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In the last two decades, colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality has been decreasing in the United States. However, the mortality trends for the different subtypes of CRC, including different sides of colon, rectosigmoid, and rectal cancer remain unclear. We analyzed the mortality trends of different subtypes of CRC based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Wide‐Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research data from 1999 to 2020. We calculated age‐adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) per 100,000 individuals and examined the trends over time by estimating the average annual percent change (AAPC) using the Joinpoint Regression Program. Our study shows that the overall CRC rates decreased significantly from 26.42 to 15.98 per 100,000 individuals, with an AAPC of −2.41. However, the AAMR of rectosigmoid cancer increased significantly from 0.82 to 1.08 per 100,000 individuals, with the AAPC of +1.10. Men and Black individuals had the highest AAMRs respectively (23.90 vs. 26.93 per 100,000 individuals). The overall AAMR of CRC decreased for those aged ≥50 years but increased significantly from 1.02 to 1.58 per 100,000 individuals for those aged 15–49 years, with an AAPC of +0.75. Rural populations had a higher AAMR than the urban populations (22.40 vs. 19.60 per 100,000 individuals). Although overall CRC mortality declined, rising trends in young‐onset CRC and rectosigmoid cancer warrant attention. Disparities persist in terms of sex, race, and geographic region, and urbanization level, emphasizing the need for targeted public health measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Masers, the microwave analogs of lasers, have seen a renaissance owing to the discovery of gain media that mase at room temperature and zero-applied magnetic field. However, despite the ease with which the devices can be demonstrated under ambient conditions, achieving the ubiquity and portability, which lasers enjoy, has to date remained challenging. We present a maser device with a miniaturized maser cavity, gain material, and laser pump source that fits within the size of a shoebox. The gain medium used is pentacene-doped para-terphenyl, and it is shown to give a strong masing signal with a peak power of −5 dBm even within a smaller form factor. The device is also shown to mase at different frequencies within a small range of 1.5 MHz away from the resonant frequency. The portability and simplicity of the device, which weighs under 5 kg, paves the way for demonstrators particularly in the areas of low-noise amplifiers, quantum sensors, cavity quantum electrodynamics, and long-range communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Implementing telemedicine and digital health technologies in healthcare has increased, but patients still need help adopting and utilizing these technologies. To address this, a Digital Health Navigator (DHN) program was implemented to evaluate the benefits of improving patients' adoption. Objectives: To alleviate digital equity within hospitals, we introduced a holistic DHN program to promote using digital tools among hospitalized patients. The DHN program was designed to improve and expand patient adoption of digital portals and to engage in healthcare. In addition, our program was designed to develop a patient-facing portal education for hospitalized patients, which can be expanded to other hospitals. Methods: Over 30 days, the DHN program conducted patient visits in two hospitals on portal usage, collecting data, and adapting protocols based on patient feedback. Results: Feedback from patients indicated that 98% of patients found the education and the DHN helpful, and 92% recommended the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Central Pennsylvania portal for accessing their healthcare information. The DHN program proved beneficial in promoting portal usage and addressing technological barriers experienced by patients. Discussion: We successfully implemented a DHN program for hospitalized patients across two hospitals. Patients reported a positive perception and satisfaction with DHN visits. Notably, our model overcomes challenges related to limited internet access and mitigates technology-related anxiety during hospital stays. The DHN program proved beneficial in promoting hospital portal usage and addressing technological barriers experienced by patients. Implementation and sustained adoption of digital technologies across a large healthcare organization can be achieved through a well-coordinated, team-based, and systematic approach with a DHN. Here, we present strategies and recommendations to implement such a program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the standard treatment regimens for non-pregnant patients with MCL, we would suggest using R-CHOP in pregnant patients with aggressive/symptomatic MCL starting in the second or third trimester, not only because this is one of the first line treatment options for MCL, but the individual components of the R-CHOP regimen can be safely used during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. If patients present with life-threatening MCL during the first trimester, the use of any chemoimmunotherapy is discouraged, and a short course of steroids, with or without cyclophosphamide (administered as a bridging therapy), or pregnancy termination, should be considered individually for each case. Our patient presented with indolent leukemic non-nodal MCL (acknowledging staging limitation during pregnancy) and did not require treatment during pregnancy. In conclusion, a subgroup of patients with MCL (non-nodal presentation and asymptomatic patients with low burden nodal presentation) may be safely observed from diagnosis without negatively impacting their outcomes. [Extracted from the article]

