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Mobile microrobots are of great scientific significance. However, external actuation and control methods are still challenging to conduct. We present a single carbon nanocoil (CNC) microrobot induced by an NIR laser beam, capable of light-driven locomotion and photothermal actuation. This research demonstrates that CNC-based microrobots roll away from the focal spot when the laser beam is focused near the CNC. The maximum translational distance of a CNC microrobot increases with an increase in laser power, and the direction of motion is guided by controlling the focusing position of NIR. CNC-based microrobots can load and transport multiple cells under NIR light irradiation, resulting from the temperature gradient generated by photothermal conversion, which causes thermophoresis. The hydrophobic surface and unique helical structure of CNCs are beneficial to the underwater drag reduction in CNC microrobots' motion and the adhesion of cells on CNC microrobots. Therefore, CNC microrobots, as cell vectors driven by a laser beam, may find applications in a wide range of biomedical applications. In addition, the rotation of a CNC powered by a laser beam provides promising prospects for the future of nanomechanical devices using a carbon nanocoil as a micro/nanomotor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Migraine, a severely debilitating condition, may be effectively managed with topiramate, known for its migraine prevention and weight loss properties due to changes in body muscle and fat composition and improved insulin sensitivity. However, the mechanism of topiramate in modulating insulin response in adipocytes and myocytes remains elusive. This study aims to elucidate these molecular mechanisms, offering insights into its role in weight management for migraine sufferers and underpinning its clinical application. Methods: Insulin resistance improvements were evaluated through glucose uptake measurements in C2C12 muscle cells and 3T3L-1 adipocytes, with Oil red O staining conducted on adipocytes. RNA-seq transcriptome analysis was used to identify the regulatory target genes of topiramate in these cells. The involvement of key genes and pathways was further validated through western blot analysis. Results: Topiramate effectively reduced insulin resistance in C2C12 and 3T3L-1 cells. In C2C12 cells, it significantly lowered SORBS1 gene and protein levels. In 3T3L-1 cells, topiramate upregulated CTGF and downregulated MAPK8 and KPNA1 genes. Changes were notable in nuclear cytoplasmic transport and circadian signaling pathways. Furthermore, it caused downregulation of MKK7, pJNK1/ JNK1, BMAL1, and CLOCK proteins compared to the insulin-resistant model. Conclusion: This study provides preliminary insights into the mechanisms through which topiramate modulates insulin resistance in C2C12 myocytes and 3T3L-1 adipocytes, enhancing our understanding of its therapeutic potential in managing weight and insulin sensitivity in migraine patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) is a prevalent form of primary liver cancer. Research has demonstrated the contribution of tumor stem cells in facilitating tumor recurrence, metastasis, and treatment resistance. Despite this, there remains a lack of established cancer stem cells (CSCs)-associated genes signatures for effectively predicting the prognosis and guiding the treatment strategies for patients diagnosed with LIHC. Methods: The single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and bulk RNA transcriptome data were obtained based on public datasets and computerized firstly using CytoTRACE package and One Class Linear Regression (OCLR) algorithm to evaluate stemness level, respectively. Then, we explored the association of stemness indicators (CytoTRACE score and stemness index, mRNAsi) with survival outcomes and clinical characteristics by combining clinical information and survival analyses. Subsequently, weighted co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and Cox were applied to assess mRNAsi-related genes in bulk LIHC data and construct a prognostic model for LIHC patients. Single-sample gene-set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA), Cell-type Identification By Estimating Relative Subsets Of RNA Transcripts (CIBERSORT) and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) analysis were employed for immune infiltration assessment. Finally, the potential immunotherapeutic response was predicted by the Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE), and the tumor mutation burden (TMB). Additionally, pRRophetic package was applied to evaluate the sensitivity of high and low-risk groups to common chemotherapeutic drugs. Results: A total of four genes (including STIP1, H2AFZ, BRIX1, and TUBB) associated with stemness score (CytoTRACE score and mRNAsi) were identified and constructed a risk model that could predict prognosis in LIHC patients. It was observed that high stemness cells occurred predominantly in the late stages of LIHC and that poor overall survival in LIHC patients was also associated with high mRNAsi scores. In addition, pathway analysis confirmed the biological uniqueness of the two risk groups. Personalized treatment predictions suggest that patients with a low risk benefited more from immunotherapy, while those with a high risk group may be conducive to chemotherapeutic drugs. Conclusion: The current study developed a novel prognostic risk signature with genes related to CSCs, which provides novel ideas for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of LIHC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Migraine is a complex neurovascular disorder with obesity as a notable risk factor. This study aimed to investigate an under-researched area of the association between migraine duration and body composition. Patients and Methods: Patients with migraine from a neurology outpatient department were enrolled and were categorized into four groups based on illness duration: 1 year, 1– 5 years, 5– 10 years, and > 10 years. Patient demographics, blood biochemistry, and body composition data were collected and analyzed statistically. Results: Patients with migraine were predominantly female, with lower education levels, significant work stress, poor sleep, and limited exercise. Longer migraine duration corresponded to increased obesity metrics. Notably, those patients with under 1 year of illness showed elevated blood lipid and liver function levels, whereas those with > 10 years showed increased weight, waist circumference, body mass index, and fat content, despite higher physical activity. Significant positive correlation between obesity metrics and migraine duration was seen in patients who had migraine for > 1 year. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that protracted episodes of migraine could amplify obesity tendencies, underscoring the imperative of weight regulation in migraine intervention to diminish ensuing adiposity-associated hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of Radix Panacis quinguefolii root extract (RPQE) and its therapeutic effects on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: The 72-hour post-fertilization zebrafish was used to generate the local and systematic inflammation models through tail-amputation and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induction (100 µ g/mL), respectively. The Tg(zlyz:EGFP) zebrafish was induced with 75 µ g/mL 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) for establishing the IBD model. The tail-amputated, LPS-, and TNBS-induced models were subjected to RPQE (ethanol fraction, 10–20 µ g/mL) administration for 12 and 24 h, respectively. Anti-inflammatory activity of RPQE was evaluated by detecting migration and aggregation of leukocytes and expression of inflammation-related genes. Meanwhile, TNBS-induced fish were immersed in 0.2% (W/V) calcein for 1.5 h and RPQE for 12 h before photographing to analyze the intestinal efflux efficiency (IEE). Moreover, the expression of inflammation-related genes in these fish was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: Subject to RPQE administration, the migration and aggregation of leukocytes were significantly alleviated in 3 zebrafish models (P<0.01). Herein, RPQE ameliorated TNBS-induced IBD with respect to a significantly reduced number of leukocytes, improved IEE, and inhibited gene expression of pro-inflammatory factors (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusion: RPQE exhibited therapeutic effects on IBD by inhibiting inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The memristor, characterized by its nano-size, nonvolatility, and continuously adjustable resistance, is a promising candidate for constructing brain-inspired computing. It operates based on ion migration, enabling it to store and retrieve electrical charges. This paper reviews current research on synapses using digital and analog memristors. Synapses based on digital memristors have been utilized to construct positive, zero, and negative weights for artificial neural networks, while synapses based on analog memristors have demonstrated their ability to simulate the essential functions of neural synapses, such as short-term memory (STM), long-term memory (LTM), spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP), spike-rate-dependent plasticity (SRDP), and paired-pulse facilitation (PPF). Furthermore, synapses based on analog memristors have shown potential for performing advanced functions such as experiential learning, associative learning, and nonassociative learning. Finally, we highlight some challenges of building large-scale artificial neural networks using memristors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibacterial drug exposure (ADE) is a well-known potential risk factor for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), but it remains controversial which certain antibacterial drugs are associated with the highest risk of CDI occurrence. To summarize CDI risk associated with ADE, we reviewed the CDI reports related to ADE in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System database and conducted disproportionality analysis to detect adverse reaction (ADR) signals of CDI for antibacterial drugs. A total of 8063 CDI reports associated with ADE were identified, which involved 73 antibacterial drugs. Metronidazole was the drug with the greatest number of reports, followed by vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, clindamycin and amoxicillin. In disproportionality analysis, metronidazole had the highest positive ADR signal strength, followed by vancomycin, cefpodoxime, ertapenem and clindamycin. Among the 73 antibacterial drugs, 58 showed at least one positive ADR signal, and ceftriaxone was the drug with the highest total number of positive signals. Our study provided a real-world overview of CDI risk for AED from a pharmacovigilance perspective and showed risk characteristics for different antibacterial drugs by integrating its positive–negative signal distribution. Meanwhile, our study showed that the CDI risk of metronidazole and vancomycin may be underestimated, and it deserves further attention and investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adjustable bandgap, single crystal structure, and strong chemical inertness of GaN materials make them excellent candidates for water splitting applications. The fabrication of GaN nanostructures can enhance their water splitting performance by increasing their surface area, improving photon absorption, and accelerating photocatalytic reactions. Developing cost-effective methods to fabricate GaN nanostructures is crucial to promote the development of GaN-based materials in water splitting applications. In this review, we introduce the main cost-effective techniques for the fabrication of GaN nanostructures and highlight future development directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of synoptically forced dust events, including an extreme salt storm from the Aralkum desert, stuck large parts of Central Asia during early summer 2018, causing flight cancellation, widespread haze, and salt deposition on croplands. This manuscript explores the geomorphic, meteorological, and hydroclimatic drivers of the unusual dust activity based on the three prerequisite factors of dust outbreak: sediment supply, sediment availability, and dust‐uplifting winds. Dry lake beds and lower river floodplains are identified as the source area of frequent dust episodes likely due to the abundant supply of fine‐grain sediments. Whereas, minimal dust activity was detected at the region's major sandy deserts. The salt dust storms were triggered by cold intrusion and strong postfrontal winds at the southeast flank of a rapidly developing anticyclone over western Russia which was enhanced by the Scandinavian blocking upstream. The 2018 early summer dust events in Central Asia were identified as part of spatially compounding weather hazards linked to a slow‐moving synoptic wave pattern across the Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes. Finally, the aeolian sediment availability at the dust source areas was enhanced by below‐average soil moisture and vegetation during summer 2018 linked to reduced precipitation in the preceding winter. The 2017/18 winter precipitation deficit was driven by a double‐dip, Central Pacific La Niña episode associated with large‐scale precipitation‐suppressing subsidence and enhanced moisture flux divergence over Central Asia. Plain Language Summary: The desiccation of Aral Sea was one of the worst man‐made ecological catastrophes in modern history. Wind‐driven deflation of salt‐rich dust from the newly formed Aralkum desert poses an important threat to the region's ecological environment and public health. In the early summer of 2018, a sequence of salt dust storms from Aralkum and surrounding areas caused flight cancellation, widespread haze, and salt deposition on croplands. This study describes the geomorphic, meteorological, and hydroclimatic factors responsible for the unusual dust activity. Results show that the dust outbreaks were triggered by recurrent cold air invasion from high latitudes in association with a strong high pressure system over western Russia and slow‐moving planetary waves in the upper troposphere. The intense dust storms were also favored by drought conditions during the 2018 early growing season, as a result of decreased precipitation in the prior winter. Key Points: Frequent dust episodes were detected from dry lake beds and lower river floodplains in Central AsiaDust outbreaks were triggered by strong anticyclogenesis and cold intrusion over western Russia enhanced by Scandinavian blockingAn agricultural drought enhanced the aeolian sediment availability following 2017/18 winter precipitation deficit under La Nina condition [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The pattern of changes in the cervical spine and the spinal cord and their dynamic characteristics in patients with cervical spinal cord injury without fracture and dislocation remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the dynamic changes in the cervical spine and spinal cord from C2/3 to C7/T1 in different positions by using kinematic magnetic resonance imaging in patients with cervical spinal cord injury without fracture and dislocation. This study was approved by the ethics committee of Yuebei People's Hospital. Methods: Using median sagittal T2-weighted images for 16 patients with cervical spinal cord injury without fracture and dislocation who underwent cervical kinematic MRI, the anterior space available for the cord, spinal cord diameter, posterior space available for the cord from C2/3 to