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Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a common orthopedic disease characterized by disability and deformity. To better understand ONFH at molecular level and to explore the possibility of early diagnosis, instead of diagnosis based on macroscopic spatial characteristics, a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI MSI) method was developed for ONFH disease for the first time. The most challenging step for ONFH MSI is to deal with human bone tissues which are much harder than the other biological samples studied by the reported MSI studies. In this work, the MSI sectioning method of hard bone tissues was established using tender acids and a series of test criteria. Small-molecule metabolites, such as lipids and amino acids, were detected in bone sections, realizing the in situ detection of spatial distribution of biometabolites. By comparing the distribution of metabolites from different regions of normal femoral head, ONFH bone tissue (ONBT), and adjacent ONFH bone tissue (ANBT), the whole process of femoral head from normal stage to necrosis was monitored and visualized at molecular level. Moreover, this developed MSI method was used for metabolomics study of ONFH. 72 differential metabolites were identified, suggesting that disturbances in energy metabolism and lipid metabolism affected the normal life activities of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. This study provides new perspectives for future pathological studies of ONFH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpos: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of the Medial Sustain Nail (MSN) for medial comminuted trochanteric fractures fixation in comparison to Proximal Femoral Nail Antirotation (PFNA) through a clinical study. Methods: A non-inferiority randomized controlled trial was conducted at a single centre between July 2019 and July 2020. Fifty patients diagnosed comminuted trochanteric fractures were randomly assigned to either the MSN group (n = 25) or the PFNA group (n = 25). A total of forty-three patients were included in the final study analysis. The primary outcome measure was Short Form 36 health surgery physical component summary (SF-36 PCS) score. Secondary outcomes included the Oxford Hip Scores (OHS), weight bearing, complication relate to implant and so on. This study was not blined to surgeons, but to patients and data analysts. Results: The MSN demonstrated significantly better functional outcomes as measured by SF-36 PCS and OHS at six months postoperative compared to PFNA (p < 0.05). Union of fractures in the MSN group reached 90.9% at three months after surgery, whereas the PFNA group achieved a union rate of 57.1% (p < 0.05). Furthermore, weight-bearing time of MSN group was earlier than PFNA group (p < 0.05). Additionally, complications related to implant usage were more prevalent in the PFNA group (33.3%) compared to the MSN group (4.5%) (p < 0.05). Conclusion: MSN exhibited superior quality of life outcomes compared to PFNA at six months postoperative. This indicates that MSN effectively reconstructs medial femoral support in patients with comminuted trochanteric fractures, which facilitates early weight-bearing and accelerates the recovery process. Trial registration: Trial registration number: NCT01437176, Date of the trial registration:2011–9-1, Date of commencement of the study:2011–9, Date of enrolment/recruitment of the study subjects:2019–7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered metal oxides are promising cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to their high theoretical specific capacity and wide Na+ diffusion channels. However, the irreversible phase transitions and cationic/anionic redoxes cause fast capacity decay. Herein, P2-type Na0.67Mg0.1Mn0.8Fe0.1O2 (NMMF-1) cathode material with moderate active Fe3+ doping has been designed for sodium storage. Uneven Mn3+/Mn4+distribution is observed in NMMF-1 and the introduction of Fe3+ is beneficial for reducing the Mn3+ contents both at the surface and in the bulk to alleviate the Jahn–Teller effect. The moderate Fe3+/Fe4+ redox can realize the best tradeoff between capacity and cyclability. Therefore, the NMMF-1 demonstrates a high capacity (174.7 mAh g−1 at 20 mA g−1) and improved cyclability (78.5% over 100 cycles) in a wide-voltage range of 1.5–4.5 V (vs. Na+/Na). In-situ X-ray diffraction reveals a complete solid-solution reaction with a small volume change of 1.7% during charge/discharge processes and the charge compensation is disclosed in detail. This study will provide new insights into designing high-capacity and stable layered oxide cathode materials for SIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Both modular and monoblock tapered fluted titanium (TFT) stems are increasingly being used for revision total hip arthroplasty (rTHA). However, the differences between the two designs in clinical outcomes and complications are not yet clear. Here, we intend to compare the efficacy and safety of modular versus monoblock TFT stems in rTHA. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched to include studies comparing modular and monoblock implants in rTHA. Data on the survivorship of stems, postoperative hip function, and complications were extracted following inclusion criteria. Inverse variance and Mantel–Haenszel methods in Review Manager (version 5.3 from Cochrane Collaboration) were used to evaluate differences between the two groups. Results: Ten studies with a total of 2188 hips (1430 modular and 758 monoblock stems) were finally included. The main reason for the revision was aseptic loosening. Paprosky type III was the most common type in both groups. Both stems showed similar re-revision rates (modular vs monoblock: 10.3% vs 9.5%, P = 0.80) and Harris Hip Scores (WMD = 0.43, P = 0.46) for hip function. The intraoperative fracture rate was 11.6% and 5.0% (P = 0.0004) for modular and monoblock stems, respectively. The rate of subsidence > 10 mm was significantly higher in the monoblock group (4.5% vs 1.0%, P = 0.003). The application of extended trochanteric osteotomy was more popular in monoblock stems (22.7% vs 17.5%, P = 0.003). The incidence of postoperative complications such as periprosthetic femoral fracture and dislocation was similar between both stems. Conclusions: No significant difference was found between modular and monoblock tapered stems as regards postoperative hip function, re-revision rates, and complications. Severe subsidence was more frequent in monoblock stems while modular ones were at higher risk of intraoperative fracture. Level of evidence: Level III, systematic review of randomized control and non-randomized studies. Trial Registration: We registered our study in the international prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO) (CRD42020213642). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical conversion of CO2 to formic acid using Bismuth catalysts is one the most promising pathways for industrialization. However, it is still difficult to achieve high formic acid production at wide voltage intervals and industrial current densities because the Bi catalysts are often poisoned by oxygenated species. Herein, we report a Bi3S2 nanowire-ascorbic acid hybrid catalyst that simultaneously improves formic acid selectivity, activity, and stability at high applied voltages. Specifically, a more than 95% faraday efficiency was achieved for the formate formation over a wide potential range above 1.0 V and at ampere-level current densities. The observed excellent catalytic performance was attributable to a unique reconstruction mechanism to form more defective sites while the ascorbic acid layer further stabilized the defective sites by trapping the poisoning hydroxyl groups. When used in an all-solid-state reactor system, the newly developed catalyst achieved efficient production of pure formic acid over 120 hours at 50 mA cm–2 (200 mA cell current). Achieving high pure formic acid production from CO2 electroconversion is of high interest yet challenging. Here the authors report vitamin C functionalized Bi3S2 nanowire catalyst to achieve selective, active, and stable formic acid production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate and summarise the current state of research and trends in orthopaedic surgical robots. Data on publicly available publications related to orthopaedic surgical robots were extracted by abstract searches of the Web of Science Core Collection database. A bibliometric analysis and detailed reading of the publications were then carried out and the information was visualised using co-authorship analysis, coupling analysis, co-citation analysis and co-occurrence analysis in VOSviewer. With 436 publications included in the study from 1993 to 2022, the overall contribution of publications to the world showed an increasing trend year by year, with a particularly pronounced after 2017, and a geographical trend of predominantly East Asia, North America, and Western Europe. Of these, China was the largest contributor (n = 128). Overall, the UK affiliates and their scholars were leaders in the field, with a high number of publications, total citations, average citations per article and H-index. The most published institutions and authors were Imperial College London (n = 21) and Professor Fares Sahi Haddad of University College London (n = 12), respectively. Journals with a high overall impact on robotic orthopaedic surgery were the Journal of Arthroplasty, Bone Joint Journal, International Journal of Medical Robotics and Computer Assisted Surgery. Keyword co-occurrence network analysis revealed four main clusters: robot-assisted knee, hip arthroplasty, spine surgery, and robotic technology research and development. The top three most common sites for robot-assisted surgery use were the knee, hip and spine. The most used robot types were the knee and spine, with Mako and Arobot being the most used robots for the knee and TiRobot for the spine. This study comprehensively reveals the current status and trends of global research on orthopaedic surgical robots, covering countries, institutions, authors, journals, research hotspots, robot types and surgical sites, providing directional guidance and research ideas for further research on the technological development and clinical evaluation of orthopaedic surgical robots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-value recyclable waste (LVRW) is an essential component of municipal domestic waste. Due to the lightweight and high quantity characteristics, the main disposal methods of LVRW are incineration and landfill, which are not conducive to the environmental protection requirements and the goal of carbon neutrality and emission peak. The paper focuses on the delicate separation of LVRW to realize a cost-effective solution for waste sorting. Firstly, a machine vision (MV) pneumatic