A cytokine storm is one of the leading causes of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and sepsis‐associated multiple organ failure in many respiratory viral infections, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has caused millions of deaths worldwide, resulting in an urgent need for effective therapeutic interventions. Repurposing immunosuppressive drugs that target cytokines with immunomodulatory properties is a promising approach to counteract SARS‐CoV‐2‐induced ARDS at the infective and post‐infective stages. In this minireview, we examine drugs targeting IL‐1β, IL‐4/IL‐13, IL‐6 and TNF‐α tested in COVID‐19 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scenarios in which LAV would be beneficial While current generation COVID-19 vaccines appear to be highly effective in preventing severe disease, we believe vaccines that are durably and broadly protective will be required to reduce transmission and protect against emerging variants. LAVs generally mimic natural infection, resulting in robust, functional immunity that appears to be identical to that following natural infection, sometimes after a single vaccination (e.g., herpes zoster vaccine, yellow fever vaccine). Vaccines with a lengthy development pathway, such as the live-attenuated whole virus vaccines (LAVs) platform were largely overlooked in the race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. [Extracted from the article]

In the search for high performance n-type organic semiconductors (OSCs) a simple strategy might be substitution of aromatic CH groups for nitrogen heteroatoms. Here, we report the synthesis and characterisation of two novel N-heteroacene compounds, namely, 1,5,12-triazatetracene (TrAT1) and 2,5,12-triazatetracene (TrAT2). Their potential as n-type materials is evaluated against 5,12-diazatetracene (DAT) by UV/vis and EPR spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, DFT, single crystal X-ray diffraction and thin film characterisation. Increasing the number of N-heteroatoms was found to stabilise the HOMO and LUMO leading to electron affinities for TrAT1 and TrAT2 of ca. −4 eV. Both compounds were found to exhibit columns of co-facial π-stacked molecules. For TrAT1, molecules are also linked by hydrogen bonding, while the crystal structure of TrAT2 was found to be inherently disordered. Thin films of DAT, TrAT1 and TrAT2 were grown by organic molecular beam deposition (OMBD) and found to form discontinuous films, where TrAT1 exhibited a preferential orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate the cooling of a microwave mode at 2872 MHz through its interaction with optically spin-polarized NV− centers in diamond at zero applied magnetic field, removing thermal photons from the mode. By photo-exciting (pumping) a brilliant-cut red diamond jewel with a continuous-wave 532-nm laser, outputting 2 W, the microwave mode is cooled down to a noise temperature of 188 K. This noise temperature can be preserved continuously for as long as the diamond is optically excited and kept cool. The latter requirement restricted operation out to 10 ms in our preliminary setup. The mode-cooling performance of NV− diamond is directly compared against that of pentacene-doped para-terphenyl, where we find that the former affords the advantages of cooling immediately upon light excitation (whereas pentacene-doped para-terphenyl undesirably mases before it begins cooling) and being able to cool continuously at substantially lower optical pump power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geogenic inorganic arsenic contamination in drinking water has been raising public health concern especially in developing countries. Cost-effective and stopgap arsenic removal method for household use (cooking and drinking) is very urgent. Several iron treated natural materials such as Fe-treated activated carbon (FeAC), Fe-treated gel beads (FeGB) and iron oxide-coated sand (IOCS), were investigated in this study for arsenic removal from dispersed household drinking water supply (scattered wells in the endemic arsenic poisoning areas). IOCS showed consistently good performance in terms of As(III) and As(V) removal in batch tests, column tests and field experiment. As(V) adsorption decreased slightly but As(III) adsorption maintained relatively stable when the pH value was increased from 5 to 9. In strong hardness water (612.5 mg/L CaCO3), As(III) adsorption efficiency was noted to decrease. The adsorption data obtained in column test fitted well to the Langmuir isotherm model. The adsorbent recovery efficiency was above 94% when using 0.2 N NaOH regenerated the columns. In addition, 200 L of product water was produced by the household device (containing 3.0 kg IOCS produced) when the influent arsenic concentration ranging from 0.202 to 1.733 mg/L was encountered during the field experimental study conducted in Shanyin County, China. Neither the iron leaching nor other water quality deterioration was observed. It was noted in this study that IOCS is a promising medium for arsenic removal from household drinking water supplies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite advances made in pancreatic cancer treatment, the extent of progress made in pancreatic cancer mortality at the population level remains unclear. Our cross-sectional study sought to measure trends in pancreatic cancer mortality in the United States in the last 2 decades., Methods: Patients with pancreatic cancer mortality from 1999 to 2020 were analyzed from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER). Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 100,000 individuals were measured. We used joinpoint trend analysis to determine average annual percent change (AAPC) in AAMR trends., Results: From 1999 to 2020, pancreatic cancer accounted for 809,197 deaths. Overall, the AAMRs of pancreatic cancer increased from 20.74 per 100,000 individuals in 1999 to 21.60 per 100,000 individuals in 2020. The highest AAMR was recorded in non-Hispanic Black males (30.11 per 100,000 individuals), and the lowest, in non-Hispanic White females (18.51 per 100,000 individuals). Patients aged 75-84 years had the highest AAMR (6.87 per 100,000 individuals) compared to the younger patients. The highest AAMR was observed in the Northeast region (22.07 per 100,000 individuals) and rural regions (21.29 per 100,000 individuals)., Conclusions: There was no improvement in pancreatic cancer mortality in the last two decades. These findings emphasize the importance of efforts to increase access to multidisciplinary cancer care with the realization that without it, improvements in treatment standards will not translate to lower cancer mortality at the population level., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://jgo.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/jgo-24-213/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2024 Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Background: The association between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and arthritis has long been known, but it was not until the 1950s that IBD-associated arthritis was recognized as a distinct pathology independent from rheumatoid arthritis (RA). There is evidence that RA and other autoimmune conditions exist at higher rates in patients with IBD compared to the general population. We aimed to determine if the presence of RA in IBD patients is a factor for mortality and IBD-related surgery in this population., Methods: Using Epic's Slicer Dicer function, we queried the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) codes K50 and K51 to identify patients with IBD. Duplicates and those with incomplete information were excluded, leaving a total of 3,613 patients. Data collected included basic demographic information, surgical history, and the presence of RA. We used Student's t -test to analyze between group differences for the continuous variables. When it was determined that variances for the comparisons of continuous data were unequal, Welch-Satterthwaite t -test statistics were used. We used the Chi-square test to analyze between group differences for the categorical variables. The Fisher's exact test was employed when any of the expected frequencies was 5 or less. All tests were two-sided with criterion for statistical significance at a P value less than 0.05. All the analyses were done by SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC)., Results: Of the approximately 2.7 million adults in Slicer Dicer, there were 3,613 patients (0.13%) identified with IBD. Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) accounted for 37% of the total group (n = 1,343) and 2,270 patients (62.8%) had Crohn's disease (CD). From the total, 2,084 were women (57.68%) and 1,529 (42.32%) were men. More than 90% of the patients were white (n = 3,321). The mean age was 53.3 ± 18.5. Eight hundred forty-eight patients (23.47%) had documented RA. Mortality was higher in patients with IBD and RA than those with IBD alone (7.31% vs. 3.98%, P value ≤ 0.0001)., Conclusions: IBD patients with RA have higher mortality rates and need for IBD-related surgery than patients with IBD alone., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose., (Copyright 2024, Calderon-Martinez et al.)

