Search

Hypervascularized glioblastoma is naturally sensitive to anti‐angiogenesis but suffers from low efficacy of transient vasculature normalization. In this study, a lipid‐polymer nanoparticle is synthesized to execute compartmentalized Cas9 and sgRNA delivery for a permanent vasculature editing strategy by knocking out the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). The phenylboronic acid branched cationic polymer is designed to condense sgRNA electrostatically (inner compartment) and patch Cas9 coordinatively (outer compartment), followed by liposomal hybridization with angiopep‐2 decoration for blood–brain barrier (BBB) penetration. The lipid‐polymer nanoparticles can reach glioblastoma within 2 h post intravenous administration, and hypoxia in tumor cells triggers charge‐elimination and degradation of the cationic polymer for burst release of Cas9 and sgRNA, accompanied by instant Cas9 RNP assembly, yielding ≈50% STAT3 knockout. The downregulation of downstream vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) reprograms vasculature normalization to improve immune infiltration, collaborating with interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) reduction to develop anti‐glioblastoma responses. Collectively, the combinational assembly for compartmentalized Cas9/sgRNA delivery provides a potential solution in glioblastoma therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The quality of fish is easily damaged during the frozen process, and the ice glazing technology can better maintain the quality of frozen fish. However, the traditional ice glazing technology is not yet stable and some of the properties need to be improved. This research optimised ice glazing technology by adding different antioxidants to the traditional ice glazing, which improved the stability of the ice glazing and lessened the dry consumption of mackerel during frozen storage. The lipid oxidation and protein denaturation of mackerel were inhibited with the addition of antioxidants to the ice glazing, the freshness of mackerel was maintained better, and the production of histamine was also decreased during frozen storage. It was found that the ice glazing with the addition of antioxidant bamboo leaves (AOB) had better water retention, lower TVB‐N value, and histamine content compared to the addition of theaflavins (TF) and sodium isovitamin (VC). Moreover, the sample treated by the ice glazing with AOB showed less lipid oxidation and protein denaturation. Therefore, ice glazing with the addition of AOB could be an optional method for relieving the quality deterioration of mackerel during frozen storage. This research also provides insights into the coupling of antioxidants and ice‐coating techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many resource‐oriented regions on plateaus (RORP) are facing the double threat of ecological destruction and resource exploitation. The traditional development mode will destroy fragile ecosystems in RORP, resulting in substantial environmental governance costs and environmental restoration difficulties. Therefore, realizing the sustainable development of these regions has become a major topic of interest. In this study, we designed a sustainable development mode, that is, "conservation mining‐ecological restoration‐substitute industries‐energy saving and emission reduction" (CESE), for RORP. The integration of the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Service and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model and the system dynamics (SD) model were used to evaluate and simulate the comprehensive effect and future trends of the sustainable development mode in the RORP. The evaluation and simulation results clearly show that through long‐term stable operation, this sustainable development mode can alleviate the double threat of the "unbridled development‐fragile ecosystem"(UDFE) and achieve synchronous growth of ecological, economic, and social benefits. Additionally, this study further proposes the potential risks of this mode and directions for iterative improvements, serving as goals of regional optimization and improvement in the future. The sustainable development mode of RORP proposed in this study has important theoretical significance and practical value for mitigating the double threat associated with the development of RORP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of silicon‐based anodes is significantly challenged by low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) and poor cyclability. Traditional pre‐lithiation reagents often pose safety concerns due to their unstable chemical nature. Achieving a balance between water‐stability and high ICE in prelithiated silicon is a critical issue. Here, we present a lithium‐enriched silicon/graphite material with an ultra‐high ICE of ≥110 % through a high‐stable lithium pre‐storage methodology. Lithium pre‐storage prepared a nano‐drilled graphite material with surficial lithium functional groups, which can form chemical bonds with adjacent silicon during high‐temperature sintering. This results in an unexpected O−Li−Si interaction, leading to in situ pre‐lithiation of silicon nanoparticles and providing high stability in air and water. Additionally, the lithium‐enriched silicon/graphite materials impart a combination of high ICE, high specific capacity (620 mAh g−1), and long cycling stability (>400 cycles). This study opens up a promising avenue for highly air‐ and water‐stable silicon anode prelithiation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of alcohol‐associated diseases is multifactorial, mechanism of which involves metabolic alteration, dysregulated immune response, and a perturbed intestinal host‐environment interface. Emerging evidence has pinpointed the critical role of the intestinal host–microbiota interaction in alcohol‐induced injuries, suggesting its contribution to disease initiation and development. To maintain homeostasis in the gut, the intestinal mucosa serves as the first‐line defense against exogenous factors in the gastrointestinal tract, including dietary contents and the commensal microbiota. The gut‐epithelial barrier comprises a physical barrier lined with a single layer of intestinal epithelial cells and a chemical barrier with mucus trapping host regulatory factors and gut commensal bacteria. In this article, we review recent studies pertaining to the disrupted gut‐epithelial barrier upon alcohol exposure and examine how alcohol and its metabolism can affect the regulatory ability of intestinal epithelium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hypoxic environment of deep tissue and the weak energy of microwave (MW) are still the major limitations of MW catalytic therapy. In this work, an MW‐responsive nano‐platform consisting of an Mn‐doped porphyrin metal–organic framework loaded with   calcium peroxide (Mn0.1PCC) is designed to regulate the microenvironment of the injection site and enhance the generation of reactive oxygen species. The excellent MW absorbing properties of Mn0.1PCC improve the Fenton reaction between hydrogen peroxide formed by the hydrolysis of calcium peroxide and released Mn2+ generating more hydroxyl radicals under MW. This process does not consume the oxygen substrate and even produces oxygen to improve the hypoxic environment. Therefore, at a low and safe concentration (125 µg mL−1), the antibacterial rate of Mn0.1PCC against 4 × 108 CFU mL−1 of methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) after MW irradiation for 15 min is 99.71% ± 0.18%. Mn0.1PCC, upon exposure to MW, prevents the recurrence of bacterial infections and overcomes drug resistance by inhibiting quorum sensing and the two‐component system of MRSA. It can also induce macrophage M1 polarization, up‐regulate the pro‐inflammatory factor tumor necrosis factor‐α, and enhance the phagocytosis of macrophage to bacteria. This strategy provides insights into the development of high‐performance MW‐responsive nanocomposites for the treatment of infections in deep tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition‐metal‐based compounds have been intensively explored as efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Feasible