sorting equipment was designed based on the MV detection system. Then, a large number of authentic waste images were captured and labeled to train a high accuracy LVRW prediction model through semi-automatic labeling and transfer learning. Subsequently, the LVRW waste sorting solution was designed and constructed, and a comparative experimental study about the MV sorting method and the whole solution was conducted. The experimental results show that the MV sorting method achieves 92% sorting accuracy, and the solution can dispose of 65 tons of LVRW per day with a waste recycling rate of 37.7%. The sorting equipment and solutions developed in the paper can effectively improve the resource utilization of LVRW at a lower cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To perform quantitative measurements of the anatomic morphology of the proximal ulna and establish the morphologic references based on Chinese for the surgical protocol and implant design. Methods: The computed tomography data of 156 upper extremities were involved in this study. The ulna model was reconstructed in Mimics. Ten distance and 6 angle parameters were measured by 4 independent investigators with a new quantitative measurement method. The intraclass correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the measuring reliability. Gender and side differences of measured parameters were evaluated. Results: Measurements showed a mean coronoid height of 15 mm, which was 42% of ulnar height with gender-specific differences (mean 16 mm in men and 14 mm in women, P < 0.001). A mean unsupported anteromedial facet width of 8 mm was 61% of the coronoid anteromedial facet. A larger opening angle correlates to a larger olecranon-diaphysis angle (P < 0.001) and larger coronoid height (P = 0.001). A mean proximal ulna dorsal angulation of 4.7° is present in 80% of models at an average of 52 mm distal to olecranon tip. The average proximal ulna varus angulation was 16° at a mean of 74 mm distal to the olecranon tip. Morphological features between the left and right sides were highly consistent. The ICC was between 0.789 and 0.978 for inter-observer and between 0.696 and 0.997 for intra-observer reliability. Conclusions: The proximal ulna features variable morphology but minor side differences among individuals. Over half of the anteromedial facet was not supported by the proximal ulnar diaphysis, making the coronoid vulnerable to elbow trauma. Preconditioning or customized design of the ulnar plate in the clinical setting with the help of contralateral morphology may be a good choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigation on the dynamic characteristics of bridges for structural condition assessment is challenging when nonlinear breathing cracks in the bridge and nonstationary vehicle-bridge interaction are considered. Variational mode decomposition (VMD) method has been widely used to analyze the nonlinear time-series, but its performance is highly dependent on the parameter setting, i.e., the number of modes and the penalty factor. A new method based on the parameter optimization VMD is proposed to extract the nonlinear dynamic characteristics from responses of bridge under moving vehicle loads in this paper. The Chicken Swarm Optimization algorithm is used to optimize the VMD parameters to improve the decomposition and characterization. A general breathing crack model is introduced to simulate the bridge damage. The acceleration response of bridge considering the cracks is decomposed by the proposed method. The instantaneous frequency (IF) is then obtained from the time–frequency representation of the bridge-related response component using the ridge detection. Numerical simulations are performed to investigate the effect of the crack location and extent on the IFs for structural damage detection. The effect of the vehicle–bridge interaction is also discussed. The method is further verified using the laboratory experimental results of a concrete bridge model under the vehicle load. The nonstationary and nonlinear dynamic properties of the bridge model with different damage scenarios are successfully identified. The results show that the extracted IF clearly reveals the behaviour of breathing crack that can be a potential indicator of the damage in the bridge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the fire hazard and flame spread characteristics of vertical U-shape channel (asymmetric U-shape geometry) façade were investigated experimentally. A theoretical model for the flame spread and air entrainment mechanisms was also provided. It was found that the flame height, flame spread rate, and mass loss rate (MLR) increased with the increasing geometrical factor (dimensionless depth). And a limit was reached when the geometrical factor increased. Data indicated that the fire hazard of U-shape geometry was significantly higher than that of flat shape. For asymmetric factors (dimensionless asymmetric variances), the flame spread rate, flame height, and MLR decreased with the increasing asymmetric factor. Moreover, the theoretical model showed that flame spread rate increased with geometrical factor and decreased with asymmetric factor. Also, induced flow speed reached a limit with the increasing geometrical factor. Theoretical analysis agreed well with experiments. Model predictions of flame spread rate were reasonable and in the same order of magnitude as experiments. Theoretical analysis showed that