Background: Combining immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) and vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors (VEGFi) may result in increased treatment-related and immune-related adverse events (TRAEs and irAEs) compared to ICT alone. This metanalysis was conducted to identify prospective phase II or III clinical studies that evaluated the toxicity profile of ICT + VEGFi compared to ICT alone., Methods: A systematic search was performed across all cancer types and major databases until August 10, 2022, and screening was done by two independent investigators. Inclusion criteria included phase 2 or 3 studies with at least one arm of patients treated with combination therapy and one arm treated with monotherapy. Adverse event data were pooled using a restricted maximum likelihood fixed effects model, and heterogeneity using Cochran's Q (chi-square) test., Results: 7 out of 9366 studies met the inclusion criteria, and 808 and 927 patients were treated with ICT monotherapy and a combination of ICT with VEGFi, respectively. Only one study reported irAEs, so the analysis was restricted to TRAEs. The total number of TRAEs was significantly higher in the ICT + VEGFi group (RR:1.49; 95% CI 1.37 -1.62; p=1.5×10-21), and more frequent treatment withdrawals were attributed to TRAEs (RR:3.10; 95% CI 1.12-8.59; p=0.029). The highest TRAE effect size increases noted for rash (RR 6.50; 95% CI 3.76 - 11.25; p=2.1×10-11), hypertension (RR:6.07; 95% CI 3.69-10.00; p=1.3×10-12), hypothyroidism (RR:5.02; 95% CI 3.08 - 8.19; p=8.9×10-11), and diarrhea (RR:4.94; 95% CI 3.21-7.62; p=3.8×10-13). Other significantly more frequent TRAEs included nausea, anemia, anorexia, and proteinuria., Conclusion: Combination therapy with ICT and VEGFi carries a higher risk of certain TRAEs, such as rash, hypertension, hypothyroidism, diarrhea, nausea, anorexia, and proteinuria, compared to ICT monotherapy. More granular details on the cause of AEs, particularly irAEs, should be provided in future trials of such regimens., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Kovalenko, Lynn Ng, Geng, Wang, Msaouel, Bhatia, Grivas, Benkhadra and Alhalabi.)