reconstruction to the real active sites, which is yet to be identified, endows the promotion of HER activity. Here, it is reported that the incoming S coordinates and anion vacancies prompt the structural reconstruction of S‐doped Co3O4 on carbon cloth (S‐Co3O4/CC) during HER. A list of in situ studies reveals that the real active sites for HER are the "metallic surface‐adparticles" system embracing metallic Co scaffold and the dilute coverage of S coordinated Coδ+. Reaction mechanism exploration illustrates that interfacial perimeters between the coverage of Co3S4 moieties and metallic Co considerably facilitate the adsorption of H*, improve the kinetics of water dissociation, and consequently promote HER activity. The exemplified sulfide‐mediated topotactic transformation strategy is extended to the preparation of S, Fe codoped Ni(OH)2 (S‐NiFe/CC) as a bifunctional electrocatalyst. The assembled anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer achieves a current density of 1.0 A cm−2 at 1.72 V, showing excellent capability in catalyzing overall water splitting at ampere level. This study, showing a feasible strategy that enables the facile reconstruction to identify active sites, would inspire the development of efficient electrocatalysts for HER and other electrochemical hydrogenation reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Females with existing high‐risk HPV (HR‐HPV) infections remain at risk of subsequent multiple or recurrent infections, on which benefit from HPV vaccines was under‐reported. We pooled individual‐level data from four large‐scale, RCTs of AS04‐HPV‐16/18 vaccine to evaluate efficacy and immunogenicity in females DNA‐positive to any HR‐HPV types at first vaccination. Females receiving the AS04‐HPV‐16/18 vaccine in the original RCTs constituted the vaccine group in the present study, while those unvaccinated served as the control group. Vaccine efficacy (VE) against new infections and associated cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2+ in females DNA‐negative to the considered HR‐HPV type but positive to any other HR‐HPV types, VE against reinfections in females DNA‐positive to the considered HR‐HPV type but cleared naturally during later follow‐up, and levels of anti‐HPV‐16/18 IgG were assessed. Our final analyses included 5137 females (vaccine group = 2532, control group = 2605). The median follow‐up time was 47.88 months (IQR: 45.72‐50.04). For the prevention of precancerous lesions related to the non‐infected HR‐HPV types at baseline, VE against HPV‐16/18 related CIN 2+ was 82.70% (95% CI: 63.70‐93.00%). For the prevention of reinfections related to the infected HR‐HPV types following natural clearance, VE against HPV‐16/18 12MPI was non‐significant (p >.05), albeit robust immunity persisted for at least 48 months. Females with existing HR‐HPV infections at first vaccination still benefit from vaccination in preventing precancers related to the non‐infected types at baseline. VE against reinfections related to the infected types following natural clearance remains to be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) with an anti‐ vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agent, bevacizumab or ramucirumab, is indicated for advanced lung adenocarcinoma harboring EGFR mutation. This study aimed to show the real‐world data of combination therapy and compare the effectiveness between bevacizumab and ramucirumab in combination with an EGFR‐TKI. This retrospective study enrolled 47 patients diagnosed of stage IV lung adenocarcinoma with exon 19 deletion or L858R point mutation, receiving a first‐line EGFR‐TKI with anti‐VEGF agent, including 34 (72%) and 13 (28%) patients receiving bevacizumab and ramucirumab, respectively. The response rate was similar in both groups (p = 0.38). Patients receiving bevacizumab had similar progression free survival (PFS) as those receiving ramucirumab (median PFS: 21.9 vs. 24.2 months, p = 0.4871); similar finding was noted in overall survival (OS) (median OS: 33.5 months vs. not reached, p = 0.4618). Patients receiving ramucirumab experienced a significantly high‐grade hypertension compared to those receiving bevacizumab (p = 0.0351). Multivariable Cox regression analysis found independent risk factors for worse PFS included poorer ECOG performance status, multiple (≥3) metastatic sites, brain metastasis, and pleural metastasis/effusion, while the type of anti‐VEGF agent was not a risk factor. Pericardial metastasis/effusion was the only one independent risk factor for worse OS. In summary, ramucirumab may have similar effectiveness as bevacizumab in combination with an EGFR‐TKI as first line therapy for advanced lung adenocarcinoma harboring susceptible EGFR mutation. Further large‐scale registry‐based cohort studies may be needed to validate our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthworms, long utilized in traditional medicine, serve as a source of inspiration for modern therapeutics. Lysenin, a defensive factor in the coelom fluid of the earthworm Eisenia fetida, has multiple bioactivities. However, the inherent toxicity of Lysenin as a pore‐forming protein (PFP) restricts its application in therapy. Here, a gene therapy strategy based on Lysenin for cancer treatment is presented. The formulation consists of polymeric nanoparticles complexed with the plasmid encoding Lysenin. After transfection in vitro, melanoma cells can express Lysenin, resulting in necrosis, autophagy, and immunogenic cell death. The secretory signal peptide alters the intracellular distribution of the expressed product of Lysenin, thereby potentiating its anticancer efficacy. The intratumor injection of Lysenin gene formulation can efficiently kill the transfected melanoma cells and activate the antitumor immune response. Notably, no obvious systemic toxicity is observed during the treatment. Non‐viral gene therapy based on Lysenin derived from Eisenia foetida exhibits potential in cancer therapy, which can inspire future cancer therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isocryptomerin (ISO) is a flavonoid isolated from the natural medicine Selaginellae Herba, which has various pharmacological activities. This study investigated the antitumor effect and underlying molecular mechanism of ISO on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) HepG2 cells. The cell viability assay revealed that ISO has a considerable killing effect on HCC cell lines. The apoptosis assay showed that ISO induced mitochondria‐dependent apoptosis through the Bad/cyto‐c/cleaved (cle)‐caspase‐3/cleaved (cle)‐PARP pathway. The network pharmacological analysis found 13 key target genes, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), AKT, mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling pathways were strongly associated with ISO against HCC. Further verification of the results showed that ISO induced apoptosis by increasing p‐p38 and p‐JNK expression and decreasing p‐EGFR, p‐SRC, p‐ERK, and p‐STAT3 expression. Furthermore, ISO induced G0/G1 phase arrest by downregulating p‐AKT, Cyclin D, and CDK 4 expression and upregulating p21 and p27 expression in HepG2 cells. Moreover, ISO inhibited HepG2 cell migration by decreasing p‐GSK‐3β, β‐catenin, and N‐cadherin expression and increasing E‐cadherin expression. Additionally, ISO promoted ROS accumulation in HepG2 cells, and ISO‐induced apoptosis, arrest cell cycle, and inhibition of migration were reversed by an ROS scavenger, N‐acetyl‐ l‐cysteine. Overall, ISO induced cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest and inhibited cell migration by ROS‐mediated EGFR, AKT, and MAPK signaling pathways in HepG2 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the inverse problem for the time‐fractional two‐dimensional Cahn–Hilliard equation. The ill‐posedness and a conditional stability of the inverse problem are proved. We present a new iterative variational regularization method to solve it. The convergence rates of the regularized solutions under the a priori regularization parameter choice rule and a posteriori regularization parameter choice rule are obtained. Numerical examples illustrate the effectiveness and stability of our proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is devoted to solve an inverse source problem of time fractional diffusion‐wave equation in a cylinder. The ill‐posedness, existence, and uniqueness of the inverse source problem are proved. We propose an iterative generalized quasi‐boundary value regularization method to deal with the inverse source problem. The convergence rates of the regularized solution are obtained under the a priori regularization parameter choice rule and the a posteriori regularization parameter choice rule. Numerical examples are presented to show the validity and stability of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Racial and ethnic disparities exist for hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) survival. Aim: To evaluate the impact of HCV treatment on such disparities. Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, we analysed 6069 patients with HCV‐related HCC (54.2% Asian, 30.1% White, 8.5% Black, and 7.3% Hispanic) from centres in the United States and Asia. Results: The mean age was 61, 60, 59 and 68, respectively, for White, Black, Hispanic and Asian patients. Black patients were most likely to have Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage D, vascular invasion and distant metastasis (23% vs. 5%–15%, 20% vs. 10%–17% and 10% vs. 5%–7%, respectively; all p < 0.0001). Treatment rate with direct‐acting antiviral agents (DAA) was 35.9% for Asian, 34.9% for White, 30.3% for Hispanic (30.3%), and 18.7% for Black patients (p < 0.0001). Among those untreated or without sustained virologic response (SVR), 10‐year survival rates were 35.4, 27.5, 19.3 and 14.0, respectively, for Asian, Hispanic, White and Black patients (p < 0.0001). There were no statistically significant differences among those with SVR (p = 0.44). On multivariable analysis adjusted for relevant confounders, there was no statistically significant association between survival and being Hispanic (aHR: 0.68, p = 0.26) or Black (aHR: 1.18, p = 0.60) versus White. There was a significant association between being Asian American and survival (aHR: 0.24, p = 0.001; non‐U.S. Asian: aHR: 0.66, p = 0.05), and for SVR (aHR: 0.30, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: DAA treatment rates were suboptimal. Racial and ethnic disparities resolved with HCV cure. Early diagnosis and improved access to HCV treatment is needed for all patients with HCV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous zinc–halogen batteries (AZHBs) have emerged as promising candidates for energy storage applications due to their high security features and low cost. However, several challenges including natural subliming, sluggish reaction kinetics, and shuttle effect of halogens, as well as dendrite growth of the zinc (Zn) anode, have hindered their large‐scale commercialization. In this review, first the fundamental mechanisms and scientific issues associated with AZHBs are summarized. Then the research issues and progresses related to the cathode, separator, anode, and electrolyte are discussed. Additionally, emerging research opportunities in this field is explored. Finally, ideas and prospects for the future development of AZHBs are presented. The objective of this review is to stimulate further exploration, foster the advancement of AZHBs, and contribute to the diversified development of electrochemical energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous zinc (Zn) ion batteries (AZIBs) have not yet fulfilled their talent of high safety and low cost since the anode/electrolyte interface (AEI) has long been impeded by hydrogen evolution, surface corrosion, dendritic growth, and by‐product accumulation. Here, the hydrolysis of solid buffers is elaborately proposed to comprehensively and enduringly handle these issues. Take 2D layered black phosphorus (BP) as a hydrolytic subject. It is reported that the phosphoric acid generated by hydrolysis in an aqueous electrolyte produces a zinc phosphate (ZPO) rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer, which largely inhibits the dendrite growth, surface corrosion, and hydrogen evolution. Meanwhile, the hydrolytic phosphoric acid stabilizes the pH value near AEI, avoiding the accumulation of alkaline by‐products. Notably, compared with the disposable ZPO engineerings of anodic SEI pre‐construction and electrolyte additive, the hydrolysis strategy of BP can realize a dramatically prolonged protective effect. As a result, these multiple merits endow BP modified separator to achieve improved stripping/plating stability toward Zn anode with more than ten times lifespan enhancement in Zn||Zn symmetrical cell. More encouragingly, when coupled with a V2O5·nH2O cathode with ultra‐high loadings (34.1 and 28.7 mg cm−2), the cumulative capacities are remarkably promoted for both coin and pouch cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar‐driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) energy conversion holds great potential in converting solar energy into storable and transportable chemicals or fuels, providing a viable route toward a carbon‐neutral society. Conjugated polymers are rapidly emerging as a new class of materials for PEC water splitting. They exhibit many intriguing properties including tunable electronic structures through molecular engineering, excellent light harvesting capability with high absorption coefficients, and facile fabrication of large‐area thin films via solution processing. Recent advances have indicated that integrating rationally designed conjugated polymers with inorganic semiconductors is a promising strategy for fabricating efficient and stable hybrid photoelectrodes for high‐efficiency PEC water splitting. This review introduces the history of developing conjugated polymers for PEC water splitting. Notable examples of utilizing conjugated polymers to broaden the light absorption range, improve stability, and enhance the charge separation efficiency of hybrid photoelectrodes are highlighted. Furthermore, key challenges and future research opportunities for further improvements are also presented. This review provides an up‐to‐date overview of fabricating stable and high‐efficiency PEC devices by integrating conjugated polymers with state‐of‐the‐art semiconductors and would have significant implications for the broad solar‐to‐chemical energy conversion research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the locus coeruleus–norepinephrine (LC–NE) theory, activity of the LC, the major releaser of NE in the brain, regulates inhibitory control. As there is reciprocal communication between circulating epinephrine and the LC, plasma epinephrine is used as the index of LC–NE activity. The aim of this crossover randomized controlled trial is to expand on previous findings by investigating the effects of free‐weight, multiple‐joint, and structural barbell resistance exercises. Previous studies have had some methodological limitations, such as failure to report the process of randomization, absence of resistance exercise familiarization before the maximal strength testing, and lack of protocol publication. To address these issues, this study incorporates resistance exercise familiarization, transparent reporting of randomization, and submission as a registered report. The results suggest that a single session of resistance exercise (barbell squat, press, and deadlift) with an intensity of 65%–78% 1RM for five repetitions (70%–90% relative intensity) and three sets with 3‐min rest intervals improved Stroop congruent reaction time (RT) only (t(27) = −2.663, mean reduction = −15 ms, p =.013, 95% CI [−26, −3]). No significant enhancements were observed in Stroop incongruent RT, inhibitory control as indexed by Stroop effect, or inhibitory control as indexed by the RT difference between the Stroop task and the simple reaction task. Moreover, the alterations in plasma epinephrine levels did not significantly associate with changes in any measure of cognitive performance. By addressing previous methodological limitations and employing a registered report format, this study provides more reliable findings on the effects of acute resistance exercise on cognitive performance. We found that, although