on the UV gap is obtained by a resistance–capacitance coupling circuit, which enhances synchronization with the main gap voltage. The gap distance of the 4-MV switch is determined according to the performance of the same type of switch under a shorter pulse (about 300 ns), while the characteristics of the gap under 800-ns pulse voltage is still unclear. The experimental results show that low jitter breakdown of the switch can be realized effectively when two UV gaps are functioning. The breakdown jitter percentage achieves less than 1.55% within the range of 1.0–3.2 MV. When the working scope is narrowed down to 1.4–2.1 MV, the breakdown jitter is less than 1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plasmonic response of gold clusters with atom number (N) = 100–70 000 was investigated using scanning transmission electron microscopy-electron energy loss spectroscopy. For decreasing N , the bulk plasmon remains unchanged above N  = 887 but then disappears, while the surface plasmon firstly redshifts from 2.4 to 2.3 eV above N  = 887 before blueshifting towards 2.6 eV down to N  = 300, and finally splitting into three fine features. The surface plasmon's excitation ratio is found to follow N 0.669, which is essentially R 2. An atomically precise evolution picture of plasmon physics is thus demonstrated according to three regimes: classical plasmon (N  = 887–70 000), quantum confinement corrected plasmon (N  = 300–887) and molecule related plasmon (N  < 300). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on access to health care resources. Our objective was to estimate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of childhood cancer in Canada. We also aimed to compare the proportion of patients who enrolled in clinical trials at diagnosis, presented with metastatic disease or had an early death during the first 9 months of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with previous years.Methods: We conducted an observational study that included children younger than 15 years with a new diagnosis of cancer between March 2016 and November 2020 at 1 of 17 Canadian pediatric oncology centres. Our primary outcome was the monthly age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) of cancers. We evaluated level and trend changes using interventional autoregressive integrated moving average models. Secondary outcomes were the proportion of patients who were enrolled in a clinical trial, who had metastatic or advanced disease and who died within 30 days. We compared the baseline and pandemic periods using rate ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).Results: Age-standardized incidence rates during COVID-19 quarters were 157.7, 164.6, and 148.0 per million, respectively, whereas quarterly baseline ASIRs ranged between 150.3 and 175.1 per million (incidence RR 0.93 [95% CI 0.78 to 1.12] to incidence RR 1.04 [95% CI 0.87 to 1.24]). We found no statistically significant level or slope changes between the projected and observed ASIRs for all new cancers (parameter estimate [β], level 4.98, 95% CI -15.1 to 25.04, p = 0.25), or when stratified by cancer type or by geographic area. Clinical trial enrolment rate was stable or increased during the pandemic compared with baseline (RR 1.22 [95% CI 0.70 to 2.13] to RR 1.71 [95% CI 1.01 to 2.89]). There was no difference in the proportion of patients with metastatic disease (RR 0.84 [95% CI 0.55 to 1.29] to RR 1.22 [0.84 to 1.79]), or who died within 30 days (RR 0.16 [95% CI 0.01 to 3.04] to RR 1.73 [95% CI 0.38 to 15.2]).Interpretation: We did not observe a statistically significant change in the incidence of childhood cancer, or in the proportion of children enrolling in a clinical trial, presenting with metastatic disease or who died early during the first 9 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, which suggests that access to health care in pediatric oncology was not reduced substantially in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To avoid false-positive findings and detect cell-type specific associations in methylation and transcription investigations with bulk samples, it is critical to know the proportions of the major cell-types. Results: We present a novel approach that allows for precise estimation of cell-type proportions using only a few highly informative methylation markers. The most reliable estimates were obtained with 17 amplicons (34 CpGs) using the MuSiC estimator, for which the average correlations between the estimated and the true cell-type proportions were 0.889. Furthermore, the estimates were not significantly different from the true values (P = 0.95) indicating that the estimator is unbiased and the standard deviation of the estimates further indicate high precision. Moreover, the overall variability of the estimates as measured by the Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), which is a function of both bias and precision, was low (mean RMSE = 0.038). Taken together, these results indicate that the approach produced reliable estimates that are both unbiased and highly precise. Conclusion: This cost-effective approach for estimating cell-type proportions in bulk samples allows for enhanced targeted analysis, which in turn will minimize the risk of reporting false-positive findings and allowing for detection of cell-type specific associations. The approach is applicable across platforms and can be extended to assess cell-type proportions for various tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the causal effect of retirement on the labor supply. We used male workers in China as an example and selected work hours as a measure of labor supply. The study employed two methods, namely fuzzy regression discontinuity and two-stage least squares, to analyze the impact of retirement on the work hours of the older adults based on data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study in 2015. Results show that retirement did not significantly reduce the labor supply. However, its impact on the supply of different types of labor was inconsistent. We also found that retired old adults tended to allocate more work hours to self-employment. Policy implications are as following. There's room for increasing retirement age, but it may not be as effective as expected in increasing the level of labor supply. If a delay retirement policy is to be implemented, we should pay attention to the side effects on the normal replacement of labor in the job market and maintaining a reasonable turnover rate