BACKGROUND Melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer that can be difficult to manage. Its treatment has been transformed by immunotherapy. Melanoma cells frequently have mutations that make them vulnerable to attack by the immune system, and this is how immunotherapy can fight this cancer. Immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors targets mechanisms that malignant cells use to evade immune system detection, blocking proteins produced by the tumor, and allowing the immune system to identify and attack cancerous cells. CASE REPORT A 74-year-old woman presented with a lump on the right side of her chest. Tests revealed a metastatic malignant tumor with melanocytic differentiation. Stage IV melanoma was diagnosed, and the patient started therapy with nivolumab/ipilimumab for palliative intent, which she tolerated without adverse effects. However, she was hospitalized for Clostridioides difficile colitis after 3 treatment cycles, and computed tomography (CT) scan findings suggested disease progression. Positron emission tomography (PET)-CT obtained after her discharge from the hospital showed a complete metabolic response at all disease sites, indicating the initial progression was most likely a pseudo-progression from the use of immunotherapy. The patient continued with nivolumab as a single agent and has been doing well. CONCLUSIONS This case highlights the importance of careful evaluation of immunotherapy response in patients with melanoma. The initial progression noted in this patient was most likely pseudo-progression, which resolved with further immunotherapy. Clinicians should consider PET-CT imaging in cases of suspected pseudo-progression to avoid unnecessary changes in therapy. Patient response to immunotherapy demonstrates the effectiveness of immunotherapy in treating advanced melanoma.

Aim The study aimed to collect retrospective data to investigate the association between elevated glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU, including in-hospital mortality and 90-day mortality.  Methods This is an observational retrospective study using electronic health records of patients with diabetes admitted to the ICU with COVID-19 across the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) in Central PA Hospitals. Our retrospective analysis was performed on patients admitted to the ICU between May 1 st , 2021, to May 1 st , 2022. The HbA1c level obtained within three months before their admission was evaluated and stratified to show their association with clinical outcomes, including in-hospital mortality and 90-day mortality. Additionally, the need for insulin drip and ICU and hospital length of stay were compared among these patients.  Results We analyzed 384 patients, which were distributed in three groups. The majority of the patients (183 patients or 47.66%) had an HbA1c below 7%, 113 patients (29.43%) had an HbA1c between 7-9%, and 88 patients (22.92%) had an HbA1c above 9%. The group with an HbA1c<7% had a mortality rate of 54.1% during the hospital stay, with a median stay of 13 days. The patients with an HbA1c between 7-9% had a higher mortality rate of 65.49% with a median stay of 12 days. The patients with HbA1c>9% had a mortality rate of 43.18% with a median stay of 11.5 days.  Conclusion This retrospective study found that there was no linear association between higher HbA1c levels and a higher risk of mortality during hospitalization. The 90-day mortality rate was not statistically different among the three HbA1c groups. The need for insulin drip was higher in patients with higher HbA1c levels. The majority of patients in all three groups were classified as low-risk based on their BMI, and there were no significant differences in the distribution of patients across BMI categories in the HbA1c groups., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Cuevas Velazquez et al.)

