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Background: Although there are many reasons for extubation failure, maintaining negative or lower positive fluid balances 24 hours before extubation may be a key measure for successful extubation. Aim: To assess the predictive value of fluid balance before extubation and its outcome in mechanically ventilated cases in the intensive care unit (ICU). Study Design: This retrospective cohort study involved collecting clinical data from patients undergoing mechanical ventilation in Lanzhou general adult ICU from January 2022 to December 2022. Based on extubation outcomes, the patients were divided into a successful extubation group and a failed extubation group. Their fluid balance levels 24 h before extubation were compared with analyse the predictive value of fluid balance on extubation outcomes in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. Results: In this study, clinical data from 545 patients admitted to a general adult ICU were collected. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 265 (48.6%) patients were included, of which 197 (74.3%) were successfully extubated; extubation was unsuccessful in 68 (25.7%) patients. The total intake and fluid balance levels in patients in the failed extubation group 24 h before extubation were significantly higher than those in the successful extubation group, with a median of 2679.00 (2410.44–3193.50) mL versus 2435.40 (1805.04–2957.00) mL, 831.50 (26.25–1407.94) mL versus 346.00 (−163.00–941.50) mL. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the optimal cut‐off value for predicting extubation outcomes was 497.5 mL (sensitivity 64.7%, specificity 59.4%) for fluid balance 24 h before extubation. The area under the ROC curve was 0.627 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.547–0.707). Based on the logistic regression model, cumulative fluid balance >497.5 mL 24 h before extubation could predict its outcomes in mechanically ventilated patients in the ICU (OR = 5.591, 95% CI [2.402–13.015], p <.05). Conclusions: The fluid balance level 24 h before extubation was correlated with the outcome of extubation in mechanically ventilated patients in the ICU. The risk of extubation failure was higher when the fluid balance level was >497.5 mL. Relevance to Clinical Practice: Tracheal intubation is a crucial life support technique for many critically ill patients, and determining the appropriate time for extubation remains a challenge for clinicians. Although there are many reasons for extubation failure, acute pulmonary oedema caused by continuous positive fluid balance and volume overload is one of the main reasons for extubation failure. Therefore, it is very important to study the relationship between fluid balance and extubation outcome to improve the prognosis of patients with invasive mechanical ventilation in ICU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) holographic microscopy exploits surface plasmon wave as illumination and acquires both SPR intensity and phase images. It detects extremely tiny variations of weakly interacting objects owing to high sensitivity and has been applied in cell biology, material science, surface chemistry, etc. However, it is very challenging to solve the problem of poor spatial resolution due to the transverse propagation of surface plasmon wave. In this paper, an azimuthal scanning excitation method is proposed in SPR holographic microscopy to improve the spatial resolution by engineering the Fourier spectra of SPR images from dual‐arc to circular shape. The study modulates the light field with spatial position, wavevector, and polarization to realize azimuthal scanning excitation of SPR. Systematic experiments of dielectric spheres, nanowires, two‐dimension materials, and complex nanostructure are conducted to show the resolution improvement with one order of magnitude, the higher detection sensitivity of SPR phase than that of SPR intensity, and the necessities of both of high‐resolution SPR intensity and phase images to retrieve sample information in certain scenarios. Benefiting from the high detection sensitivity and spatial resolution, the proposed microscopy will find wide applications in nanoparticle analysis, low‐dimensional material characterization, and imaging extremely thin or transparent samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photothermal catalysis has attracted great attention owing to high solar energy utilization efficiency, and great progress has been achieved in gas‐phase catalysis. However, photothermal catalysis in liquid‐phase shows a limited performance, due to high specific heat capacity of liquid. Herein, an interfacial photothermal catalytic (IPC) strategy applying an IPC leaf was designed for liquid‐phase catalysis using benzyl alcohol oxidation as the model reaction. On even ground, the benzaldehyde generation rate (8.7 mmol gcat−1 h−1) of the IPC system with Ce‐doped MnO2 as photothermal catalyst was almost 4.8 times and 3 times of bulk photothermal catalysis and the relative bulk thermal catalysis. Experimental results proved that this excellent catalytic performance could be attributed to both the high temperature achieved and the