by implementing a flexible retirement system. Moreover, establishing a good job market environment for older adults as well as a mechanism and system for retired older adults with high human capital accumulation to return to the labor market are also recommended to increase the productivity level of the labor force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) has shown promise as a treatment modality for primary liver cancer and colorectal cancer liver metastasis. However, its role in pancreatic cancer liver metastasis (PCLM) remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of DEB-TACE in PCLM patients. Methods A retrospective study included 10 PCLM patients who underwent DEB-TACE using CalliSpheres® microspheres as the chemoembolization material. Treatment response, survival outcomes, adverse events, and liver function indexes were comprehensively assessed. Results Among the patients, complete response, partial response, stable disease, and progressive disease rates were 0.0%, 40.0%, 30.0%, and 30.0%, respectively. The objective response rate was 40.0%, and the disease-control rate was 70.0%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 12.0 months (95% CI: 0.0-26.7), with a 1-year PFS rate of 48.0%. The median overall survival (OS) was 18.0 months (95% CI: 6.0-30.0), with a 1-year OS rate of 80.0%. Additionally, no significant differences were observed in any of the liver function indexes, including alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, etc. between pre- and posttreatment evaluations. Adverse events included pain, grade 1-2 vomiting, fever, and transient liver dysfunction. Conclusions DEB-TACE demonstrates a promising treatment response, favorable survival profile, and satisfactory safety in PCLM patients. Advances in knowledge This study adds to the current research by providing novel evidence on the efficacy, safety, and favorable survival outcomes of DEB-TACE in treating PCLM, highlighting its potential as an effective therapeutic option in this specific population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, this study aims to examine the relationship between the availability of public health resources and the mortality rate of this disease. We conducted empirical analyses using linear regression, a time-varying effect model, and a regression discontinuity design to investigate the association of medical resources with the mortality rate of the COVID-19 patients in Hubei, China. The results showed that the numbers of hospital beds, healthcare system beds, and medical staff per confirmed cases all had significant negative effects on the coronavirus disease mortality rate. Furthermore, in the context of the severe pandemic currently being experienced worldwide, the present study summarized the experience and implications in pandemic prevention and control in Hubei province from the perspective of medical resource integration as follows: First, hospitals' internal medical resources were integrated, breaking interdepartmental barriers. Second, joint pandemic control was realized by integrating regional healthcare system resources. Finally, an external medical resource allocation system was developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) has acquired substantial consideration as a cost-effective hydrogen production technology. The anion ionomer content in the catalyst layers during hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction (HER and OER) is of ultimate significance. Herein, an in-situ half-cell analysis with reference electrodes was carried out for simultaneous potential measurements and identification of the influence of the anion exchange ionomer (AEI) content on anode and cathode performance. The measured half-cell potentials proved the influence of AEI content on the catalytic activity of HER and OER, which was supported by the rotating disk electrode (RDE) measurements. Cathode overpotential of Ni/C was not negligible and more affected by the AEI content than anode with the optimized AEI content of 10 wt% while NiO anode OER overpotential was independent of the AEI content. For the same AEI content, PGM catalysts showed higher electroactivity than Ni-based catalysts for HER and OER and the cathode catalyst's intrinsic activity is of high importance in the AEM electrolysis operation. Post-mortem analysis by SEM mapping of both AEI and catalyst distributions on the electrode surface showed the effect of AEI loading on the catalyst morphology, which could be related to the electrode performance. • The anion exchange ionomer (AEI) content affects the electrolyzer performance. • Cathode overpotential of Ni/C was not negligible compared to the NiO anode. • The Ni/C cathode overpotential is more affected by AEI content than NiO anode. • Electrode performance could be related to AEI effect on catalyst layer morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a common illness of aging, and its pathophysiological process is mainly manifested by cell aging and apoptosis, an imbalance in the production and catabolism of extracellular matrix, and an inflammatory response. Oxidative stress (OS) is an imbalance that decreases the body's intrinsic antioxidant defense system and/or raises the formation of reactive oxygen species and performs multiple biological functions in the body. However, our current knowledge of the effect of OS on the progression and treatment of IVDD is still extremely limited. In this study, we obtained 35 DEGs by differential expression analysis of 437 OS-related genes (OSRGs) between IVDD patients and healthy individuals from GSE124272 and GSE150408. Then, we identified six hub OSRGs (ATP7A, MELK, NCF1, NOX1, RHOB, and SP1) from 35 DEGs, and the high accuracy of these hub genes was confirmed by constructing ROC curves. In addition, to forecast the risk of IVDD patients, we developed a nomogram. We obtained two OSRG clusters (clusters A and B) by consensus clustering based on the six hub genes. Then, 3147 DEGs were obtained by differential expression analysis in the two clusters, and all samples were further divided into two gene clusters (A and B). We investigated differences in immune cell infiltration levels between different clusters and found that most immune cells had higher infiltration levels in OSRG cluster B or gene cluster B. In conclusion, OS is important in the formation and progression of IVDD, and we believe that our work will help guide future research on OS in IVDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]