Arthritogenic alphaviruses such as Ross River virus (RRV) and Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) are responsible for large-scale epidemics that cause debilitating acute and chronic musculoskeletal diseases. MXRA8 was recently discovered as an entry receptor for multiple alphaviruses including CHIKV, RRV, Mayaro virus (MAYV), and O'nyong-nyong virus (ONNV). However, the role of MXRA8 in the development of alphavirus-induced musculoskeletal inflammation has not yet been fully studied. Here, we attempt to fully characterize the contribution of MXRA8 to RRV disease in an established mouse model. MXRA8 knockout (MXRA8 -/- ) mice generated on a C57BL/6J background, showed abrogated disease signs and reduced viral replication, which correlated with lower viral load, diminished proinflammatory cytokines, and limited cell infiltrates in inflamed tissues. Immunomodulation genes were upregulated to higher levels in RRV-infected wild-type (WT) mice than in MXRA8 -/- mice. Intriguingly, Cdkn1a and Ifi44 genes in blood and CD127/IL7RA, CD45, BatF3, IFNGR, Ly6G/Ly6C, CD40, CD127, F4/80, and MHC-II genes in quadriceps were found to be upregulated in RRV-infected MXRA8 -/- mice compared to WT mice. Our results showed an essential role of MXRA8 in the immune response of mice infected with RRV and, more importantly, demonstrated novel changes in immunomodulation genes, which shed light on the immunopathogenesis of alphavirus-induced disease. IMPORTANCE Previous studies have shown the importance of the cell surface protein MXRA8 as an entry receptor for several different prominent alphaviruses such as CHIKV, RRV, MAYV, and ONNV. In particular, the role of MXRA8 in the tissue tropism, viral pathogenesis, and immune response of a CHIKV mouse model have already been briefly characterized. However, the role of MXRA8 warrants further characterization in RRV disease background, since there are noticeable differences in the disease profile between CHIKV and RRV. For example, patients infected with CHIKV are usually affected by sudden onset of severe arthritis and fever, whereas RRV-infected patients generally only have minor joint pain and mild fever. Here, we characterized the role of MXRA8 in RRV disease and assessed several key mechanisms of MXRA8 that may contribute to the disease progression.

Compared to the original ancestral strain of SARS-CoV-2, the Delta variant of concern has shown increased transmissibility and resistance toward COVID-19 vaccines and therapies. However, the pathogenesis of the disease associated with Delta is still not clear. In this study, using K18-hACE2 transgenic mice, we assessed the pathogenicity of the Delta variant by characterizing the immune response following infection. We found that Delta induced the same clinical disease manifestations as the ancestral SARS-CoV-2, but with significant dissemination to multiple tissues, such as brain, intestine, and kidney. Histopathological analysis showed that tissue pathology and cell infiltration in the lungs of Delta-infected mice were the same as in mice infected with the ancestral SARS-CoV-2. Delta infection caused perivascular inflammation in the brain and intestinal wall thinning in K18-hACE2 transgenic mice. Increased cell infiltration in the kidney was observed in both ancestral strain- and Delta-infected mice, with no clear visible tissue damage identified in either group. Interestingly, compared with mice infected with the ancestral strain, the numbers of CD45 + cells, T cells, B cells, inflammatory monocytes, and dendritic cells were all significantly lower in the lungs of the Delta-infected mice, although there was no significant difference in the levels of proinflammatory cytokines between the two groups. Our results showed distinct immune response patterns in the lungs of K18-hACE2 mice infected with either the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 or Delta variant of concern, which may help to guide therapeutic interventions for emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. IMPORTANCE SARS-CoV-2 variants, with the threat of increased transmissibility, infectivity, and immune escape, continue to emerge as the COVID-19 pandemic progresses. Detailing the pathogenesis of disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 variants, such as Delta, is essential to better understand the clinical threat caused by emerging variants and associated disease. This study, using the K18-hACE2 mouse model of severe COVID-19, provides essential observation and analysis on the pathogenicity and immune response of Delta infection. These observations shed light on the changing disease profile associated with emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and have potential to guide COVID-19 treatment strategies.

Ross River virus (RRV) is the major mosquito-borne virus in the South Pacific region. RRV infections are characterized by arthritic symptoms, which can last from several weeks to months. Type I interferon (IFN), the primary antiviral innate immune response, is able to modulate adaptive immune responses. The relationship between the protective role of type I IFN and the induction of signaling proteins that drive RRV disease pathogenesis remains poorly understood. In the present study, the role of TIR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β (TRIF), an essential signaling adaptor protein downstream of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 3, a key single-stranded RNA (ssRNA)-sensing receptor, was investigated. We found that TRIF -/- mice were highly susceptible to RRV infection, with severe disease, high viremia, and a low type I IFN response early during disease development, which suggests the TLR3-TRIF axis may engage early in response to RRV infection. The number and the activation level of CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, and NK cells were reduced in TRIF -/- mice compared to those in infected wild-type (WT) mice. In addition, the number of germinal center B cells was lower in TRIF -/- mice than WT mice following RRV infection, with lower titers of IgG antibodies detected in infected TRIF -/- mice compared to WT. Interestingly, the requirement for TRIF to promote immunoglobulin class switch recombination was at the level of the local immune microenvironment rather than B cells themselves. The slower resolution of RRV disease in TRIF -/- mice was associated with persistence of the RRV genome in muscle tissue and a continuing IFN response. IMPORTANCE RRV has been prevalent in the South Pacific region for decades and causes substantial economic and social costs. Though RRV is geographically restricted, a number of other alphaviruses have spread globally due to expansion of the mosquito vectors and increased international travel. Since over 30 species of mosquitoes have been implicated as potent vectors for RRV dissemination, RRV has the potential to further expand its distribution. In the pathogenesis of RRV disease, it is still not clear how innate immune responses synergize with adaptive immune responses. Type I IFN is crucial for bridging innate to adaptive immune responses to viral invasion. Hence, key signaling proteins in type I IFN induction pathways, which are important for type I IFN modulation, may also play critical roles in viral pathogenesis. This study provides insight into the role of TRIF in RRV disease development.