C7/T1, and Muhle’s grade were determined. The spinal canal diameter was calculated by adding the anterior space available for the cord, spinal cord diameter, and posterior space available for the cord. Results: The anterior space available for the cord, posterior space available for the cord, and spinal canal diameters at C2/3 and C7/T1 were significantly higher than those from C3/4 to C6/7. Muhle’s grades at C2/3 and C7/T1 were significantly lower than those at the other levels. Spinal canal diameter was lower in extension than in the neutral and flexion positions. In the operated segments, significantly lesser space was available for the cord (anterior space available for the cord + posterior space available for the cord), and the spinal cord diameter/spinal canal diameter ratio was higher than those in the C2/3, C7/T1, and non-operated segments. Conclusion: Kinematic MRI demonstrated dynamic pathoanatomical changes, such as canal stenosis in different positions, in patients with cervical spinal cord injury without fracture and dislocation. The injured segment had a small canal diameter, high Muhle’s grade, low space available for the cord, and high spinal cord diameter/spinal canal diameter ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to describe and compare end‐of‐life care and decision‐making preferences among Chinese community‐dwelling older adults between Wuhan and Hong Kong in China. The study adopted a cross‐sectional correlation design and recruited a convenience sample of 259 older adults, aged ≥65 years old from five community centers in Wuhan and Hong Kong. Participants completed a validated structured questionnaire that measured their end‐of‐life care and decision‐making preferences. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results showed that Wuhan participants were significantly more likely to view "trying every means to extend the life span" as very important/important; and they perceived "support from religious personnel" as unimportant/very unimportant. Different from those older adults in Hong Kong, the Wuhan participants significantly chose their home as the preferred place for end‐of‐life care and death. They also tended to prefer family members to enact the decision‐maker role in end‐of‐life decision situations. The study suggests older adults in Hong Kong and Wuhan have some differences in preferences for end‐of‐life care and decision‐making, which provides the basis for future development of culturally relevant community‐based end‐of‐life care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Ti-Al composite plates have been used in aerospace and other important fields for specific purposes in recent years. However, relatively few studies have concentrated on Ti-Al additive manufacturing because during additive manufacturing process the local fusion and mixing of Ti/Al are inevitable. These areas where Ti and Al are mixed locally, especially interface, could easily generate high residual stresses and cracks. This study aims to manufacture Ti-Al functionally graded material and investigate the interaction of interface. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, Ti6Al4V/AlSi10Mg functionally graded materials were fabricated by laser based directed energy deposition (L-DED) and a strategy using V interlayer to relieve interfacial stress was investigated. Findings: The area between the two materials was divided into transition zone (TZ) and remelting zone (RZ). The phase distribution, microstructure and micro-Vickers hardness of the TZ and RZ were investigated. Typical intermetallic compounds (IMCs) such as TiAl3, Ti3Al and Ti5Si3 were found in both composites. The addition of V interlayer promoted the homogenization of IMCs near interface and led to the formation of new phases like V5Si3 and Al3V. Originality/value: The solidification process near the interface of Ti-Al functionally graded material and the possible generation of different phases were described. The result of this paper proved the feasibility of manufacturing Ti-Al functionally graded material by L-DED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is Known and Objective: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) may occur during asparaginase use. However, limited by the study population, the association between asparaginase and DKA has not been elucidated. The purpose of this study was to determine the potential association between asparaginase and DKA and analyse related clinical characteristics and possible risk factor. Methods: Disproportionality analysis with the reporting odd ratio (ROR) was used to detect the adverse reaction signals of asparaginase‐associated DKA in Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). A literature review was conducted to further analyse clinical characteristics, possible risk factor and something noteworthy in asparaginase‐associated DKA. Results and Discussion: A total of 12 reports of DKA associated with l‐asparaginase (l‐asp) and 6 reports associated with pegaspargase (PEG‐asp) were extracted in FAERS, more than 50% of the cases were classified as serious adverse events. DKA was a positive signal of l‐asp (ROR = 2.397, 95% CI 1.360–4.226), while not closely related to the use of PEG‐asp (ROR = 1.602, 95% CI 0.719–3.570). Searched in PubMed, Embase and Web of Science, a total of eight patients were collected. The patients were mainly adolescent patients, aged between 11 and 25 years old with a median age of 16 years. Drug dosage form distribution is unbalanced, 7 patients received l‐asp and only 1 received PEG‐asp. What is New and Conclusions: The ROR of KDA caused by l‐asp was statistically significant, but there was not a statistical association for DKA caused by PEG‐asp. Asparaginase dosage form may affect the occurrence of DKA, but further research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pregnant women with pulmonary hypertension (PH) have higher mortality rates and poor foetal/neonatal outcomes. Tools to assess these risk factors are not well established.Methods: Predictive and prognostic nomograms were constructed using data from a "Development" cohort of 420 pregnant patients with PH, recorded between January 2009 and December 2018. Logistic regression analysis established models to predict the probability of adverse maternal and foetal/neonatal events and overall survival by Cox analysis. An independent "Validation" cohort comprised data of 273 consecutive patients assessed from January 2019 until May 2022. Nomogram performance was evaluated internally and implemented with online software to increase the ease of use.Results: Type I respiratory failure, New York Heart Association functional class, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide [Formula: see text] 1400 ng/L, arrhythmia, and eclampsia with pre-existing hypertension were independent risk factors for maternal mortality or heart failure. Type I respiratory failure, arrhythmia, general anaesthesia for caesarean section, New York Heart Association functional class, and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide [Formula: see text] 1400 ng/L were independent predictors of pulmonary hypertension survival during pregnancy. For foetal/neonatal adverse clinical events, type I respiratory failure, arrhythmia, general anaesthesia for caesarean section, parity, platelet count, fibrinogen, and left ventricular systolic diameter were important predictors. Nomogram application for the Development and Validation cohorts showed good discrimination and calibration; decision curve analysis demonstrated their clinical utility.Conclusions: The nomogram and its online software can be used to analyse individual mortality, heart failure risk, overall survival prediction, and adverse foetal/neonatal clinical events, which may be useful to facilitate early intervention and better survival rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Anti-leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 (LGI1) encephalitis is clinically heterogeneous, especially at presentation, and though it is sometimes found in association with tumor, this is by no means the rule. Methods: Clinical data for 10 patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis were collected including one case with teratoma and nine cases without and compared for clinical characteristics. Microscopic pathological examination and immunohistochemical assay of the LGI1 antibody were performed on teratoma tissue obtained by laparoscopic oophorocystectomy. Results: In our teratoma-associated anti-LGI1 encephalitis case, teratoma pathology was characterized by mostly thyroid tissue and immunohistochemical assay confirmed positive nuclear staining of LGI1 in some tumor cells. The anti-LGl1 patient with teratoma was similar to the non-teratoma cases in many ways: age at onset (average 47.3 in non-teratoma cases); percent presenting with rapidly progressive dementia (67% of non-teratoma cases) and psychiatric symptoms (33%); hyponatremia (78%); normal cerebrospinal fluid results except for positive LGI1 antibody (78%); bilateral hippocampal hyperintensity on magnetic resonance imaging (44%); diffuse slow waves on electroencephalography (33%); good response to immunotherapy (67%); and mild residual cognitive deficit (22%). Her chronic anxiety and presentation with status epilepticus were the biggest differences compared with the non-teratoma cases. Conclusion: In our series, anti-LGI1 encephalitis included common clinical features in our series: rapidly progressive dementia, faciobrachial dystonic seizures, behavioral disorders, hyponatremia, hippocampal hyperintensity on magnetic resonance imaging, and residual cognitive deficit. We observed some differences (chronic anxiety and status epilepticus) in our case with teratoma, but a larger accumulation of cases is needed to improve our knowledge base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanorod array and planar green-emission InGaN/GaN multi-quantum well (MQW) LEDs were fabricated by lithography, nano-imprinting, and top–down etching technology. The defect-pinning effect of the nanostructure was found for the first time. The ratio of the bright regions to the global area in the panchromatic CL images of green MQW samples increased from 30% to about 90% after nano-fabrication. The overall luminous performance significantly improved. Throughout temperature-dependent photoluminescence (TDPL) and time-resolved PL (TRPL) measurements, the migration and recombination of carriers in the MQWs of green LEDs were analyzed. It was proved that nanostructures can effectively prevent carriers from being captured by surrounding nonradiative recombination centers. The overall PL integral intensity can be enhanced to above 18 times. A much lower carrier lifetime (decreasing from 91.4 to 40.2 ns) and a higher internal quantum efficiency (IQE) (increasing from 16.9% to 40.7%) were achieved. Some disputes on the defect influence were also discussed and clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new sentence recognition test in Mandarin Chinese was developed and validated following the principles and procedures of development of the English AzBio sentence materials. The study was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, 1,020 sentences spoken by 4 talkers (2 males and 2 females) were processed through a 5-channel noise vocoder and presented to 17 normal-hearing Mandarin-speaking adults for recognition. A total of 600 sentences (150 from each talker) in the range of approximately 62 to 92% correct (mean = 78.0% correct) were subsequently selected to compile 30, 20-sentence lists. In the second stage, 30 adult CI users were recruited to verify the list equivalency. A repeated-measures analysis of variance followed by the post hoc Tukey's test revealed that 26 of the 30 lists were equivalent. Finally, a binomial distribution model was adopted to account for the inherent variability in the lists. It was found that the inter-list variability could be best accounted for with a 65-item binomial distribution model. The lower and upper limits of the 95% critical differences for one- and two-list recognition scores were then generated to provide guidance for detection of a significant difference in recognition scores in clinical settings. The final set of 26 equivalent lists contains sentence materials more difficult than those found in other speech audiometry materials in Mandarin Chinese. This test should help minimize the ceiling effects when testing sentence recognition in Mandarin-speaking CI users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a research is conducted on a AlGaN/GaN photoanode by depositing AlGaN with different thicknesses on the GaN epitaxial layer. The result shows that GaN with a thin AlGaN coating has significant enhancement on water‐splitting performance. The photocurrent of GaN photoanode with 5 nm AlGaN layer can be enhanced by a factor of 1.8, compared with planar GaN. The high performance of the AlGaN/GaN heterojunction photoanode is mainly attributed to the high electron–hole density generated at the interface between GaN and AlGaN layers and the quantum tunneling transport of photogenerated carriers. The high concentration of carriers can not only enhance the mobility of carriers but also increase the electron–hole pairs for the water oxidation reaction. The quantum tunneling effect can facilitate the carriers through the high‐energy barrier of AlGaN for photolysis reaction with electrolyte. Herein, a promising method for the application of GaN in efficient water splitting is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Preoperative levels of cognition-related biomarkers and intraoperative cerebral ischemia and hypoxia might cause postoperative neurocognitive dysfunction (PND). The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive ability of preoperative plasma biomarkers along with cerebral oxygen saturation (SctO2) for the incidence of PND in elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: A total of 210 patients aged 65–80 years undergoing spinal surgery were randomly assigned to three groups (n = 70 each): propofol, sevoflurane, and propofol/sevoflurane as anesthesia maintenance protocols. Propofol was administrated target-controlled infusion of 4 µg/ml (group P), the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of inhalation anesthetic sevoflurane was 1.3 (group S), and propofol was injected with a target-controlled plasma concentration of 1.2 µg/ml, accompanied by sevoflurane inhalation 0.7 MAC (group PS). Cognitive function was evaluated 1 day preoperatively and on the 7th day postoperatively. Preoperative levels of amyloidβ-40 (Aβ-40), Aβ-42, total tau protein (T-tau), phosphorylated tau protein (P-tau), and triggering receptors on myeloid cells-2 (TREM2) were investigated. SctO2 was monitored intraoperatively. Results: Aβ-42 had the strongest significant correlation with preoperative MoCA score. The value of Aβ-42 associated with a high risk of PND was 28.34 pg/ml, and the area under the curve (AUC) was predicted to be 0.711. When the preoperative level of Aβ-42 was 28.34 pg/ml, SctO2max% was 9.92%. The AUC was predicted to be 0.872, and the sensitivity and specificity were 0.833 and 0.841, respectively. Conclusion: Under the conditions of preoperative Aβ-42 less than 28.34 pg/ml, the intraoperative fluctuation range of cerebral oxygen saturation should be maintained within 9.92% to reduce the occurrence of PND in geriatric patients with MCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is a rare genetic syndrome that predisposes individuals to develop bilateral vestibular schwannomas (VSs) causing a high risk of life-threatening neurological complications. Traditional treatment options for NF2-associated VS usually cause neurological damage, and to date, there are no FDA-approved pharmacotherapies for NF2. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antitumor efficacy of Qu-Du-San-Jie (QDSJ) decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine formula, on NF2-associated VS and to investigate the potential underlying mechanisms. Methods: Ultra high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (UHPLC-MS) analysis was performed to identify the components of QDSJ and their targets. To determine the relationships between the putative targets of QDSJ and the differential genes of NF2-associated VS, the drug-disease crossover genes were screened using the UHPLC-MS data combined with our previous gene expression profiling data. The differentially expressed genes were imported into the STRING database to generate a PPI network. Differentially expressed gene targets and pathways were identified using GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses. The in vitro and in vivo drug efficacy of QDSJ decoction was tested using a patient-derived schwannoma cell line and a patient-derived xenograft mouse model, respectively. H&E staining, immunochemistry, and immunofluorescence staining were used to evaluate the cell proliferation and tumor vessels. Results: A total of 133 compounds were identified in QDSJ decoction using UHPLC-MS analysis. Network pharmacology showed that the regulation of necroptosis, apoptosis, cell cycle, angiogenesis, adherens junction, and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction could be associated with the efficacy of QDSJ in treating NF2-associated VS. Treatment with QDSJ induced necrotic cell death and apoptosis of schwannoma cells in vitro and suppressed the tumor growth in vivo. Histopathological analysis revealed areas of cell necrosis and enlarged tumor blood vessels in the QDSJ-treated tumors. The numbers of cells positive for Cyclin D1 and Ki-67 were significantly reduced in QDSJtreated tumors compared to control tumors. Immunofluorescence staining of CD31 and αSMA showed a decreased number and density of tumor vessels and normalized vessel structure in QDSJ-treated tumors. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that QDSJ decoction shows significant antitumor activity against NF2-associated schwannoma and is a possible candidate for future clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile method was developed in this work for the batch production of fibrous microelectrodes in enzyme-free electrochemical glucose sensors. The microelectrodes utilized carbon fibers (CFs) as the substrate and cobalt-containing metal organic framework, ZIF-67, as the electrocatalyst, which were mediated with reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The overall fabrication processes were carried out with carbon clothes and the fibrous ZIF-67/rGO/CF microelectrodes were extracted from the resulting composite, rendering a time-saving and economical batch-production approach. As the working electrode (WE) for electrochemical glucose detection, ZIF-67/rGO/CF manifested a wide linear detection range of 1–1000 μM, a low detection limit of 0.2 μM (S/N = 3), accompanied with the excellent selectivity and stability, which were comparable to the recently reported enzyme-free electrodes based on cobalt. A fibrous electrode based glucose sensor with ZIF-67/rGO/CF as the WE was further assembled, which showed reliable detection capability towards the glucose in serum and demonstrated the intriguing potential of ZIF-67/rGO/CF in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucose uptake is stimulated by insulin via stimulation of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) translocation to the plasma membrane from intracellular compartments in adipose tissue and muscles. Insulin stimulation for prolonged periods depletes GLUT4 protein, particularly in highly insulin-responsive GLUT4 storage vesicles. This depletion mainly occurs via H2O2-mediated retromer inhibition. However, the post-receptor mechanism of insulin activation of oxidative stress remains unknown. Here, we show that phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC) plays an important role in insulin-mediated downregulation of GLUT4. In the study, 3T3-L1 adipocytes were exposed to a PC-PLC inhibitor, tricyclodecan-9-yl-xanthogenate (D609), for 30 min prior to the stimulation with 500 nM insulin for 4 h, weakening the depletion of GLUT4. D609 also prevents insulin-driven H2O2 generation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Exogenous PC-PLC and its product, phosphocholine (PCho), also caused GLUT4 depletion and promoted H2O2 generation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Furthermore, insulin-mediated the increase in the cellular membrane PC-PLC activity was observed in Amplex Red assays. These results suggested that PC-PLC plays an important role in insulin-mediated downregulation of GLUT4 and that PCho may serve as a signaling molecule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the anterior cervical band muscle space is located in the lateral neck, if a small incision is made in the lateral neck for unilateral thyroid gland lobectomy and isthmusectomy, the anterior cervical band muscle space and superior thyroid will be suitably exposed. Keywords: thyroid carcinoma; lateral cervical approach; small incision; surgical operation; thyroidectomy; neck aesthetics; comparative study EN thyroid carcinoma lateral cervical approach small incision surgical operation thyroidectomy neck aesthetics comparative study 713 720 8 05/11/22 20220401 NES 220401 Introduction Thyroid tumors are the most common malignant tumors of the endocrine system and are frequently found in females.[1] Surgical resection is the main treatment for thyroid cancer and greatly improves prognosis.[2] However, postoperative complications, such as poor cosmetic outcomes, scar adhesion, and hyperplasia, pose challenges for thyroid surgeons, especially in traditional thyroid surgery using a midline cervical incision, and the incidence of scar adhesion and hyperplasia is high.[3] Endoscopic surgery has been used in thyroid surgery, and there have recently been noteworthy developments in this type of surgery. After carefully freeing the thyroid tissue, the bleeding at the thinnest part of the thyroid tissue was stopped if the unilateral thyroid lesion was a solid cystic mass.[8] The tumor and the ipsilateral thyroid lobe were removed together. [Extracted from the article]

Developing organic field-effect transistor (OFET) biosensors for customizable detection of biomarkers for many diseases would provide a low-cost and convenient tool for both biological studies and clinical diagnosis. In this work, design principles of the OFET transducer for biosensors were derived to relate the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to the device-performance parameters. Steep subthreshold swing (SS), proper threshold voltage (Vth), good-enough bias-stress stability, and mechanical durability are shown to be the key prerequisites for realizing OFET bio-sensors of high transconductance efficiency (gm/ID) for large SNR. Combining a low trap-density channel and a high-k/low-k gate dielectric layer, low-temperature (<100 °C) solution-processed flexible OFETs can meet the performance requirements to maximize the gm/ID. An extended gate-structure OFET biosensor was further implemented for label-free detection of miR-21, achieving a detection limit below 10 pM with high selectivity at a low operation voltage (<1 V). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yuqin Chen, Dansha Zhou, Mingmei Xiong, Xin Xi, Wenni Zhang and Ruifeng Zhang contributed equally to this work and share first authorship B Correction to b B : b B Respiratory Research (2022) 23:314 b https://doi.org/10.1186/s12931-022-02235-y Following publication of the original article [[1]], the authors identified an error in Fig. A (a-c) Calibration curves of the 1, 2, and 3-year OS for pregnant women with PH in the Follow-up set. [Extracted from the article]