flat-shape, L-shape, and symmetric U-shape geometries could be regarded as special cases of asymmetric geometries. The results of this study could be used for fire safety evaluations of vertical surface structure designs such as building façade and wall design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to compare the effectiveness of anatomic locking plate and reconstruction plate used in treating acetabular fractures. Methods: From January 2009 to January 2016, patients with acetabular fractures were included in this retrospective study. We grouped the patients into two groups based on the internal fixation: reconstruction plate group (RPG) and anatomic locking plate group (ALPG). The operation time, blood loss, intra-operative screw penetration, and plate breakage were compared between the two groups. The intra-operative fluoroscopic images were used to evaluate the fixation location. The quality of reduction and radiological grading were assessed according to the criteria developed by Matta. The clinical assessment was based on the Merle d'Aubigne-Postel score. Results: Eighty-three patients were included in this study and were followed up for an average of 35 months (range, 25 to 42 months). Thirty-five patients were treated with the anatomical locking plate, and 48 patients were treated with the reconstruction plate. The mean surgical time was significantly shorter (P < 0.0001) in ALPG patients than in RPG patients, and the intra-operative blood loss was significantly lower (P = 0.008). The rates of intra-operative screw penetration or plate breakage in the ALPG (0/35) are significantly lower than that in the RPG (7/48) (P = 0.018). Post-operative Matta score (P = 0.905), Merle d'Aubigne-Postel score (P = 0.957), and overall complication rates (P = 0.391) were not significantly different among the groups. Conclusion: Patients treated by anatomical locking plate had shorter operation time, less bleeding, and lower rate screw perforation compared to patients treated by reconstruction plate. Anatomical locking plate is a better choice for acetabulum fractures, especially complicated fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct experimental observations of the interface structure can provide vital insights into heterogeneous catalysis. Examples of interface design based on single atom and surface science are, however, extremely rare. Here, we report Cu–Sn single-atom surface alloys, where isolated Sn sites with high surface densities (up to 8%) are anchored on the Cu host, for efficient electrocatalytic CO2 reduction. The unique geometric and electronic structure of the Cu–Sn surface alloys (Cu97Sn3 and Cu99Sn1) enables distinct catalytic selectivity from pure Cu100 and Cu70Sn30 bulk alloy. The Cu97Sn3 catalyst achieves a CO Faradaic efficiency of 98% at a tiny overpotential of 30 mV in an alkaline flow cell, where a high CO current density of 100 mA cm−2 is obtained at an overpotential of 340 mV. Density functional theory simulation reveals that it is not only the elemental composition that dictates the electrocatalytic reactivity of Cu–Sn alloys; the local coordination environment of atomically dispersed, isolated Cu–Sn bonding plays the most critical role. The understanding of catalytic reactions at the atomic interface is vital; however, the characterization and mechanism studies of atomically dispersed catalysts remain challenging. Here, the authors demonstrate Cu–Sn surface alloys with isolated Sn atoms on a Cu host to achieve efficient CO2 to CO conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activation of TLRs mediated the NF-κB signaling pathway plays an important pathophysiological role in cardiac hypertrophy. Triad3A, a ubiquitin E3 ligase, has been reported to negatively regulate NF-κB activation pathway via promoting ubiquitination and degradation of TLR4 and TLR9 in innate immune cells. The role of Triad3A in cardiac hypertrophic development remains unknown. The present study investigated whether there is a link between Triad3A and TLR4 and TLR9 in pressure overload induced cardiac hypertrophy. We observed that Triad3A levels were markedly reduced following transverse aortic constriction (TAC) induced cardiac hypertrophy. Similarly, stimulation of neonatal rat cardiac myocytes (NRCMs) with angiotensin-II (Ang II) significantly decreased Triad3A expression. To determine the role of Triad3A in TAC-induced cardiac hypertrophy, we transduced the myocardium with adenovirus expressing Triad3A followed by induction of TAC. We observed that increased expression of Triad3A significantly attenuated cardiac hypertrophy and improved cardiac function. To investigate the mechanisms by which Triad3A attenuated cardiac hypertrophy, we examined the Triad3A E3 ubiquitination on TLR4 and TLR9. We found that Triad3A promoted TLR4 and TLR9 degradation through ubiquitination. Triad3A mediated TLR4 and TLR9 degradation resulted in suppression of NF-κB activation. Our data suggest that Triad3A plays a protective role in the development of cardiac hypertrophy, at least through catalyzing ubiquitination-mediated degradation of TLR4 and TLR9, thus negatively regulating NF-κB activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine how the reduction of medial and anteromedial cortices using CT findings in 31-A2 intertrochanteric fractures treated with the intramedullary nail could affect the clinical outcomes and complication rates of the fractures.