enhanced lattice oxygen activity by solar irradiation. This IPC system also exhibited good universality and long‐term durability. Our work innovatively created a green strategy to obtain fine chemicals with only solar irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two‐dimensional conductive metal‐organic frameworks (2D‐c‐MOFs) have attracted extensive attention owing to their unique structures and physical‐chemical properties. However, the planarly extended structure of 2D‐c‐MOFs usually limited the accessibility of the active sites. Herein, we designed a triptycene‐based 2D vertically conductive MOF (2D‐vc‐MOF) by coordinating 2,3,6,7,14,15‐hexahydroxyltriptycene (HHTC) with Cu2+. The vertically extended 2D‐vc‐MOF(Cu) possesses a weak interlayer interaction, which leads to a facile exfoliation to the nanosheet. Compared with the classical 2D‐c‐MOFs with planarly extended 2D structures, 2D‐vc‐MOF(Cu) exhibits a 100 % increased catalytic activity in terms of turnover number and a two‐fold increased selectivity. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further revealed that higher activity originated from the lower energy barriers of the vertically extended 2D structures during the CO2 reduction reaction process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Ensuring the accuracy of transclavicular‐transcoracoid drilling in the anatomical reconstruction of the coracoclavicular ligament complex with minimally invasive incisions remains a major problem for inexperienced surgeons. The purpose of this study was to design an assembly guide device for transclavicular‐transcoracoid drilling with minimally invasive incisions, to manufacture the finished product, and to compare its feasibility and accuracy with the existing C‐shape guide devices and free‐hand techniques. Methods: An assembly‐type guide device was designed and produced using computer‐aided design and three‐dimensional printing. The specimen data of 54 human shoulders from 27 gross specimen (14 males and 13 females) treated by free‐hand drilling, C‐shape device drilling, and assembly‐type guide device drilling from October 2018 to January 2021 were analyzed in a controlled laboratory study. Fifty‐four human shoulder specimens were randomly assigned into free‐hand (n = 18), C‐shape (n = 18), and assembly (n = 18) groups by drawing lots for transclavicular‐transcoracoid drilling by three inexperienced surgeons. After the drilling procedure was completed and the devices were removed, the operation outcomes were assessed and evaluated. Distances from the tunnel edge to the coracoid's medial (dm) and lateral (dl) edges, operation time, and tunnel location zones on the coracoid's inferior surface of all specimens in the three groups were measured to evaluate the surgical accuracy and efficiency. Results: All specimens in the three groups completed the drilling operation successfully and were correctly measured. The distance differences (dd) between dm and dl in the free‐hand, C‐shape, and assembly groups were 3.2 ± 1.8 mm, 1.8 ± 1.0 mm, 1.0 ± 0.8 mm, respectively. The dd of the free‐hand group was higher than that of the other two groups (p < 0.001). The tunnel exit points on the inferior coracoid surface located in undesired zones were six (33%), one (6%), and zero in the free‐hand group, C‐shape group, and assembly‐type group, respectively (p = 0.012). The operation time in the free‐hand, C‐shape, and assembly groups were 198 ± 36 s, 256 ± 64 s, and 353 ± 88 s, respectively. The operation time of each group significantly differed from that of the others (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The assembly‐type devices may be the first choice for inexperienced surgeons while both the C shape devices and assembly‐type guide devices achieved higher accuracy than free‐hand techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is devoted to the stability in distribution of stochastic differential equations with Markovian switching and Lévy noise by delay feedback control. By constructing efficient Lyapunov functional and linear delay feedback controls, the stability in distribution of stochastic differential equations with Markovian switching and Lévy noise is accomplished with the coefficients satisfying globally Lipschitz continuous. Moreover, the design methods of feedback control under two structures of state feedback and output injection are discussed. Finally, a numerical experiment and new algorithm are provided to sustain the new results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a periodic averaging (PA) method for impulsive stochastic age‐structured population model (ISASPM) in a polluted environment. By using Young's inequality and Gronwall's lemma and under the stochastic Lipschitz condition, we reveal that both the standard ISASPM and the averaged ISASPM have a unique solution. We also study the mean‐square convergence criteria of the numerical solutions produced by the PA method. Finally, asimulation example is given to demonstrate that the PA method is efficient for our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suffering from sluggish charge transfer kinetics, carbon‐based perovskite solar cells (C‐PSCs) lag far behind the Ag/Au‐based