acute resistance exercise enhances a certain cognitive outcome measured by the Stroop task, the improvement does not appear to be associated with changes in plasma epinephrine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyethylene oxide (PEO)‐based solid polymer electrolytes (SPE) have garnered recognition as highly promising candidates for advanced lithium‐metal batteries. However, the practical application of PEO‐based SPE is hindered by its low critical current density (CCD) resulting from undesired dendrite growth. In this study, a PEO‐based SPE that exhibits an ultra‐high CCD (4 mA cm−2) is presented and enhanced lithium ionic conductivity through the incorporation of small amounts of P2S5 (PS). The crystalline Li2O‐rich and P/S‐containing solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is revealed by cryo‐electron microscope (cryo‐EM) and Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF‐SIMS), which inhibits dendrite growth and adverse reactions between SPE and reductive lithium, thus offering a spherical growth behavior for dendrite‐free lithium metal anode. Consequently, utilizing the PS‐integrated SPE, a Li‐Li symmetric cell demonstrates reduced resistance during operation, enabling stable cycles exceeding 200 hours at 0.5 mA cm−2 and 0.5 mAh cm−2, a stringent test condition for PEO‐based electrolytes. Moreover, a Li/SPE/LiFePO4 (LFP) pouch cell exhibits 80% capacity retention after 100 cycles with 50 µm Li and 30 µm PEO electrolyte, showcasing its potential for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Data on patients switched to tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) from nucleos(t)ide analogues (NUCs) other than tenofovir disoproxil fumarate are limited. Aims: To assess the treatment and renal/bone safety outcomes following the switch to TAF. Methods: We prospectively enrolled adult patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) who switched from any NUC to TAF at 14 centres in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the U.S. Study outcomes were viral suppression (VR; HBV DNA < 20 IU/mL), biochemical response (BR; alanine aminotransferase normalisation), and changes in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and T‐scores (L‐spine) by bone absorptiometry by 24 months after switch to TAF. Results: We enrolled 270 eligible patients. Mean age was 58.1; 58.2% were male; 12.2% had cirrhosis and 73.3% previously received entecavir monotherapy. VR rate increased significantly from 95.2% to 98.8% by 24 months after the switch to TAF (p = 0.014). Between the switch and 24 months later, the mean spine T‐score improved significantly from −1.43 ± 1.36 to −1.17 ± 1.38 (p < 0.0001), while there was no significant change in mean eGFR (88.4 ± 16.9–89.5 ± 16.3 mL/min/1.73 m2, p = 0.13). On multivariable analysis adjusted for age, sex, baseline spine T‐score and prior TDF or adefovir dipivoxil use, male sex was significantly associated with lower risk of worsening spine T‐score (odds ratio: 0.29, p = 0.020), while age was significantly associated with a higher risk of worsening chronic kidney disease stage (OR: 1.07, p = 0.019). Conclusions: At 24 months after the switch to TAF, VR rates and spine bone density improved significantly while renal function remained stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper proposes a multi‐loads capacitive power transfer (CPT) system based on a single relay plate for railway monitoring systems. The proposed system can supply power wirelessly to the monitoring system on the trackside and train carriages simultaneously to eliminate traditional power cables connection and prevent frequent battery replacement. Unlike the traditional multiple loads CPT systems, the proposed system uses only one relay plate, which is more stable and uncomplicated considering the coupler installation space and moving dynamically in the railway system. The proposed system adopts a CL‐LCLC‐CL compensation network to achieve a load‐independent output. The limitation of the charging load quantity is given in detail considering the coupler voltage stress distribution. An experimental prototype with three loads is also built to verify the effectiveness of the proposed system. Experimental results show that the proposed system achieves wireless power transfer to multiple loads simultaneously with two loads on the receiver and one on the repeater side. The load‐independent property is also achieved when two loads are removed. The maximum experimental efficiency is about 87.13%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming has significantly affected terrestrial ecosystems. Biomass and C:N:P stoichiometry of plants and soil is crucial for enhancing plant productivity, improving human nutrition, and regulating biogeochemical cycles. However, the effect of warming on the biomass and C:N:P stoichiometry of different components (plant, leaf, stem, root, litter, soil, and microbial biomass) in various terrestrial ecosystems remains uncertain. We conducted a comprehensive meta‐analysis to investigate the global patterns of biomass and C:N:P stoichiometry responses to warming, as well as interaction relationships based on 1399 paired observations from 105 warming studies. Results indicated that warming had a significant impact on various aspects of plant growth, including an increase in plant biomass (+16.55%), plant C:N ratio (+4.15%), leaf biomass (+16.78%), stem biomass (+23.65%), root biomass (+22.00%), litter C:N ratio (+9.54%) and soil C:N ratio (+5.64%). However, it also decreased stem C:P ratio (−23.34%), root C:P ratio (−12.88%), soil N:P ratio (−14.43%) and soil C:P ratio (−16.33%). The magnitude of warming was the primary drivers of changes of biomass and C:N:P stoichiometry. By establishing the general response curves of changes in biomass and C:N:P ratios with increasing temperature, we demonstrated that warming effect on plant, root, and litter biomass shifted from negative to positive, whereas that on leaf and stem biomass changed from positive to negative as temperature increased. Additionally, the effect of warming on root C:N ratio, root biomass, and microbial biomass N:P ratios shifted from positive to negative, whereas the effects on plant N:P, leaf N:P, leaf C:P, root N:P ratios, and microbial biomass C:N ratio changed from negative to positive with increasing temperature. Our research can help assess plant productivity and optimize ecosystem stoichiometry precisely in the context of global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on the preparation of native/waxy corn starch (NCS/WCS)‐based films with the addition of pullulan (PUL). Our study investigated the effects of varying amounts of PUL and amylose contents on the structure, mechanical and physicochemical properties of corn starch films. Notably, it was observed that WCS films with low amylose content exhibited superior transparency, while NCS films with high amylose content demonstrated enhanced tensile strength (up to 7.35 ± 0.18 MPa). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis indicated that the addition of PUL did not change the molecular interactions within the corn starch films. The X‐ray diffraction (XRD) results supported that the WCS films were amorphous, while the NCS film exhibited B‐type and V‐type crystals. Moreover, an increase in PUL content led to a gradual reduction in the crystallinity of both WCS films and NCS films. The addition of PUL improved the mechanical properties and oxygen barrier characteristics of these films but had an adverse impact on their water vapor barrier properties. These findings offer valuable insights for the selection of additives for corn starch film, which can further enhance the practical application potential of corn starch films in food and other industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we present a high‐reliability gate driver on array (GOA) for a 10.7‐in. HD (1,280 × RGB × 720) TFT‐LCD panel, featuring an alternatively double‐sided noise‐eliminating function. The gate driver circuit is designed with 12‐phase clock signals that exhibit 75% signal overlapping, threshold voltage recovering, and double‐sided driving schemes. The double‐sided driving scheme reduces the number of mental wires and TFTs in the gate driver circuit, resulting in a smaller layout area for GOA. By utilizing dual levels of voltage, we implemented a negative gate bias method to mitigate threshold voltage shifts for the noise‐eliminating and driving TFTs. This prevents the noises from clock signals effectively. The reliability test of the proposed GOA with 720 stages passed a strict testing condition (90°C and −40°C) for simulation and exhibited good performance over 800 hours at 90°C for measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The automation of programming, which lies at the intersection of software engineering and artificial intelligence, enables machines to automatically generate programs that satisfy given requirements. In the context of B formal design modeling, one of the challenges is the refactoring of substitutions in design specifications, which often uses state transitions to describe how program or system statuses change during execution. This paper proposes a condition and substitution refactoring algorithm for the B formal specification language. The aim of the work is to automatically derive B operational predicates based on given transitions. The work has been extremely useful to machine‐driven formal design model repair as well as automated design specification generation. Given a set of state transitions, common relations of their state variables can be discovered and clustered into a number of classes. These relations can be further used to synthesize substitutions that derive new states from existing states. To restrict application domains of the synthesized substitutions, conditions that guard these substitutions are generated using first‐order logic. We have implemented the proposed algorithm as an extension to the ProB model checker. Experiments were conducted based on the B model public dataset. The evaluation results demonstrated that our solution is able to synthesize conditions and substitutions for various sets of state transitions in a wide range of B models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of garnet‐based petrologic constraints with multimineral geochronologic data in eclogites and blueschists allows the timing and rate of subduction zone metamorphism to be constrained. We present a combined garnet Lu–Hf/Sm–Nd and zircon/rutile U–Pb geochronology study on three eclogites, a garnet‐bearing blueschist, and a micaschist from the Changning–Menglian orogenic belt, a newly discovered ultrahigh‐pressure metamorphic belt in southeast Tibet, in order to characterize tectono‐metamorphic events and determine the duration of Paleo‐Tethys oceanic subduction. Integration of phase equilibrium modelling and conventional thermobarometry for the eclogites defines a clockwise P–T path evolving from blueschist facies conditions at ~1.4 GPa and ~505–530°C to peak eclogite facies conditions at ~2.8 GPa and ~630–640°C, followed by isothermal decompression to amphibolite facies at ~1.0 GPa and ~630–650°C. The Lu–Hf ages of c. 239–236 Ma obtained for the eclogites and the blueschist are indistinguishable from the rutile U–Pb age of c. 239 Ma obtained for the eclogites and, combined with the observation of well‐preserved Rayleigh‐fractionation‐style Mn and Lu zoning profiles in garnet, reflect the timing of early prograde garnet growth. The Sm–Nd ages of c. 242–236 Ma reflect a later period of garnet growth, evidenced by flat and/or M‐shaped Sm zoning profiles. Each of the Sm–Nd ages overlaps, within uncertainty, with its corresponding Lu–Hf age (i.e., from the same garnet fraction). The consistency of the Lu–Hf and Sm–Nd ages indicates a short overall duration of garnet growth from blueschist to eclogite facies metamorphism, reflecting rapid subduction of the oceanic slab. The magmatic zircon U–Pb dates of c. 247 Ma constrain the protolith age of these metabasaltic rocks. The close protolith and the high‐pressure metamorphic ages, together with the consistent garnet Lu–Hf and Sm–Nd ages and the overlapping youngest and oldest metamorphic ages of the oceanic‐type and continental‐type eclogites, respectively, suggest a fast tectonic transition from divergence to convergence highlighted by rapid oceanic subduction, continuous transition from oceanic to continental subduction, and a rapid cooling of the subduction interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spirometric abnormalities have been related to incident heart failure in general population, who generally have preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). We aimed to investigate the association between spirometric indices, cardiac functions and clinical outcomes. Methods: Subjects presenting with exertional dyspnoea and received spirometry and echocardiography were eligible for this study. Forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1)/FVC ratio were measured to define the spirometry patterns: normal (FEV1/FVC ≥ 70%, FVC ≥ 80%), obstructive (FEV1/FVC < 70%, FVC ≥ 80%), restrictive pattern (FEV1/FVC ≥ 70%, FVC < 80%) and mixed (FEV1/FVC < 70%, FVC < 80%). The diastolic dysfunction index (DDi) was the counts of the indicators, including septal e′ velocity <7 cm/s, septal E/e′ > 15, pulmonary artery systolic pressure > 35 mmHg and left atrial dimension >40 mm. Results: Among a total of 8669 participants (65.8 ± 16.3 years, 56% men), 3739 (43.1%), 829 (9.6%), 3050 (35.2%) and 1051 (12.1%) had normal, obstructive, restrictive and mixed spirometry pattern, respectively. Subjects with restrictive or mixed spirometry pattern had higher DDi and worse long‐term survival than those with obstructive or normal ventilation. FVC but not FEV1/FVC was predictive of 5‐year mortality, independent of age, sex, renal function, LVEF, DDi, body mass index, and comorbidities (hazard ratio, 95% confidence intervals:.981,.977–.985). Furthermore, there was an inverse nonlinear relationship between FVC and DDi, suggesting the declined FVC may mediate 43% of the prognostic hazard of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Conclusions: The restrictive spirometry pattern or the declined FVC was associated with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, which aggravated the long‐term mortality in the ambulatory dyspnoeic subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the elevational patterns of soil microbial diversity is crucial for microbial biogeography, yet the elevational patterns of diversity across different climatic zones, trophic levels, and taxonomic levels remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the elevational patterns of species richness, species evenness and the relationship between species richness and evenness (RRE) in the forest soil bacterial and fungal communities and individual phyla across three climatic zones (tropical, subtropical, and cold temperate). Our results revealed that soil bacterial richness (alpha diversity) decreased with elevation, while fungal richness exhibited a hump‐shaped pattern in the tropical and cold‐temperate forests. Elevational patterns of evenness in bacterial and fungal communities showed the hump‐shaped pattern across climatic zones, except for bacterial evenness in the tropical forest. Both bacterial and fungal richness and evenness were positively correlated in the subtropical and cold‐temperate forests, while negatively correlated for bacteria in the tropical forest. The richness and evenness of soil microorganisms across different regions were controlled by climatic and edaphic factors. Soil pH was the most important factor associated with the variations in bacterial richness and evenness, while mean annual temperature explained the major variations in fungal richness. Our results addressed that the varieties of elevational patterns of microbial diversity in climatic zones and taxonomic levels, further indicating that richness and evenness may respond differently to environmental gradients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer (BC) with high HER2 expression has higher recurrence rate and worse prognosis, and its immunotherapy is promising. Based on the high expression of HER2, develop Chimeric Antigen Receptor T‐cell (CAR‐T) and PDL‐1 immunotherapy, and study the molecular