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 43 patients with 31-A2 intertrochanteric fractures who underwent closed reduction and intramedullary internal fixation (CRIF) between January 2010 and December 2013. Patients were classified into two groups based on the post-operative CT scans taken from the sagittal and coronal planes, respectively. Five radiographic parameters and three clinical parameters were used to evaluate the post-operative functional states and mobilization levels in this study. Post-operative complications were also recorded.Results: The mean loss of the femoral neck-shaft angle (FNSA) was significantly smaller in Group C1 than that in Group C2. There were significant differences in the sliding distance of the cephalic nail and the loss of femoral head height between the two groups. In terms of the reduction conditions shown on the sagittal planes, the FNSA, sliding distance of the cephalic nail, and the loss of FHH were significantly different, although differences in TCD were not significant. Patients in groups C1 (3.6%) and S1 (0.0%) had lower complication rates compared to patients in groups C2 (26.7%) and S2 (27.8%).Conclusion: Patients with good reduction quality of the medial and anteromedial sustainable cortices had better clinical outcomes and lower complication rates. The sustainable stability and anti-rotational function of these validated reductions might play a critical role in maintaining the fragment positions and reducing the incidence of complications in patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/hypothesis: Diabetic retinopathy is a common microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus and is initiated by inflammation and apoptosis-associated retinal endothelial cell damage. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) has emerged as a critical regulator of these biological processes. We hypothesised that modulating PGE2 and its E-prostanoid receptor (EP2R) would prevent diabetes mellitus-induced inflammation and microvascular dysfunction.Methods: In a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced rat model of diabetes, rats received intravitreal injection of PGE2, butaprost (a PGE2/EP2R agonist) or AH6809 (an EP2R antagonist). Retinal histology, optical coherence tomography, ultrastructure of the retinal vascular and biochemical markers were assessed.Results: Intravitreal injection of PGE2 and butaprost significantly accelerated retinal vascular leakage, leucostasis and endothelial cell apoptosis in STZ-induced diabetic rats. This response was ameliorated in diabetic rats pre-treated with AH6809. In addition, pre-treatment of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells with AH6809 attenuated PGE2- and butaprost-induced activation of caspase 1, activation of the complex containing nucleotide-binding domain and leucine rich repeat containing family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a C-terminal caspase-activation and recruitment domain (ASC), and activation of the EP2R-coupled cAMP/protein kinase A/cAMP response element-binding protein signalling pathway.Conclusions/interpretation: The PGE2/EP2R signalling pathway is involved in STZ-induced diabetic retinopathy and could be considered as a potential target for diabetic retinopathy prevention and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a promising candidate for next generation energy storage devices, lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries still confront rapid capacity degradation and low rate capability. Herein, we report a well-architected porous nitrogen-doped carbon/MnO coaxial nanotubes (MnO@PNC) as an efficient sulfur host material. The host shows excellent electron conductivity, sufficient ion transport channels and strong adsorption capability for the polysulfides, resulting from the abundant nitrogen-doped sites and pores as well as MnO in the carbon shell of MnO@PNC. The MnO@PNC-S composite electrode with a sulfur content of 75 wt.% deliveries a specific capacity of 802 mAh·g-1 at a high rate of 5.0 C and outstanding cycling stability with a capacity retention of 82% after 520 cycles at 1.0 C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cement solidification is an important pre-treatment technology for municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash into landfill. The physicochemical properties and leaching characteristics are the foundation for assessing the long-term stability of the fly ash solidified with benchmark cement in landfills. The leaching performances of bulk components (Na, K, Ca, Cl, CO32−, and SO42−) and heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cr, Pb, and Zn) were analyzed based on the percolation column test and pH dependent test respectively. The research showed that in the cement-solidified fly ash, Na and K were mainly in the form of soluble chloride salts and would be washed out severely at the initial leaching stage due to the weak fixation effect of cement. Moreover, a considerable amount of Ca was washed out simultaneously with Na and K, causing a temporary increase in pH value, and then Ca leaching was controlled by the solubility of minerals, mainly calcium carbonate, ettringite formed with CO32− and SO42−. Cement solidification reduced the cumulative release of mobile Cu, Zn, Cr, Pb, and Cd contained in MSWI fly ash. In the cement-solidified fly ash, the leaching of Cu and Zn was controlled by mineral solubility under alkaline conditions, Cr was dependent on the redox conditions, and