normal PSCs in power conversion efficiency (PCE). Herein, the use of defective multi‐walled CNT (D‐MWCNT) is demonstrated to tune the charge transfer kinetics regarding hole transport layer (HTL) and the interface between HTL and carbon electrode. Benefiting from the electrostatic dipole moment interaction between the terminal oxygen‐containing groups of D‐MWCNT and 2,2′,7,7′‐tetrakis(N,N‐di‐p‐methoxyphenylamine)‐9,9′‐spirobifluorene, an interface coupling at molecular level is established and in turn, allows rapid charge transfer by edge effect induced electron redistribution and 1D hyper‐channels. Meanwhile, a seamless connection between HTL and carbon electrode is achieved in a novel modular C‐PSCs due to D‐MWCNT induced interface coupling with graphene at nanometer scale. Based on this strategy, high PCEs up to 22.07% (with a certified record PCE of 21.9% to date for C‐PSCs) and excellent operational stability have been achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panzerina lanata is a Chinese medicine with the bioactivity of detumescence and detoxification. In this study, novel qualitative and quantitative methods were established by ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography‐quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry and ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography‐triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometry, respectively. As a result, 20 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized including flavonoids, organic acids, alkaloids, and lignans, five of which were identified for the first time based on the reference standards. The quantitative approach exhibited good linearity (R2 > 0.995), precision (RSDs < 4.97%), stability (RSDs < 4.77%), and recovery (96.04‐104.14%). Afterward, this method was implemented to determine 11 flavonoids in four batches of P. lanata. Among them, seven compounds were quantified for the first time. Narcissin was abundant in each batch of P. lanata (average of 10.890‐14.230 mg/g) with the highest quantities. The results provide valuable information for quality evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate alterations to brain activity and functional connectivity in patients with tinnitus, exploring neural features in the transition from acute to chronic phantom perception. Twenty‐four patients with acute tinnitus, 23 patients with chronic tinnitus, and 32 healthy controls were recruited. High‐density electroencephalography (EEG) was used to explore changes in brain areas and functional connectivity in different groups. When compared with healthy subjects, acute tinnitus patients had a significant reduction in superior frontal cortex activity across all frequency bands, whereas chronic tinnitus patients had a significant reduction in the superior frontal cortex at beta 3 and gamma frequency bands as well as a significant increase in the inferior frontal cortex at delta‐band and superior temporal cortex at alpha 1 frequency band. When compared to the chronic tinnitus group, the acute tinnitus group activity was significantly increased in the middle frontal and parietal gyrus at the gamma‐band. Functional connectivity analysis showed that the chronic tinnitus group had increased connections between the parahippocampus gyrus, posterior cingulate cortex, and precuneus when compared with the healthy group. Alterations of local brain activity and connections between the parahippocampus gyrus and other nonauditory areas appeared in the transition from acute to chronic tinnitus. This indicates that the appearance and development of tinnitus is a dynamic process involving aberrant local neural activity and abnormal connectivity in multifunctional brain networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a stochastic age‐structured population model with Markovian switching is investigated in a polluted environment. Both the stochastic disturbance of environment and the Markovian switching are incorporated into the model. By Itô formula and several assumptions, the boundedness in the qth moment of exact solutions of model are proved. Furthermore, making use of truncated Euler–Maruyama (EM) method, the strong convergence criterion of numerical approximation in the qth moment is established, and the rate of convergence is estimated. Numerical simulations are carried out to illustrate the theoretical results. Our results indicate that the truncated EM method can be used for stochastic age‐structured population system in a polluted environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Based on Givens‐like rotations, we present a unitary joint diagonalization algorithm for a set of nonsymmetric higher‐order tensors. Each unitary rotation matrix only depends on one unknown parameter which can be analytically obtained in an independent way following a reasonable assumption and a complex derivative technique. It can serve for the canonical polyadic decomposition of a higher‐order tensor with orthogonal factors. Furthermore, based on cross‐high‐order cumulants of observed signals, we show that the proposed algorithm can be applied to solve the joint blind source separation problem. The simulation results reveal that the