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Objective To investigate CT features and reasons for the misdiagnosis of nodular or mass-like type pulmonary cryptococcosis（PC）. Methods The clinical manifestations and imaging data of 60 cases with nodular or mass-like type PC confirmed by pathology in the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine from June 2011 to December 2021were analyzed retrospectively. Results Clinical manifestations: respiratory symptoms were associated with 28 cases, whereas 26 cases were asymptomatic. Imaging findings: 22 cases were in unilateral single lung lesion, 22 cases were in unilateral multiple lung lesions, 16 cases were in bilateral multiple lesions. Fifty-five cases with oval shape, including 38 cases with the long axis are parallel to the pleura, 28 cases with clustering and fusion tendency. Fifty-two cases were uniform in density. Thirteen cases with moderate enhancement, 4 cases with avid enhancement. Moreover, there were 24 cases with proximal air bronchogram, 45 cases with halo sign. Thirteen cases were followed and the volume doubling time ranged from 3.9 to 236.8 days, with the median 24.9 days. Thirty-seven cases were initially misdiagnosed. Conclusions Nodular or mass-like type of PC lesions usually occurs in the inferior lobe of both lungs and close to the pleura, and the long axis is parallel to the pleura. Halo sign and proximal air bronchogram are more specific manifestations. Multiple nodular masses with clustering and fusion tendency are highly suggestive of a PC. Cryptococcal capsular polysaccharide antigen detection can be used in clinical, and puncture biopsy can be performed if necessary.

This work systematically studied the corrosion behavior and passivation property of CoCrFeNi high‐entropy alloys (HEAs) in a simulated seawater environment. The results reveal that the addition of CO32−/HCO3− results in the secondary passivation of the HEA in NaCl solution, and secondary passivation film possesses higher dissolution rate in comparison with primary passive film. H+ ions ionized by HCO3− facilitate the charge transfer process, thin the thickness of passive film, and increase the disordered degree of the film. Moreover, the presence of HCO3− promotes the nucleation and growth of metastable pits, and enhances the pitting sensitivity. Furthermore, an increase in CO32− concentration accelerates the dissolution of passive film, weakens the compactness and protective performance of the film, and increases the probability that metastable pitting evolves into stable pitting, as well aggravates the corrosion of the HEA. In addition, the corrosion resistance of the HEA is diminished due to the formation of microgalvanic corrosion cells between matrix and inclusion. The selective dissolution of elements occurred in the HEA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with myocardial ischemia and infarction are at increased risk of arrhythmias, which in turn, can exacerbate the overall risk of mortality. Despite the observed reduction in recurrent arrhythmias through antiarrhythmic drug therapy, the precise mechanisms underlying their effectiveness in treating ischemic heart disease remain unclear. Moreover, there is a lack of specialized drugs designed explicitly for the treatment of myocardial ischemic arrhythmia. This study employs an electrophysiological simulation approach to investigate the potential antiarrhythmic effects and underlying mechanisms of various pharmacological agents in the context of ischemia and myocardial infarction (MI). Based on physiological experimental data, computational models are developed to simulate the effects of a series of pharmacological agents (amiodarone, telmisartan, E-4031, chromanol 293B, and glibenclamide) on cellular electrophysiology and utilized to further evaluate their antiarrhythmic effectiveness during ischemia. On 2D and 3D tissues with multiple pathological conditions, the simulation results indicate that the antiarrhythmic effect of glibenclamide is primarily attributed to the suppression of efflux of potassium ion to facilitate the restitution of [K+]o, as opposed to recovery of IKATP during myocardial ischemia. This discovery implies that, during acute cardiac ischemia, pro-arrhythmogenic alterations in cardiac tissue's excitability and conduction properties are more significantly influenced by electrophysiological changes in the depolarization rate, as opposed to variations in the action potential duration (APD). These findings offer specific insights into potentially effective targets for investigating ischemic arrhythmias, providing significant guidance for clinical interventions in acute coronary syndrome. Author summary: In acute coronary syndrome, the progression of ischemic, injury, and infarction conditions heightens the risk of ischemic cardiac arrhythmias. Despite the existence of various antiarrhythmic drugs, there remains a scarcity of medications specifically tailored for ischemic cardiac arrhythmias. Moreover, comprehending the diverse drug responses in tissues with multiple ischemic conditions (ischemia 1a, 1b, and infarction) remains incomplete. Therefore, in this study, mathematical models depicting the electrophysiological remodeling induced by different drugs such as amiodarone, telmisartan, E-4031, chromanol 293B, and glibenclamide, are constructed and integrated into multi-scale computational models to assess their antiarrhythmic effects. Simulation results demonstrate the potential of glibenclamide in mitigating ischemic cardiac arrhythmias. It can be attributed to its ability not only to improve the depolarization phase's membrane potential by inhibiting extracellular potassium accumulation during the ischemic stage, leading to an increased dV/dtmax, but also to extend the action potential duration (APD) by suppressing IKATP. Finally, the application of glibenclamide results in heightened conduction velocity and prolonged APD at the tissue level. Consequently, these effects enlarge the wavelength of excitation waves, ultimately reducing the vulnerable window for reentrant wave and exhibiting an anti-ischemic arrhythmic effect. More importantly, it's shown that glibenclamide's inhibition of [K+]o yields a more significant