A (a-c) Calibration curves of the 1, 2, and 3-year OS for pregnant women with PH in the Follow-up set. Yuqin Chen, Dansha Zhou, Mingmei Xiong, Xin Xi, Wenni Zhang and Ruifeng Zhang contributed equally to this work and share first authorship B Correction to b B : b B Respiratory Research (2022) 23:314 b https://doi.org/10.1186/s12931-022-02235-y Following publication of the original article [[1]], the authors identified an error in Fig. [Extracted from the article]

A new sentence recognition test in Mandarin Chinese was developed and validated following the principles and procedures of development of the English AzBio sentence materials. The study was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, 1,020 sentences spoken by 4 talkers (2 males and 2 females) were processed through a 5-channel noise vocoder and presented to 17 normal-hearing Mandarin-speaking adults for recognition. A total of 600 sentences (150 from each talker) in the range of approximately 62 to 92% correct (mean = 78.0% correct) were subsequently selected to compile 30, 20-sentence lists. In the second stage, 30 adult CI users were recruited to verify the list equivalency. A repeated-measures analysis of variance followed by the post hoc Tukey's test revealed that 26 of the 30 lists were equivalent. Finally, a binomial distribution model was adopted to account for the inherent variability in the lists. It was found that the inter-list variability could be best accounted for with a 65-item binomial distribution model. The lower and upper limits of the 95% critical differences for one- and two-list recognition scores were then generated to provide guidance for detection of a significant difference in recognition scores in clinical settings. The final set of 26 equivalent lists contains sentence materials more difficult than those found in other speech audiometry materials in Mandarin Chinese. This test should help minimize the ceiling effects when testing sentence recognition in Mandarin-speaking CI users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reflective optical fiber sensor that is composed of two Fabry Perot cavities is proposed for temperature and salinity measurement. One of the Fabry Perot cavity which is fabricated by offset splicing is exposed to the ambient directly to sense the ambient salinity, the other is employed to compensate for the temperature coupling effect. A thin layer of the gold film is coated on the refractive index change interface, which makes the spectrum quality is no longer limited by the refractive index difference between the two sides of the interface. By applying the frequency division multiplexing (FDM) technique and cavity length demodulation technology, the measurement range is no longer restricted to the free spectrum range (FSR), which can realize salinity measurement in the full measurement range. The proposed sensor can realize the salinity sensitivity better than 50 nm/‰ and temperature sensitivity of 6.85 nm/°C in the cavity length domain. It is promising for salinity measurement application for its merits of low cost, easy fabrication, and long sensing distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Based on the results of long-term clinical and radiological follow-up studies of decompression and fusion with internal fixation for degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS), we recognized that the direction of the pedicle screw affects the stability of the fixation. However, few studies have analyzed the role of pedicle screw insertion trajectory in disc height recovery after fusion. We therefore analyzed patients' general information, clinical efficacy and sagittal, coronal and implant parameters to determine whether there is a correlation between the insertion trajectory of screws and the recovery of intervertebral space height, with the ultimate aim to provide a basis for improving the clinical efficacy and radiological outcomes of patients with DLS and to identify an optimal technique for spine surgeons that would benefit patients with spondylolisthesis. Methods: From May 2015 to October 2019, patients who underwent single-segment decompression and fusion with internal fixation for DLS at our department were screened for enrollment in the study. The clinical history, pre- and post-operative lumbar sagittal parameters, intervertebral height, rate of recovery from spondylolisthesis and pedicle screw angle of inpatients were recorded and followed up for at least 6 months. Clinical assessments included the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for lower back and leg pain. Data on screw angle, fusion segment intervertebral space height and clinical outcome were the primary outputs. Pearson correlation and multivariate regression analyses were performed to investigate the relationship between the pedicle screw angle, the sagittal parameters of the fusion segment and clinical efficacy. Results: A total of 50 patients were initially enrolled, two patients were lost to follow-up after 6 months, 48 patients (17 men, 31 women) were eventually enrolled, and the follow-up rate was 96%. At least 6 months after the operation, vertebral spondylolisthesis improved to varying degrees [> 80% in 17 cases (35.4%) and > 20% in 43 cases (87.5%), respectively]. Changes in disc height (DH) were significantly associated with lower pedicle screw angle, while lumbar lordosis and segment lordosis remained the same. Multivariate regression analysis showed a significant negative correlation between the upper and lower pedicle screw angles and the change in DH (P < 0.05). At 2 weeks post-operation, the VAS score for low back pain and the ODI had improved significantly compared to pre-operation (P < 0.05). Conclusions: These results suggest that the Caudad insertion trajectory technique of pedicle screws may be an ideal alternative for the treatment of DLS. Trial Registration Number: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR): ChiCTR1800020368. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transport of molecules and ions through biological nanopores is governed by interaction networks among restricted ions, transported molecules, and residue moieties at pore inner walls. However, identification of such weak ion fluctuations from only few tens of ions inside nanopore is hard to achieve owing to electrochemical measurement limitations. Here, we developed an advanced frequency method to achieve qualitative and spectral analysis of ion interaction networks inside a nanopore. The peak frequency fm reveals the dissociation rate between nanopore and ions; the peak amplitude am depicts the amount of combined ions with the nanopore after interaction equilibrium. A mathematical model for single‐molecule frequency fingerprint achieved the prediction of interaction characteristics of mutant nanopores. This single‐molecule frequency fingerprint is important for classification, characterization, and prediction of synergetic interaction networks inside nanoconfinement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transport of molecules and ions through biological nanopores is governed by interaction networks among restricted ions, transported molecules, and residue moieties at pore inner walls. However, identification of such weak ion fluctuations from only few tens of ions inside nanopore is hard to achieve owing to electrochemical measurement limitations. Here, we developed an advanced frequency method to achieve qualitative and spectral analysis of ion interaction networks inside a nanopore. The peak frequency fm reveals the dissociation rate between nanopore and ions; the peak amplitude am depicts the amount of combined ions with the nanopore after interaction equilibrium. A mathematical model for single‐molecule frequency fingerprint achieved the prediction of interaction characteristics of mutant nanopores. This single‐molecule frequency fingerprint is important for classification, characterization, and prediction of synergetic interaction networks inside nanoconfinement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is prevalent among patients with aortic dissection, its prognostic impact is not yet determined in patients undergoing major vascular surgery. We aimed to investigate the association of OSA with hypoxaemia and with prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay after type A aortic dissection (TAAD) repair.Methods: This retrospective study continuously enrolled 83 patients who underwent TAAD repair from January 1 to December 31, 2018. OSA was diagnosed by sleep test and defined as an apnoea hypopnea index (AHI) of ≥ 15/h, while an AHI of > 30/h was defined severe OSA. Hypoxaemia was defined as an oxygenation index (OI) of < 200 mmHg. Prolonged ICU stay referred to an ICU stay of > 72 h. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to evaluate the predictive value of postoperative OI for prolonged ICU stay. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to assess the association of OSA with hypoxaemia and prolonged ICU stay.Results: A total of 41 (49.4%) patients were diagnosed with OSA using the sleep test. Hypoxaemia occurred postoperatively in 56 patients (67.5%). Postoperatively hypoxaemia developed mostly in patients with OSA (52.4% vs. 83.0%, p = 0.003), and particularly in those with severe OSA (52.4% vs. 90.5%, p = 0.003). The postoperative OI could fairly predict a prolonged ICU stay (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve, 0.72; 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.60-0.84; p = 0.002). Severe OSA was associated with both postoperative hypoxaemia (odds ratio [OR] 6.65; 95% CI 1.56-46.26, p = 0.008) and prolonged ICU stay (OR 5.58; 95% CI 1.54-20.24, p = 0.009).Conclusions: OSA was common in patients with TAAD. Severe OSA was associated with postoperative hypoxaemia and prolonged ICU stay following TAAD repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a reflective-type optical fiber probe, which can measure salinity and temperature simultaneously, is proposed. The proposed probe integrates Mach–Zehnder interferometer and Fabry–Perot interferometer in the same channel skillfully and effectively, which makes it possible to integrate more information into the sensor. The reflected spectrum is improved greatly by adopting special sputtering technology. The spectrums of Mach–Zehnder and Fabry–Perot are separated by applying the frequency division multiplex technique. The simulation and experimental results prove that the proposed probe has a highly sensitive response to temperature and salinity. The experiment result verifies that the salinity sensitivity is up to 2.7 nm/‰ and the temperature sensitivity is better than 0.4 nm/°C. The reflective probe makes the sensor easy to use and paves the way for practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel magnetic field measurement method based on the magneto-volume effect is proposed. The magnetic field sensing structure fabricated by the proposed measurement method is made by the magnetic fluid (MF) partially filled into the hollow core fiber (HCF). The presence of air provides conditions for the change of MF volume with the magnetic field in the proposed sensing structure. Therefore, the magneto-volume effect is introduced into the magnetic field sensing mechanism. From 109.6 to 125.8 Gs, the peak wavelength shift is −65480 pm and the sensitivity is −4219.15 pm/Gs, which is 28.16 times higher than that of the fabricated contrast sensing structure. The sensitivity of the magnetic field sensing structure is greatly improved by introducing the magneto-volume effect compared with the contrast sensing structure. The response time and recovery time of the sensing structure are equally 0.2 s. Therefore, the sensing structure has high sensitivity, good linearity, and short response time, which has potential application prospects in magnetic field sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the purpose of monitoring seawater temperature, a novel Mach–Zehnder (MZ) temperature-sensing structure with a wedge-shaped open cavity is presented and experimentally studied in this article. The open-cavity structure realizes the direct contact between the sensing optical path and the external environment, and ensures the high sensitivity of the structure. At the same time, it achieves not only low loss by direct fusion splicing instead of dislocation fusion splicing, but also low cost by hydrofluoric (HF) etching instead of femtosecond processing. In addition, the temperature sensitivity of the sensor structure proposed in this article can reach 1.5 nm/°C without temperature-sensitive material filled, and 6 nm/°C with silicone oil filled. Moreover, the resolution of the sensing structure is 0.24 °C based on the criterion of $3\sigma $. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A magnetic field measurement method based on the magneto-volume effect of magnetic fluid (MF) and Fabry–Perot (FP) interferometer (FPI) is proposed, which has higher magnetic field sensitivity and shorter response time than the traditional optical fiber methods. The MF is partially injected into the fabricated FP cavity composed of two sections of SMFs and a capillary glass tube (CGT), where the FPI is made up of optical fiber end face and MF end face. When the external magnetic field is applied to the sensor, the volume change of MF will cause the change of air cavity length. Therefore, the reflection spectrum changes with external magnetic field due to the magneto-volume effect of MF. Experimental results show that the magnetic field sensor shows a sensitivity of 268.81 pm/Gs from 15.5 to 139.7 Gs even with a small amount of MF. The response time is 0.2 s at a step magnetic field of 7.7, 31.0, 46.5, and 139.7 Gs. In this work, the magnetic field sensor boasts high sensitivity, good repeatability, short response time, and low cost, which shows a great potential in applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly sensitive reflective Fabry–Perot (FP) magnetic field sensor using magnetic fluid (MF) based on the Vernier effect is presented and experimentally verified. Capillary action acts as an injection of MF into an FP cavity, which is composed of a single-mode fiber (SMF), capillary glass tube, and a short section of SMF coated with gold film. Vernier effect is formed by the MF cavity and air cavity in the FP magnetic field sensor, where the surface of MF is concave. The refractive index (RI) of MF depends on the magnetic field, and therefore, the wavelength of the reflection spectrum of the fabricated sensor can be sensitive to the magnetic field. The magnetic field sensor’s sensitivity is up to 1.02602 nm/Gs from 118.768 to 166.261 Gs, and the resolution is 0.0078 Gs. The sensor shows good linearity within the range of 71.317–231.751 Gs, and the linearity is larger than 0.999. In this article, a new type FP cavity fabricated by splicing SMF inside the capillary glass tube is proposed, and MF can be injected into the FP cavity, which can also be applied to other liquids to generate Vernier effect. The concave surface of MF is creatively applied to the sensors, and the experimental verification is carried out in a capillary glass tube, which provides a basis on the capillary action of other fluids in fiber sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main observation and conclusion: Single nanoparticle collision has attracted great attention in the last several years to reveal the electron transfer and motion trajectories of individual particles at the electrode surface. An envelope algorithm is proposed for further reading and demonstrating the corresponding current