pathways of related immune cells and recurrence. HER2‐CAR‐T cells were constructed using retroviruses, and their specific recognition and immune effects on HER2+ BC cells were verified by in vivo and in vitro experiments. PDL‐1 was used as adjuvant immunotherapy, knocking down PDL‐1 in tumor cells or dendritic cells, or depleted macrophages to study immune pathways. The negative regulation of HER2 by cbl was determined by IP, ubiquitination experiments, and segmented plasmids, elucidating the molecular mechanism of HER2+ BC recurrence after immunotherapy. HER2‐CAR‐T specifically recognizes HER2‐positive tumor cells and inhibits tumor growth in vivo and in vitro, and anti‐PDL1 treatment enhances the therapeutic effect of HER2‐CAR‐T on tumors. HER2‐CART therapy eradicated solid tumors after PDL1 knockdown in dendritic cells. Immunotherapy of relapsed tumors lost HER2 expression by upregulating cbl. HER2‐CAR‐T shows specific recognition of HER2+ cells and can mediate immune response therapy with the cooperation of PDL‐1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bowenoid papulosis (BP) is a benign and possibly carcinogenic disease associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which has been increasingly recognised and paid attention to in recent years, but the potential mechanisms still remain unclear. In our study, three patients who were diagnosed with BP were enrolled into our research. Skin biopsies were taken and were separated into two parts, one part was for HE staining and the others were for RNA‐sequencing (RNA‐seq). All the three patents were human papillomavirus (HPV) positive and HE staining revealed typical skin histopathological changes in BP, including dyskeratosis, hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the granular and spinous layers, atypical keratinocytes. RNA‐seq analysis demonstrated that a total of 486 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected between the skin tissues from BP and the controls, among which, 320 genes were significantly upregulated and 166 genes were dramatically downregulated. GO enrichment revealed that antigen binding, cell cycle, immune response and keratinisation to be the most notably altered pathways, whereas KEGG analysis indicated that cell cycle cytokine‐cytokine receptor interaction, ECM receptor interaction and p53 signalling pathway to be the most significantly changed signalling pathways in BP. Furthermore, metabolism‐associated enrichment analysis showed that cholesterol metabolism, metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome p450 and pyrimidine metabolism to be the most dramatically dysregulated metabolic pathways in BP as compared to normal controls. Our study revealed that inflammation, metabolism and cell proliferation signalling pathways might be the most important pathways for BP disease, targeted inhibiting of these signals might be a potential method for BP treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Finite nucleos(t)ide analogue (NUC) therapy has been proposed as an alternative treatment strategy for chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Aim: To quantify the incidence of severe hepatitis flares following NUC cessation in everyday clinical practice. Methods: This population‐based cohort study enrolled 10,192 patients (male 71.7%, median age 50.9 years, cirrhosis 10.7%) who had received first‐line NUCs for at least 1 year before discontinuing treatment. The primary outcome was severe flare with hepatic decompensation. We used competing risk analyses to assess event incidences and associated risk factors. Results: During a median follow‐up of 2.2 years, 132 patients developed severe flares with hepatic decompensation, yielding a 4‐year cumulative incidence of 1.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5%–2.2%). Significant risk factors were cirrhosis (adjusted sub‐distributional hazard ratio [aSHR], 2.74; 95% CI, 1.82–4.12), manifestations of portal hypertension (aSHR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.45–4.18), age (aSHR, 1.21 per 10 years; 95% CI, 1.03–1.42) and male sex (aSHR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.04–2.38). In patients without cirrhosis or portal hypertension (n = 8863), the 4‐year cumulative incidence of severe withdrawal flares stood at 1.3% (95% CI, 1.0%–1.7%). For those patients with available data confirming adherence to the standard stopping rules (n = 1274), the incidence was 1.1% (95% CI, 0.6%–2.0%). Conclusions: Severe flares with hepatic decompensation were observed in 1%–2% of patients with CHB after stopping NUC therapy in daily practice. Risk factors included older age, cirrhosis, portal hypertension and male sex. Our findings argue against NUC cessation as part of routine clinical care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In angiosperms, pollen tube growth is critical for double fertilization and seed formation. Many of the factors involved in pollen tube tip growth are unknown. Here, we report the roles of pollen‐specific GLYCEROPHOSPHODIESTER PHOSPHODIESTERASE‐LIKE (GDPD‐LIKE) genes in pollen tube tip growth. Arabidopsis thaliana GDPD‐LIKE6 (AtGDPDL6) and AtGDPDL7 were specifically expressed in mature pollen grains and pollen tubes and green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐AtGDPDL6 and GFP‐AtGDPDL7 fusion proteins were enriched at the plasma membrane at the apex of forming pollen tubes. Atgdpdl6 Atgdpdl7 double mutants displayed severe sterility that was rescued by genetic complementation with AtGDPDL6 or AtGDPDL7. This sterility was associated with defective male gametophytic transmission. Atgdpdl6 Atgdpdl7 pollen tubes burst immediately after initiation of pollen germination in vitro and in vivo, consistent with the thin and fragile walls in their tips. Cellulose deposition was greatly reduced along the mutant pollen tube tip walls, and the localization of pollen‐specific CELLULOSE SYNTHASE‐LIKE D1 (CSLD1) and CSLD4 was impaired to the apex of mutant pollen tubes. A rice pollen‐specific GDPD‐LIKE protein also contributed to pollen tube tip growth, suggesting that members of this family have conserved functions in angiosperms. Thus, pollen‐specific GDPD‐LIKEs mediate pollen tube tip growth, possibly by modulating cellulose deposition in pollen tube walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) seriously damages cucurbits worldwide. Control of ZYMV by cross‐protection has been practised for decades, but selecting useful mild viruses is time‐consuming and laborious. Most attenuated potyviruses used for cross‐protection do not induce hypersensitive reaction (HR) in Chenopodium quinoa, a local lesion host Chenopodium quinoa. Here, severe ZYMV TW‐TN3 tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP), designated ZG, was used for nitrous acid mutagenesis. From three trials, 11 mutants were identified from fluorescent spots without HR in inoculated C. quinoa leaves. Five mutants caused attenuated symptoms in squash plants. The genomic sequences of these five mutants revealed that most of the nonsynonymous changes were located in the HC‐Pro gene. The replacement of individual mutated HC‐Pros in the ZG backbone and an RNA silencing suppression (RSS) assay indicated that each mutated HC‐Pro is defective in RSS function and responsible for reduced virulence. Four mutants provided high degrees of protection (84%–100%) against severe virus TW‐TN3 in zucchini squash plants, with ZG 4‐10 being selected for removal of the GFP tag. After removal of the GFP gene, Z 4‐10 induced symptoms similar to ZG 4‐10 and still provided 100% protection against TW‐TN3 in squash, thus is considered not a genetically engineered mutant. Therefore, using a GFP reporter to select non‐HR mutants of ZYMV from C. quinoa leaves is an efficient way to obtain beneficial mild viruses for cross‐protection. This novel approach is being applied to other potyviruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, bowl‐shaped N‐doped hollow carbon sphere‐containing mesoporous nanomaterials (BNHC) were used for the ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of isoprenaline (ISOP). The linear ranges of the BNHC‐based sensor were as follows: 0.05 – 15 μM; 15 – 70 