impact on antiarrhythmic effects compared to its prolongation of APD. This is partly due to the more pronounced enhancement in the wavelength of excitation waves resulting from CV elevation compared with APD prolongation. Additionally, in tissues with coexisting multiple ischemic conditions, suppressing [K+]o reduces the spatial dispersion of CV, especially at the boundaries of different ischemic tissues like ischemia 1b and infarction, facilitating a more uniform excitation wave propagation. This study offers insights into the anti-arrhythmic mechanisms of established agents during acute coronary syndrome and identifies potential targets for novel anti-arrhythmic drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monodispersed and faceted Bi2Fe4O9 micro-cuboid crystals with a mullite-type structure have been successfully synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. The single crystalline Bi2Fe4O9 micro-cuboids exhibited a length of 10–20 μm and a square cross-section with a side length of 1–2 μm. The preferential growth of the Bi2Fe4O9 micro-cuboid crystals has been determined to be along 〈001〉 with the dominant (110) and (−110) facets enclosed. These micro-cuboid crystals were probably formed by a dissolution–recrystallization mechanism, where a phase transition from irregular-shaped sillenite Bi25FeO40 agglomerates to perovskite BiFeO3 microspheres occurred and finally resulted in the micro-cuboid crystals. More interestingly, these micro-cuboids demonstrated a remarkable photo-Fenton catalytic degradation activity towards RhB under visible light irradiation (λ > 400 nm). 90.2% RhB decomposition at 120 min can be achieved and the corresponding apparent rate constant is 0.0175 min−1, 11.67 times and 3.65 times larger than that of Fenton-like oxidation and pure photocatalysis, respectively. The as-prepared Bi2Fe4O9 micro-cuboid crystals also showed intriguing morphology-dependent ferromagnetism at room temperature, possibly allowing the magnetic recollection and reuse of Bi2Fe4O9 samples as well as their magnetic-field-mediated photocatalytic performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corrosion behaviour and mechanism of CoCrNi medium-entropy alloy (MEA) imposed by alternating current (AC) in HCO3−/CO32− solution with various pH were systematically investigated via a series of corrosion tests. The results showed that with the augment of pH value, the polarisation resistance of the MEA decreased significantly, Ep shifted negatively, and ipI value increased, as well as corrosion rate was enhanced, revealing that the corrosion resistance was weakened. As solution pH increased, the formation of secondary passivation zone became easier, which may be attributed to the reaction conversion process of Cr(III) to Cr(VI) species. Moreover, the increase in pH led to an increase in defect density and a thinning of passivation film, facilitating the corrosion of the MEA. AC interference accelerated the ion exchange process and promoted the formation possibility of stable pitting. Higher iAC and pH inhibited the repassivation of metastable pitting, and increased the pitting susceptibility. Highlights The effect of pH on the corrosion behaviour of CoCrNi MEA with imposed AC was clarified. High pH and iAC accelerated the nucleation and growth of metastable pits. With increased pH and iAC, the stability and protective ability of passive film were weakened. The secondary passivation of the MEA was mainly due to the conversion of Cr(III) to Cr(VI) species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orthorhombic Nb2O5 (T-Nb2O5) nanocrystal@carbon hybrid spheres were synthesized via the controlled hydrolysis of niobium ethoxide, the assembly effect of oleylamine, and subsequent carbonization. The size of the T-Nb2O5 nanocrystals was ~ 26.6 nm, and the diameter of the hybrid spheres was 300–400 nm. The contents of T-Nb2O5 and carbon were 87.84% and 11.91%, respectively. The hybrid spheres exhibited excellent Li storage performance, including high reversible capacity (447 mAh g−1 at 0.5 A g−1/2.5C), good rate capability (186 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1/25C), and excellent cycling stability (279 mAh g−1 after 600 cycles at 1 A g−1/5C). The capacity decay rate was only 0.06% per cycle. It has been found that the electrochemical performance of the hybrid spheres is superior to those of other reported Nb2O5 composites. Moreover, the reaction kinetics of the hybrid spheres are also outstanding. The impedance is low, while the Li+ diffusion coefficient is high. The hybrid spheres maintain good structural integrity after 600 cycles. The superior Li storage performance is associated with the unique architecture of the hybrid spheres. The ultrafine size of Nb2O5 nanocrystals ensures high electrochemical activity. The surface carbon and internal carbon of the hybrid spheres not only protect Nb2O5 but also promote the rapid transfer of electrons and Li+. These results demonstrate that T-Nb2O5 nanocrystal@carbon hybrid spheres are a promising candidate material for lithium-ion storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modification of electron transport layers (ETLs) is an important strategy to optimize the performance of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this study, the components of the perovskite precursor, formamidinium iodide (FAI), were introduced to form an ultra-thin uniform FAI film on the surface of the prepared SnO2 film by a novel vapor deposition method. This method helped fill up the defects of the ETL, reduce excess PbI2 in the perovskite film, and enlarge the grain size to improve the quality of the ETL and the perovskite film. Therefore, better interfacial contact of the ETL-perovskite, reduced trap-state density, increased electron extraction and transport ability, and improved energy level matching were achieved. By optimizing the FAI, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) presented an impressive increase from 17.15 to 20.54%, with negligible hysteresis and improved long-term device stability. In addition, the corresponding flexible PSCs also exhibited an excellent PCE of 17.78% and an enhanced bending durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]