proposed algorithm has a competitive performance compared with those of several existing related methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FPPK can also have mild or absent nail damage, which has been described as focal nonepidermolytic FPPK (OMIM #600962), and I KRT16 i and I KRT6c i mutations were reported in these patients.1-3 I KRT16 i gene is located in 17p21.2, contains eight exons, encoding the intermediate filament protein, which is mainly expressed in the palmoplantar epidermis. Keratin gene coding sequence and exon-intron junction analysis by Sanger sequencing revealed a heterozygous missense mutation c.1259T>C (p. Leu420Pro) variant in exon 6 of the I KRT16 i (Fig. Dear Editor, Palmoplantar keratodermas (PPKs) are heterogeneity disorders characterized by marked hyperkeratosis on the surface of palms and soles. [Extracted from the article]

A new silver(I) triflate-promoted tandem reaction comprising the ring opening of aziridines and a Michael reaction has been developed. Using secondary amines or primary amines as nucleophiles, this methodology allows for the synthesis of cis-1-alkyl-4-aminotetrahydroisoquinolines or cis-1,3-disubstituted isoindolines in good yields with excellent diastereoselectivities, respectively. Besides, easy operation and mild reaction conditions are also notable features of this tandem reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Web service composition is a new paradigm to develop distributed and reactive software‐intensive systems. Owing to the autonomous nature of basic services, the validation of composite service must be extended from design‐time to run‐time. Here, the authors describe a novel tool chain called web services property sequence chart monitor to monitor temporal, timing and probabilistic properties in composite service based on scenario‐based property specifications called property sequence chart, timed property sequence chart and probabilistic timed property sequence chart, respectively. The tool chain provides a completely graphical front‐end that eliminates the need to deal with any particular textual and logical formalism. Furthermore, the framework and implementation detail of the tool chain are also presented. Finally, the feasibility and usability of the tool have been validated by the case studies and performance measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Run-time monitoring is an important technique to detect erroneous run-time behaviors. Several techniques have been proposed to automatically generate monitors from specification languages to check temporal and real-time properties. However, monitoring of probabilistic properties still requires manual generation. To overcome this problem, we define a formal property specification language called Probabilistic Timed Property Sequence Chart (PTPSC). PTPSC is a probabilistic and timed extension of the existing scenario-based specification formalism Property Sequence Chart (PSC). We have defined a formal grammar-based syntax and have implemented a syntax-directed translator that can automatically generate a probabilistic monitor which combines timed B'uchi automata and a sequential statistical hypothesis test process. We validate the generated monitors with a set of experiments performed with our tool WS-PSC Monitor. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the landscape of photovoltaic research, carbon‐based perovskite solar cells (C‐PSCs) have attracted widespread attention due to their outstanding stability. However, compared to metal‐based PSCs, their power conversion efficiency (PCE) lags markedly behind. The key lies in two primary factors: First, the inefficiency of the carbon electrode in transporting and collecting carriers; second, the energy level mismatch with adjacent functional layers. These problems increase both the charge transport resistance and the charge injection barriers, thereby diminishing the overall efficiency of the device. In this study, an effective strategy is presented to tackle this issue by developing modular C‐PSCs that utilize dual carbon electrodes and implement multiscale modulation. This approach specifically focuses on three crucial aspects: establishing a highly conductive network, ensuring sufficient interfacial contact, and achieving well‐matched energy band alignment. By synergistically incorporating 0D carbon black (CB) and 1D carbon nanotube (CNT) into dual carbon electrodes, a resilient conductive network with enhanced interfacial contact is established, creating favorable conditions for efficient carrier transfer. Additionally, the energy level structure of CB is meticulously adjusted at the molecular scale by introducing individually adsorbed titanium (Ti) atoms, effectively addressing the energy level mismatch with the hole transport layer (spiro‐OMeTAD), and notably reducing the charge injection barrier at the interface. Based on the above strategy, the PCE of the C‐PSCs has undergone a remarkable enhancement from 15.27% to 22.45%. Moreover, the device shows excellent stability, with its PCE retaining over 95% of the initial value even after 1000 h of continuous operation under one‐sun intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]