μM, with the limit of detection (LOD) of 6.8 nM. And the BNHC‐based electrochemical sensor showed a good current response to ISOP and maintained 95.6 % of the initial current after 30 days of storage. Notably, when the BNHC‐modified sensor was used to detect the actual ISOP injection and urine samples, the sensor exhibited satisfactory recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with a significant impact on the overall wellbeing of patients and their families. Crisaborole ointment, 2%, is a nonsteroidal phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor approved for the treatment of mild‐to‐moderate atopic dermatitis in multiple countries. However, in the key pivotal trials, a low proportion of the overall patient population was Asian, therefore the safety and efficacy of crisaborole in the Asian population with atopic dermatitis remains unclear. CrisADe CLEAR was a multicenter, randomized, double‐blind, vehicle‐controlled, phase 3 study (NCT04360187) to assess the efficacy and safety of crisaborole ointment in Chinese and Japanese patients aged ≥2 years with mild‐to‐moderate atopic dermatitis involving ≥5% treatable body surface area. Patients were randomly assigned 2:1 to receive crisaborole or vehicle twice daily for 28 days. The primary endpoint was percentage change from baseline in the Eczema Area and Severity Index total score at day 29. Additional endpoints were improvement and success per Investigator's Static Global Assessment score at day 29 and change from baseline on the Peak Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale at week 4. Safety was assessed using rates of treatment emergent adverse events, serious adverse events, and clinically significant changes in vital signs and clinical laboratory parameters. Crisaborole‐treated patients showed a significantly greater reduction versus vehicle in percentage change from baseline in Eczema Area and Severity Index total score at day 29 (P = 0.0002). Response rates for achievement of Investigator's Static Global Assessment improvement and success at day 29 were significantly higher for patients treated with crisaborole versus vehicle (P = 0.0124 and P = 0.0078, respectively). Crisaborole‐treated patients showed a significantly greater reduction versus vehicle in change from baseline on the Peak Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale at week 4 (P = 0.0009). No new safety signals were identified. Treatment with crisaborole was effective and well tolerated in Chinese and Japanese patients with mild‐to‐moderate atopic dermatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent trials have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of percutaneous renal sympathetic denervation (RDN) for blood pressure (BP)-lowering in patients with uncontrolled hypertension. Nevertheless, major challenges exist, such as the wide variation of BP-lowering responses following RDN (from strong response to no response) and lack of feasible and reproducible peri-procedural predictors for patient response. Both animal and human studies have demonstrated different patterns of BP responses following renal nerve stimulation (RNS), possibly related to varied regional proportions of sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve tissues along the renal arteries. Animal studies of RNS have shown that rapid electrical stimulation of the renal arteries caused renal artery vasoconstriction and increased norepinephrine secretion with a concomitant increase in BP, and the responses were attenuated after RDN. Moreover, selective RDN at sites with strong RNS-induced BP increases led to a more efficient BP-lowering effect. In human, when RNS was performed before and after RDN, blunted changes in RNS-induced BP responses were noted after RDN. The systolic BP response induced by RNS before RDN and blunted systolic BP response to RNS after RDN, at the site with maximal RNS-induced systolic BP response before RDN, both correlated with the 24-h ambulatory BP reductions 3-12 months following RDN. In summary, RNS-induced BP changes, before and after RDN, could be used to assess the immediate effect of RDN and predict BP reductions months following RDN. More comprehensive, large-scale and long term trials are needed to verify these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertension-related death is the leading cause of mortality worldwide, making blood pressure (BP) control an important issue. Salt substitute is a non-pharmaceutical strategy to improve hypertension control. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of salt substitute on BP and cardiovascular disease. The authors searched the Cochrane Library and PubMed databases through March 2022, and assessed the risk-of-bias for included studies by the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Twenty-three randomized controlled trials with 32073 patients were included in our systematic review. A meta-analysis with random effects was performed to analyze the effects of salt substitute on systolic and diastolic BP, 24-h urinary sodium and potassium, and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. In the random-effects model, participants consuming salt substitute showed significant reduction in systolic BP (mean difference (MD) -4.80 mmHg, 95% confidence interval (CI) -6.12 to -3.48, P < 0.0001) and diastolic BP (MD -1.48 mmHg, 95% CI -2.06 to -0.90, P < 0.0001) compared with participants consuming normal salt. In the urine electrolyte analysis, the salt substitute group had significant reduction in 24-h urine sodium (MD -22.96 mmol/24-h, P = 0.0001) and significant elevation in 24-h urine potassium (MD 14.41 mmol/24-h, P < 0.0001). Of the five studies with mortality outcome data, salt substitute significantly reduced all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 0.88, P = 0.0003). In conclusion, our analyses showed that salt substitute has a strong effect on lowering BP and reducing all-cause mortality. By modifying the daily diet with salt substitute, the authors can improve BP control by using this non-pharmaceutical management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arterial hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The prevalence of primary aldosteronism (PA) ranges from 5% to 10% in the general hypertensive population and is regarded as one of the most common causes of secondary hypertension. There are two major causes of PA: bilateral adrenal hyperplasia and aldosterone-producing adenoma. The diagnosis of PA comprises screening, confirmatory testing, and subtype differentiation. The Endocrine Society Practice Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of PA recommends screening of patients at an increased risk of PA. These categories include patients with stage 2 and 3 hypertension, drug-resistant hypertension, hypertensive with spontaneous or diuretic-induced hypokalemia, hypertension with adrenal incidentaloma, hypertensive with a family history of early onset hypertension or cerebrovascular accident at a young age, and all hypertensive first-degree relatives of patients with PA. Recently, several studies have linked PA with obstructive sleep apnea and atrial fibrillation unexplained by structural heart defects and/or other conditions known to cause the arrhythmia, which may be partly responsible for the higher rates of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular accidents in patients with PA. The aim of this review is to discuss which patients should be screened for PA, focusing not only on well-established guidelines but also on additional groups of patients with a potentially higher prevalence of PA, as has been reported in recent research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is emerging evidence that α1-blockers can be safely used in the treatment of hypertension. These drugs can be used in almost all hypertensive patients for blood pressure control. However, there are several special indications. Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a compelling indication of α1-blockers, because of the dual treatment effect on both high blood pressure and lower urinary tract symptoms. Many patients with resistant hypertension would require α1-blockers as add-on therapy. Primary aldosteronism screen is a rapidly increasing clinical demand in the management of hypertension, where α1-blockers are useful for blood pressure control in the preparation for the measurement of plasma aldosterone and renin. Nonetheless, α1-blockers have to be used under several considerations. Among the currently available agents, only long-acting α1-blockers, such as doxazosin gastrointestinal therapeutic system 4-8 mg daily and terazosin 2-4 mg daily, should be chosen. Orthostatic hypotension is a concern with the use of α1-blockers especially in the elderly, and requires careful initial bedtime dosing and avoiding overdosing. Fluid retention is potentially also a concern, which may be overcome by combining an α1-blocker with a diuretic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Home blood pressure (HBP) has been recognized as a prognostic predictor for cardiovascular events, and integrated into the diagnosis and management of hypertension. With increasing accessibility of oscillometric blood pressure devices, HBP monitoring is easy to perform, more likely to obtain reliable estimation of blood pressures, and feasible to document long-term blood pressure variations, compared to office and ambulatory blood pressures. To obtain reliable HBP estimates, a standardized HBP monitoring protocol is essential. A consensus regarding the optimal duration and frequency of HBP monitoring is yet to be established. Based on the current evidence, the "722" protocol, which stands for two measurements on one occasion, two occasions a day (morning and evening), and over a consecutive of 7 days, is most commonly used in clinical studies and recommended in relevant guidelines and consensus documents. HBP monitoring based on the "722" protocol fulfills the minimal requirement of blood pressure measurements to achieve agreement of blood pressure classifications defined by office blood pressures and to predict cardiovascular risks. In the Taiwan HBP consensus, the frequency of repeating the "722" protocol of HBP monitoring according to different scenarios of hypertension management, from every 2 weeks to 3 months, is recommended. It is reasonable to conclude that the "722" protocol for HBP monitoring is clinically justified and can serve as a basis for standardized HBP monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inferior activity and stability of non‐noble metal‐based electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) seriously limit their practical applications in various electrochemical energy conversion systems. Here we report, a drastic nonequilibrium precipitation approach to construct a highly disordered crystal structure of layered double hydroxides as a model OER catalyst. The unconventional crystal structure contains high‐density cationic defects coupled with a local alkaline‐enriched environment, enabling ultrafast diffusion of OH− ions and thus avoiding the formation of a local acidic environment and dissolution of active sites during OER. An integrated experimental and theoretical study reveals that high‐density cationic defects, especially di‐cationic and multi‐cationic defects, serve as highly active and durable catalytic sites. This work showcases a promising strategy of crystal structure engineering to construct robust active sites for high‐performance oxygen evolution in an alkaline solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High blood pressure (BP) and type‐2 diabetes (T2DM) are forerunners of chronic kidney disease and left ventricular dysfunction. Home BP telemonitoring (HTM) and urinary peptidomic profiling (UPP) are technologies enabling risk stratification and personalized prevention. UPRIGHT‐HTM (NCT04299529) is an investigator‐initiated, multicenter, open‐label, randomized trial with blinded endpoint evaluation designed to assess the efficacy of HTM plus UPP (experimental group) over HTM alone (control group) in guiding treatment in asymptomatic patients, aged 55–75 years, with ≥5 cardiovascular risk factors. From screening onwards, HTM data can be freely accessed by all patients and their caregivers; UPP results are communicated early during follow‐up to patients and caregivers in the intervention group, but at trial closure in the control group. From May 2021 until January 2023, 235 patients were screened, of whom 53 were still progressing through the run‐in period and 144 were randomized. Both groups had similar characteristics, including average age (62.0 years) and the proportions of African Blacks (81.9%), White Europeans (16.7%), women 56.2%, home (31.2%), and office (50.0%) hypertension, T2DM (36.4%), micro‐albuminuria (29.4%), and ECG (9.7%) and echocardiographic (11.5%) left ventricular hypertrophy. Home and office BP were 128.8/79.2 mm Hg and 137.1/82.7 mm Hg, respectively, resulting in a prevalence of white‐coat, masked and sustained hypertension of 40.3%, 11.1%, and 25.7%. HTM persisted after randomization (48 681 readings up to 15 January 2023). In conclusion, results predominantly from low‐resource sub‐Saharan centers proved the feasibility of this multi‐ethnic trial. The COVID‐19 pandemic caused delays and differential recruitment rates across centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is devoted to solve the backward problem for radially symmetric time‐fractional diffusion‐wave equation under Robin boundary condition. This problem is ill‐posed and we apply an iterative regularization method to solve it. The error estimates are obtained under the a priori and a posteriori parameter choice rules. Numerical results show that the proposed method is efficient and stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐index nanostructures are found to exhibit large nonlinearity of spectral responses under photoexcitation, which is applicable to all‐optical modulation. The nonlinearity stems from Mie‐type resonance shift due to photoinduced variation of refractive index. Here, amorphous silicon‐based Huygens' metasurface absorber and ultrafast excitation are used to demonstrate two orders of magnitude enhancement of modulation depth, both theoretically and experimentally, when electric dipole lattice resonance matches the magnetic dipole resonance. Within a few square micrometer spatial confinement and picosecond scale delay, over 100% photothermal modulation depth is experimentally achieved at matched resonance condition. This concept is not limited to photothermal modulation in the amorphous silicon but is applicable to dielectric materials with various mechanisms to achieve modulation of refractive index. This work opens the avenue toward all‐optical information processing via optimized modulation by careful spatiotemporal and spectral control over a metasurface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal‐free carbon‐based materials are considered to be one of the most promising alternatives to precious metal Pt‐based electrocatalysts. However, the electrocatalytic activity of heteroatom‐modulated carbon rarely reaches the level of metal‐based electrocatalysts. Here, electron‐rich carbon and abundant pyridinic‐N adjacent to C vacancies decorated with carbon nanosheets (E‐NC‐V) are synthesized and used as the host for boosting efficient oxygen reduction reaction. Rich pyridinic‐N structures adjacent to C vacancies work in synergy with electron‐rich carbon, which promotes the sharp decrease of |ΔGO*|, resulting in the balanced adsorption and dissociation of oxygen intermediates, and thus activating OO. This can be attributed to the abundant vacancies and d–p orbital hybridization between Zn and N/C. The E‐NC‐V catalyst drives the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) via a 4e− transfer‐dominated pathway with a half‐wave potential of 0.87 V versus RHE in the alkaline solution, even superior to Pt/C. The assembled Al–air battery exhibits a high peak power density of 113 mW cm−2. This promising strategy sheds light on the design and fabrication of robust, rich‐density, and high‐performance active sites for the ORR. The work is expected to inspire future work on the role of electronic structure modulation and defect engineering for enhanced reaction kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]