signals, which integrates baseline correction, peak identification and Savitzky‐Golay filter. It is employed for data analysis of the single AgNPs collision on a wireless nanopore electrode to eliminate the current noise and accurately calculate the integrated charges in each current spike. The practicability and robustness of the algorithm are verified under additive Gaussian white noise with the signal‐to‐noise ratio higher than 5. By comparing with traditional Gaussian peak model, the algorithm here shows comparable performance for the peak identification and integrated charge calculation. These results signify a big step from manual Gaussian fitting to automatically data processing method, which facilitates a fast acquisition of intrinsic features in single entity electrochemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study revisits the use of surface weather observations from the NOAA Integrated Surface Database to examine the most recent dust trends and climate drivers in the context of multidecadal dust variability, following a critical assessment of the data completeness, temporal continuity, and cross‐variable consistency of horizontal visibility and present weather reports. The global mean dust event frequency has increased at 0.02% yr−1 from 1986 to 2019, driven by recent intensified activity resulting in a reversal of the previously reported declining dust trend over 1984–2012. Correlation analysis suggests that soil moisture has a lagged effect on the global dustiness with a maximum r = −0.3 when soil moisture leads by 14 months. North Africa experienced increased dust activity in the last decade (2010–2019), due to reduced soil moisture and enhanced wind speed following the transition of the North Atlantic Oscillation from strong negative to recurring positive phases in 2011. The Middle East had a significant decline of dust production since 2015 following the amelioration of a decade‐long drought in the Tigris‐Euphrates basin, as the climate shifts to more El Niño‐like conditions as well as positive and weak negative Pacific Decadal Oscillation phases. East Asian dust variability is primarily driven by wind, which explains the negative trend from 1986 to 1997 and the absence of significant trends during the past two decades. This study constitutes an initial effort in creating a homogenized weather station‐based data set for characterizing dust‐climate connections on local and global scales. Plain Language Summary: Dust aerosol has a wide range of impacts on the earth system. The production of dust from arid and semiarid areas is highly sensitive to climate. Understanding dust variability and its response to climate is key to reducing the uncertainty of future climate projections, and relies on long‐term, large‐scale monitoring of the dust cycle. Before satellite remote sensing became available, surface weather observations have been widely used for monitoring wind erosion and dust weather around the world. This study revisits the use of horizontal visibility and present weather records archived in the NOAA Integrated Surface Database for analyzing the multidecadal dust variability and most recent trends over the globe, and three largest dust source regions (North Africa, the Middle East, and East Asia). Results show a global dust trend reversal driven by recent intensified activities, as well as contrasting behaviors at regional dust sources in response to different climate drivers. Key Points: Surface weather observations are used to study global dust variability and trendsGlobal mean dustiness experienced a trend reversal over 1984–2019 due to recent intensified dust activityRegional dust sources show contrasting behaviors in response to different climate drivers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are nearly 50 million Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients worldwide, 90% of whom develop behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), which increase the mortality rate of patients, and impose an economic and care burden on families and society. As a neurotransmitter and neuromodulator, serotonin is involved in the regulation of psychoemotional, sleep, and feeding functions. Accumulating data support the importance of serotonin in the occurrence and development of BPSD. Studies have shown that reduction of serotonin receptors can increase depression and mental symptoms in AD patients. At present, there is no drug treatment for AD approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Among them, agomelatine, as a new type of antidepressant, can act on serotonin 2 receptors to improve symptoms such as depression and anxiety. At present, research on BPSD is still in the preliminary exploratory stage, and there are still a lot of unknowns. This review summarizes the relationship between serotonin 2 receptors, agomelatine, and BPSD. It provides a new idea for the study of the pathogenesis and treatment of BPSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Takayasu's arteritis (TA) may involve the pulmonary artery, which signifies a poor prognosis. This study investigated the features of TA patients with pulmonary artery involvement. Methods: One hundred and twenty-six inpatients diagnosed with TA were retrospectively studied. The clinical data of TA patients with and without pulmonary artery involvement were compared. The imaging features of pulmonary artery lesions in TA patients were evaluated. The treatment responses of pulmonary artery lesions were described, and the drug regimens in different treatment response groups were compared. Results: Among the patients with TA, 15.9% showed associated pulmonary artery involvement. The disease durations were significantly longer in patients with pulmonary artery involvement than in those without (108.0 months (53.5, 222.0) vs. 36.0 months (12.0, 120.0); p = 0.038). Hemoptysis was more common in TA patients with pulmonary artery involvement than in those without (15.0%, 3 cases vs. 0.0%; p < 0.001). TA patients with disease duration longer than 5 years showed a 3.42-fold higher odds of pulmonary artery involvement than those with a disease duration of less than 5 years (adjusted odds ratio, 3.42 (95% confidence interval, 1.20–9.76); p = 0.02). The most common imaging manifestations of pulmonary artery involvement were stenosis and occlusion. Among the six patients who had good response to treatment of pulmonary artery lesions, five were treated with the interleukin-6 receptor antagonist tocilizumab. Conclusions: TA patients with pulmonary artery involvement have a longer course of disease and more symptoms of hemoptysis. TA-related pulmonary artery lesions more commonly manifested as stenosis and occlusion. Tocilizumab may be effective for TA-related pulmonary vascular disease. Key Points • Disease duration longer than 5 years is associated with pulmonary artery involvement in TA. • Hemoptysis is a characteristic clinical symptom of TA with pulmonary artery involvement. • Tocilizumab may be more effective for pulmonary artery lesions of TA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the GaN/ZnO heterojunction and ZnO–NiO p–n junction core/shell nanocolumns were fabricated based on GaN nanocolumns. During the water splitting measurements, the photocurrent of GaN/ZnO/NiO (GZN) nanocolumns is 2.1 times higher than that of GaN nanocolumns. The enhancement is mainly due to the heterojunction between GaN and ZnO and the p–n junction between ZnO and NiO, which build strong built-in electric fields to accelerate the separation of photogenerated carriers. Besides, the refractive index of NiO and ZnO is smaller than that of GaN, which can facilitate the light absorption of GZN nanocolumns and improve the water splitting performance. Our work has greatly improved the photocatalytic efficiency of GaN for water splitting applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]