Pb was related to the complex structures formed with Si-O bonds of silicates. A further research on the long-term stability of the cement-solidified fly ash in landfills was needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free Poisson algebras are very closely connected with polynomial algebras, and the Poisson brackets are used to solve many problems in affine algebraic geometry. In this note, we study Poisson derivations on the symplectic Poisson algebra, and give a connection between the Jacobian conjecture with derivations on the symplectic Poisson algebra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the potential role of interleukin-18 (IL-18) in immunomodulation during tumorigenesis of esophageal carcinoma and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism, we employed IL-18 knockout mice for this purpose. Carcinogen 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO) was administrated in drinking water to induce occurrence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). T cell activation as indicated by the surface CD molecules was analyzed with flow cytometry. The serous content of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) along with other cytokines was determined by inflammatory human cytokine cytometric bead array. The cytotoxicity assay was performed by co-culture of tumor cells with immune cells and relative cell viability was determined by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay. Apoptotic cells were stained with Annexin-V/propidium iodide (PI) and analyzed by flow cytometry. Cell proliferation was measured with Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Our data demonstrated that deficiency of IL-18 promoted the progression and development of 4NQO-induced ESCC. Loss of IL-18 suppressed the activation of T cells in the esophagus. Deficiency of IL-18 inhibited the IFN-γ production by CD8+ T cells and natural killer (NK) cells. Absence of IL-18 inhibited the cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells and NK cell in vitro. Moreover, deficiency of IL-18 promoted the apoptosis of CD8+ T cells and inhibited the proliferation of CD8+ T cells in vitro. Our data elucidated the immunomodulatory role of IL-18 during tumorigenesis of ESCC, whose deficiency compromised antitumor immunity and contributed to immune escape of esophageal carcinoma. Our results also indicated the therapeutic potential of exogenous IL-18 against ESCC, which warrants further investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction is presented to the article "Morphometric feature description of the proximal ulna based on quantitative measurement: a key consideration for implant design" which published internet portal on 12 December 2022 with Open Access under a Creative Commons Attribution.

An organic/inorganic bistable device is fabricated by using a simple spin-coating technique, in which the hybrid silver sulfide (AgS) poly( N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) nanocomposite film is sandwiched between two electrodes. An obvious electrical hysteresis is observed in the current-voltage ( I- V) curve of the device measured in the presence of different oxygen concentrations, and the magnitude of the electrical hysteresis is decreased with a decrease of the oxygen concentrations. The electrical bistability of the device exhibits a strong dependence on the oxygen concentrations, and the current variation of the OFF state is higher than that of the ON state with the gas atmosphere changing from N to air. Different theoretical models have been employed to describe the carrier transport mechanisms of the device in the OFF and ON states measured in different gas atmospheres on the basis of the experimental I- V results, and the carrier transport of the device in the ON state measured in air is very different from that measured in N and low O concentrations due to the participation of oxygen vacancies in the trapping and de-trapping processes of electrons into and out of the AgS/PVK heterointerface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate whether non-culprit coronary lesions (NCCLs) in young patients (<45 years) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stents have higher rates of atherosclerotic progression than older patients. Eight hundred and forty-eight consecutive patients who underwent successful PCI with stents and second coronary angiography in a single center from January 7, 2008 to May 7, 2013 were enrolled. NCCL progression was assessed using three-dimensional quantitative coronary angiography and was defined as ≥10 % diameter reduction of preexisting stenoses of ≥50 %, ≥30 % diameter reduction of <50 % stenoses, development of a new stenosis of ≥30 % in a previously normal segment, or progression to total occlusion. The mean time interval between two catheterization was 10.79 months; 136 (16.0 %) patients exhibited progression of NCCLs. Multivariate Cox regression analysis (stepwise) showed young age to be an independent determinant of NCCL progression. Compared with the older patients(≥45 years), the crude hazard ratio (HR) for NCCL progression in the young patients(<45 years) was 2.17 (95 % CI 1.42-3.30; P < 0.001); the association remained significant after adjustment for sex, ST elevation myocardial infarction, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum lipids, fasting blood glucose, smoking, drinking, hypertension, family history of coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, medication use and NCCL characteristics (adjusted HR 1.70, 95 % CI 1.06-2.72; P = 0.029). NCCLs in young patients (<45 years) with coronary artery disease have high rates of atherosclerotic progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An electrically bistable device has been fabricated based on poly( N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK)-silver sulfide (AgS) composite films using a simple spin-coating method. Current-voltage ( I-V) characteristics of the as-fabricated devices exhibit a typical electrical bistability and negative differential resistance (NDR) effect. The NDR effect can be tuned by varying the positive charging voltage and the charging time. The maximum current ratio between the high-conducting state (ON state) and low-conducting state (OFF state) can reach up to 10. The carrier transport mechanisms in the OFF and ON states are described by using different models on the basis of the experimental result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let k ⊆ k′ be a field extension. We give relations between the kernels of higher derivations on k[ X] and k′[ X], where k[ X]:= k[ x1,…, xn] denotes the polynomial ring in n variables over the field k. More precisely, let D = { Dn} n=0∞ a higher k-derivation on k[ X] and D′ = { D′ n} n=0∞ a higher k′-derivation on k′[ X] such that D′ m( xi) = Dm( xi) for all m ⩾ 0 and i = 1, 2,…, n. Then (1) k[ X] D = k if and only if k′[ X] D′ = k′; (2) k[ X] D is a finitely generated k-algebra if and only if k′[ X] D′ is a finitely generated k′-algebra. Furthermore, we also show that the kernel k[ X] D of a higher derivation D of k[ X] can be generated by a set of closed polynomials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report here an efficient mesoporous polymeric solid acid catalyst ( p-PDVB-SOH) with superhydrophobic-oleophilic properties synthesized from copolymerization of divinylbenzene (DVB) with sodium p-styrene sulfonate under solvothermal conditions. N isotherm showed that p-PDVB-SOH has large BET surface area and uniform mesopore. Contact angle tests showed that p-PDVB-SOH exhibits superhydrophobic-oleophilic property for triolein and methanol, which results in its good miscibility and high exposition degree of active sites for various organic reactants. Catalytic tests showed that p-PDVB-SOH has much better catalytic activities and recyclability toward transesterification to biodiesel than those of H-form mesoporous ZMS-5 zeolite, carbon solid acid and commercially acidic resin of Amberlyst 15, which will be very important for its wide applications for biodiesel production in industry. Graphical Abstract: Superhydrophobic-oleophilic mesoporous solid acid of p-PDVB-SOH exhibits very good wettability for methanol and plants oil, further leading to its high exposition degree of active sites, which results in its excellent catalytic activity toward transesterification to biodiesel.[Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies local M-estimation of the nonparametric components of additive models. A two-stage local M-estimation procedure is proposed for estimating the additive components and their derivatives. Under very mild conditions, the proposed estimators of each additive component and its derivative are jointly asymptotically normal and share the same asymptotic distributions as they would be if the other components were known. The established asymptotic results also hold for two particular local M-estimations: the local least squares and least absolute deviation estimations. However, for general two-stage local M-estimation with continuous and nonlinear ψ-functions, its implementation is time-consuming. To reduce the computational burden, one-step approximations to the two-stage local M-estimators are developed. The one-step estimators are shown to achieve the same efficiency as the fully iterative two-stage local M-estimators, which makes the two-stage local M-estimation more feasible in practice. The proposed estimators inherit the advantages and at the same time overcome the disadvantages of the local least-squares based smoothers. In addition, the practical implementation of the proposed estimation is considered in details. Simulations demonstrate the merits of the two-stage local M-estimation, and a real example illustrates the performance of the methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon materials are generally preferred as anodes in supercapacitors; however, their low capacitance limits the attained energy density of supercapacitor devices with aqueous electrolytes. Here, we report a low-crystalline iron oxide hydroxide nanoparticle anode with comprehensive electrochemical performance at a wide potential window. The iron oxide hydroxide nanoparticles present capacitances of 1,066 and 716 F g−1 at mass loadings of 1.6 and 9.1 mg cm−2, respectively, a rate capability with 74.6% of capacitance retention at 30 A g−1, and cycling stability retaining 91% of capacitance after 10,000 cycles. The performance is attributed to a dominant capacitive charge-storage mechanism. An aqueous hybrid supercapacitor based on the iron oxide hydroxide anode shows stability during float voltage test for 450 h and an energy density of 104 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 1.27 kW kg−1. A packaged device delivers gravimetric and volumetric energy densities of 33.14 Wh kg−1 and 17.24 Wh l−1, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]