We experimentally demonstrate the temporary removal of thermal photons from a microwave mode at 1.45 GHz through its interaction with the spin-polarized triplet states of photo-excited pentacene molecules doped within a p-terphenyl crystal at room temperature. The crystal functions electromagnetically as a narrowband cryogenic load, removing photons from the otherwise room-temperature mode via stimulated absorption. The noise temperature of the microwave mode dropped to 50&#95;{-32}^{+18}  K (as directly inferred by noise-power measurements), while the metal walls of the cavity enclosing the mode remained at room temperature. Simulations based on the same system's behavior as a maser (which could be characterized more accurately) indicate the possibility of the mode's temperature sinking to ∼10  K (corresponding to ∼140 microwave photons). These observations, when combined with engineering improvements to deepen the cooling, identify the system as a narrowband yet extremely convenient platform-free of cryogenics, vacuum chambers, and strong magnets-for realizing low-noise detectors, quantum memory, and quantum-enhanced machines (such as heat engines) based on strong spin-photon coupling and entanglement at microwave frequencies.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has rapidly spread across the globe at unprecedented speed and is showing no signs of slowing down. The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to significant health burden in infected patients especially in those with underlying comorbidities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between comorbidities and their role in the exacerbation of disease in COVID-19 patients leading to fatal outcomes. A systematic review was conducted using data from MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases published from 1 December 2019 to 15 September 2020. Fifty-three articles were included in the systematic review. Of those 53 articles, 8 articles were eligible for meta-analysis. Hypertension, obesity, and diabetes mellitus were identified to be the most prevalent comorbidities in COVID-19 patients. Our meta-analysis showed that cancer, chronic kidney diseases, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension were independently associated with mortality in COVID-19 patients. Chronic kidney disease was statistically the most prominent comorbidity leading to death. However, despite having high prevalence, obesity was not associated with mortality in COVID-19 patients. IMPORTANCE COVID-19 has plagued the world since it was first identified in December 2019. Previous systematic reviews and meta-analysis were limited by various factors such as the usage of non-peer reviewed data and were also limited by the lack of clinical data on a global scale. Comorbidities are frequently cited as risk factors for severe COVID-19 outcomes. However, the degree to which specific comorbidities impact the disease is debatable. Our study selection involves a global reach and covers all comorbidities that were reported to be involved in the exacerbation of COVID-19 leading to fatal outcomes, which allows us to identify the specific comorbidities that have higher risk in patients. The study highlights COVID-19 high-risk groups. However, further research should focus on the status of comorbidities and prognosis in COVID-19 patients., (Copyright © 2021 Ng et al.)

We explore an approach for optically pumping a body of optically dense magnetic material. This challenge arises in time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR), triplet-based dynamic nuclear polarisation (DNP), and cavity QED. Crystals of pentacene-doped p-terphenyl were grown around variously shaped ends of optical waveguides, through which pump light could be injected deeply into the crystal. When incorporated into a maser as the gain medium, we found that, compared to conventional side-pumping, 11 times less pump beam intensity was needed to reach the masing threshold and 54 times more pulse energy could be absorbed by the gain medium without damage, resulting in a record peak output power of -5 dBm.

COVID-19 emerged in late 2019 and has rapidly spread through many countries globally. The causative SARS-CoV-2 virus was not known until recently, and there is little or no natural immunity in human populations. There is an urgent need for vaccines and drugs to combat this new pandemic. In just a few months, huge efforts and resources by government, academia, and industry have been thrown into the race to develop a vaccine. This brief review summarizes and discusses the array of technologies being applied to vaccine development, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed.No competing interests were disclosed.No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2020 Ng WH et al.)